DAMATH

Description:

• Damath is a two-player board game used to teach basic mathematical operations to students. “Damath”
comes from the words “dama” (which is the Filipino version of the board game checkers) and
“mathematics.” Aside from enhancing students’ mathematical aptitude, Damath also develops their
critical thinking skills and sportsmanship. To play Damath, you need 24 chips with numbers or
mathematical expressions (e.g., fractions, radicals, polynomials, etc.) written on them. You will place
these chips on the Damath board comprising 64 black and white squares. Each white square has its
corresponding mathematical operation. To win the game, one must get the highest score by capturing
his/her opponent’s chips.

Rules:
1. Starting the Game
• Position the chips in the Damath board.
• Toss a coin to identify which player will move first.

2. Moving the Chips

• Players can only slide their chips into an empty white square adjacent to it. Backward slides are not
allowed unless the player captures an opponent’s chip
• Players take turns in moving a chip. Passing a turn is not allowed.
• “Touch move” applies to this game. Once a player touches a chip during his/her turn, he/she is now
required to move it.
• Players have 60 seconds each turn to move a chip.

3. Capturing an Opponent’s Chip and Scoring

• To capture an opponent’s chip, the taker chip must “jump” over its opponent’s chip diagonally and land
on the empty white square adjacent to the opponent’s chip. A chip can be captured by “jumping”
diagonally forward or backward.
• Denying a capture is not allowed.
• Once a taker chip captures its opponent’s chip, the taker obtains a score. The score is calculated using
the mathematical operation indicated in the white square where the taker chip lands. The indicated
operation will be used to the designated numbers in the taker and captured chips.

4. Earning the “Dama” Chip

• The dama chip is an “upgraded” chip that gives players an advantage by moving through multiple
squares.
• Once a player’s chip reaches the following squares of its opponent: (1, 0), (3, 0), (5, 0), (7, 0), that chip
becomes a “dama” chip. Meanwhile, if one of the opponent’s chips reaches any of the following squares:
(0, 7), (2, 7) (4, 7), (6, 7), then the opponent’s chip becomes a “dama” chip.
• A dama chip can be moved by sliding diagonally forward or backward. It can be moved in any empty
square, provided there’s no chip blocking its way.
• Like an ordinary chip, the dama chip captures an opponent’s chip by jumping over it diagonally. The
mathematical operation indicated in the white square where it lands must be used to the designated
numbers of the dama chip and the captured chip to calculate the score. However, the sum, difference,
product, or quotient made by the dama chip must be doubled.
• The score obtained is also doubled if an ordinary chip captures a dama chip or when a dama chip
captures another dama chip.

5. Concluding the Game

• The game ends after 20 minutes, or if one player cannot move any of his/her chips because it is
“trapped.”
• The scores garnered by each player by capturing their opponent’s chips are added together to obtain the
final score. The numbers indicated in the remaining chips on the board are also added to the final score.
Common remaining chips to both players will not be included Note that the corresponding additional
score is doubled for the remaining dama chips.
• The player that garnered the highest final score wins the game.
Tips and Warnings
• Always aim to capture high-numbered chips for addition and multiplication. If you have to “sacrifice”
or lose a chip, minimize your opponent’s score by forcing him/her to land in a subtraction or division
square.
• Be careful in recording your scores in the Damath scoresheet.

Damath games available online

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beyound.damath&hl=en&gl=US
https://damath.ph/
https://apkgk.com/com.mcc.damath

References:
https://filipiknow.net/damath-board/#how-to-play-damath-damath-rules-and-mechanics (Fabulain 2023)
DAMATH BOARD
 Integer DaMaths (Grade 7) Chips

-9 6 -1 4 -9 6 -1 4

0 -3 10 -7 0 -3 10 -7
-11 8 -5 2 -11 8 -5 2
Rational DaMaths (Grade 8) Chips

−𝟗 𝟔 −𝟏 𝟒 −𝟗 𝟔 −𝟏 𝟒
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

0
−𝟑 𝟏𝟎 −𝟕
0
−𝟑 𝟏𝟎 −𝟕
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

−𝟏𝟏 𝟖 −𝟓 𝟐 −𝟏𝟏 𝟖 −𝟓 𝟐
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

Radical DaMaths (Grade 9)

