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I.

The DaMath Game

Learning basic mathematical concepts and skills should be fun and exciting rather than a tedious task for the students. In the Philippines, a board game known as DaMath was created by Jesus Huenda in late 1970s, from a checker board game called dama and mathematics, due to his difficulties in teaching students math basics. His aim was to transform mathematics into an enjoyable and educational subject for the students. The game has become a highly addictive game in the country and the inventor received a presidential merit award for his educational project. The local game has been widely promoted in schools nationwide for it was seen to be a good training material in the field of mathematics. DaMath is composed of chips, which signifies numbers, and a board similar to chess but with the basic mathematical symbols in it. The invention of DaMath contributed techniques for educators to improve numeracy skills among students, specifically on primary and secondary education.

7 7 x 6

3 -

1 +

0 0 1

5 4 + 3 x 2 1 0 + 0 1 2 + +

x x x x 3 4

2 3

x 4 5

6 7

5 6

x 7

Figure 1. DaMath Board with Position Indicators

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II.

Game Mechanics
1. Place the chips in their proper position. (Please refer Section III). 2. Draw lots may be done to select the first player, Player A. 3. Player A will have to make the first move. Moving a chip means sliding it diagonally in the forward direction only. 4. The two players alternately take turns in moving a chip with no option to PASS. A player is strictly required to make a move unless it is not possible to do so. 5. After each turn, the moves will be checked to make any possible compu tation and to update the scores. Moving a chip and writing its corresponding entries to the score sheet should not exceed (1) minute. A player may lose the game if he will be delayed twice during the game. 6. In taking an opponents chip, the taker chip jumps over the taken chip and uses any of the four operation symbols of +, -, x, and where the taker chip lands. 7. In taking more than one chip, the "taker" chip is always the addend, minuend, multiplicand, or dividend. 8. A chip is declared dama if it stops in any of the following square coordinates of the opposing player: (1,0); (3,0); (5,0); (7,0). Similarly, the opposing players chip is declared dama if it stops in any of the following square coordinates: (0,7); (2,7); (4,7); (6,7). 9. A dama chip can slide diagonally forward or backward in any unoccupied square as long as no opponents chip blocks its path. It could take a chip or chips whereby its corresponding sum, difference, product or quotient is doubled. Similarly, if an ordinary chip takes an opponents dama chip, its score is also doubled. 10. If a dama chip takes an opponents dama chip, then its score is quadrupled. 11. Between a dama chip taking an opponents chip and a chip taking an opponents chip, the former move prevails over. 12. A taker or taken dama chip could be identified by a change in color or indicator. 13. The game ends if: a. the 20-minute game period lapsed (regardless of the time in between a pause); b. the moves are repetitive; c. a player has no more chip to move; d. an opponents chip is cornered. 14. The remaining chip or chips of the players are to be added to their respective scores. If the remaining chip is a dama, then its score is also doubled. 15. The player with the greater accumulated total score wins the game.

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III.

DaMath Categories
INTEGER DAMATH (Position of Chips) -9 0 -11 -3 8 6 10 -5 -1 -7 2 4

RATIONAL DAMATH (Position of Chips) -9/10 0 -11/10 -3/10 8/10 6/10 10/10 -5/10 -1/10 -7/10 2/10 4/10

RADICAL DAMATH (Position of Chips) -92 -498 -12118 -2518 -8132 -8 3632 1002 418 642 1448 1632

POLYNOMIAL DAMATH (Position of Chips) -3x y -21xy2 -55x -15x -45y

2

-xy2 28y

6x 36x2y 66x2y

10y

78xy2

BINARY DAMATH (Position of Chips) 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

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IV.

How to Score

Player A (Red Chips) Move -9(0,3) Score Total Move -1(1,4)

Player B (Green Chips) Score Total

-9 + (-1)

-10

-10

10+(-9)

-1(4,3)

-10

-10

-6(3,4)

Figure 2. Initial entries to the score sheet along with sample board setup.

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V.

Scoresheet
Player A Name: ____________________________ Grade: _________ Section: _________ Move Score Total Player B Name:____________________________ Grade: _________ Section: _________ Move Score Total

Players Signature:

Players Signature:

Signature of Teacher/Guardian:

Signature of Teacher/Guardian:

Win

Loss

Win

Loss