𝟗√𝟐 −√𝟖 𝟒√𝟏𝟖 𝟏𝟔√𝟑𝟐 𝟗√𝟐 −√𝟖 𝟒√𝟏𝟖 𝟏𝟔√𝟑𝟐

−𝟒𝟗√𝟖 −𝟐𝟓√𝟏𝟖 𝟑𝟔√𝟑𝟐 𝟔𝟒√𝟐 −𝟒𝟗√𝟖 −𝟐𝟓√𝟏𝟖 𝟑𝟔√𝟑𝟐 𝟔𝟒√𝟐

−𝟏𝟐𝟏√𝟏𝟖 −𝟖𝟏√𝟑𝟐 𝟏𝟎𝟎√𝟐 𝟏𝟒𝟒√𝟖 −𝟏𝟐𝟏√𝟏𝟖 −𝟖𝟏√𝟑𝟐 𝟏𝟎𝟎√𝟐 𝟏𝟒𝟒√𝟖

Polynomial DaMaths (Grade 10)

−𝟑𝒙𝟐 𝒚 −𝒙𝒚𝟐 𝟔𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝒚 −𝟑𝒙𝟐 𝒚 −𝒙𝒚𝟐 𝟔𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝒚

−𝟐𝟏𝒙𝒚𝟐 −𝟏𝟓𝒙 𝟐𝟖𝒚 𝟑𝟔𝒙𝟐𝒚 −𝟐𝟏𝒙𝒚𝟐 −𝟏𝟓𝒙 𝟑𝟔𝒙𝟐 𝒚

−𝟓𝟓𝒙 −𝟒𝟓𝒚 𝟔𝟔𝒙𝟐𝒚 𝟕𝟖𝒙𝒚𝟐 −𝟓𝟓𝒙 −𝟒𝟓𝒚 𝟔𝟔𝒙𝟐𝒚 𝟕𝟖𝒙𝒚𝟐

 Integer DaMaths (Grade 7) Chips

-9 6 -1 4 -9 6 -1 4

0 -3 10 -7 0 -3 10 -7
-11 8 -5 2 -11 8 -5 2
Rational DaMaths (Grade 8) Chips

−𝟗 𝟔 −𝟏 𝟒 −𝟗 𝟔 −𝟏 𝟒
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

−𝟑
0 𝟏𝟎 −𝟕
0 −𝟑 𝟏𝟎 −𝟕
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

−𝟏𝟏 𝟖 −𝟓 𝟐 −𝟏𝟏 𝟖 −𝟓 𝟐
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

Radical DaMaths (Grade 9) Chips

𝟗√𝟐 −√𝟖 𝟒√𝟏𝟖 𝟏𝟔√𝟑𝟐 𝟗√𝟐 −√𝟖 𝟒√𝟏𝟖 𝟏𝟔√𝟑𝟐

−𝟒𝟗√𝟖 −𝟐𝟓√𝟏𝟖 𝟑𝟔√𝟑𝟐 𝟔𝟒√𝟐 −𝟒𝟗√𝟖 −𝟐𝟓√𝟏𝟖 𝟑𝟔√𝟑𝟐 𝟔𝟒√𝟐

−𝟏𝟐𝟏√𝟏𝟖 −𝟖𝟏√𝟑𝟐 𝟏𝟎𝟎√𝟐 𝟏𝟒𝟒√𝟖 −𝟏𝟐𝟏√𝟏𝟖 −𝟖𝟏√𝟑𝟐 𝟏𝟎𝟎√𝟐 𝟏𝟒𝟒√𝟖

Polynomial DaMaths (Grade 10) Chipss

−𝟑𝒙𝟐 𝒚 −𝒙𝒚𝟐 𝟔𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝒚 −𝟑𝒙𝟐 𝒚 −𝒙𝒚𝟐 𝟔𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝒚

−𝟐𝟏𝒙𝒚𝟐 −𝟏𝟓𝒙 𝟐𝟖𝒚 𝟑𝟔𝒙𝟐𝒚 −𝟐𝟏𝒙𝒚𝟐 −𝟏𝟓𝒙 𝟐𝟖𝒚 𝟑𝟔𝒙𝟐 𝒚

−𝟓𝟓𝒙 −𝟒𝟓𝒚 𝟔𝟔𝒙𝟐𝒚 𝟕𝟖𝒙𝒚𝟐 −𝟓𝟓𝒙 −𝟒𝟓𝒚 𝟔𝟔𝒙𝟐𝒚 𝟕𝟖𝒙𝒚𝟐

 Starting Positions of the DaMaths Chips

Integer DaMaths (Grade 7)

-9 6 -1 4

0 -3 10 -7

-11 8 -5 2

Rational DaMaths (Grade 8)

𝟗 𝟔 𝟏 𝟒
− −
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎
𝟑 𝟏𝟎 𝟕
0 − −
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎
𝟏𝟏 𝟖 𝟓 𝟐
− −
𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

Radical DaMaths (Grade 9)

−𝟗√𝟐 −√𝟖 𝟒√𝟏𝟖 𝟏𝟔√𝟑𝟐

−𝟒𝟗√𝟖 −𝟐𝟓√𝟏𝟖 𝟑𝟔√𝟑𝟐 𝟔𝟒√𝟐

−𝟏𝟐𝟏√𝟏𝟖 −𝟖𝟏√𝟑𝟐 𝟏𝟎𝟎√𝟐 𝟏𝟒𝟒√𝟖

Polynomial DaMaths (Grade 10)

−𝟑𝒙𝟐 𝒚 −𝒙𝒚𝟐 𝟔𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝒚

−𝟐𝟏𝒙𝒚𝟐 −𝟏𝟓𝒙 𝟐𝟖𝒚 𝟑𝟔𝒙𝟐𝒚

−𝟓𝟓𝒙 −𝟒𝟓𝒚 𝟔𝟔𝒙𝟐 𝒚 𝟕𝟖𝒙𝒚𝟐

 Radical DaMaths

Examples of taking chip:

𝟏. ) − 𝟗√𝟐 + (−√𝟖)
Solution:
−9√2 + (−√(2)(4) )
−9√2 + (−2√2) = −11√2
= −11(1.41)𝑜𝑟 − 𝟏𝟓. 𝟓𝟏
2.) (𝟏𝟔√𝟑𝟐)(−𝟗√𝟐)
Solution:
16(−9) [√(32)(2)]
= −512√64
= −512(8) = −𝟒 𝟎𝟗𝟔
𝟑𝟔√𝟑𝟐
3.) 𝟒√𝟏𝟖
Solution:
36√(2)(16)
4√(2)(9)
9(4)
= 𝑜𝑟 𝟏𝟐
3

Polynomial DaMaths
Examples of taking chip:
1.) −𝟑𝒙𝟐 𝒚 takes 𝟑𝟔𝒙𝟐 𝒚 and lands on (2,5) whose operation is +
Solution: −3𝑥 2 𝑦 + 36𝑥 2 𝑦 = 33𝑥 2 𝑦
= 33(2)2 (5)
= 33(4)(5) 𝑜𝑟 𝟔𝟔𝟎
𝟐
2.) −𝒙𝒚 takes 𝟐𝟖𝒚 and lands on (3,4) whose operation is –
Solution: −𝑥𝑦 2 − 28𝑦
−3(4)2 − 28(4) by substitution
−3(16) − 112
−48 − 112 = −𝟏𝟔𝟎
3.) 𝟔𝒙 takes −𝟐𝟏𝒙𝒚𝟐 and lands on (4,5) whose operation is x
Solution: 6𝑥 (−21𝑥𝑦 2 ) = −126𝑥 2 𝑦 2
= −126(4)2 (5)2 by substitution
= −126(16)(25) 𝑜𝑟 − 𝟓𝟎, 𝟒𝟎𝟎
𝟐
4.) 𝟕𝟖𝒙𝒚 takes 𝟔𝒙 and lands on (1,6) whose operation is ÷
78𝑥𝑦 2
Solution: 6𝑥
= 13𝑦 2
= 13(6)2 by substitution
= 13(36) or 𝟒𝟔𝟖
The remaining chips will be added to the respective players.
e.g. The last locations of −45𝑦 and 36𝑥 2 𝑦 are (6, 3) and (2,1), respectively:
−45𝑦 = −45(3) 36𝑥 2 𝑦 = 36(2)2 (1)
= −135 = 36(4)(1) or 144
 SCORE SHEET
RED BLUE
Player: _____________________________ Player: _____________________________
Move Score TOTAL Move Score TOTAL

______________________ ______________________
Player’s Signature ______________________ Player’s Signature
Signature of Arbiter
WIN/LOSS WIN/LOSS