Dama is the Turkish word for the king piece — a man that has been promoted after reaching the opponent's far row. The name is also used for the game itself in Turkish. As a piece, the dama is far stronger than an ordinary man: it moves any number of empty squares in a straight line and captures enemy pieces from a distance in all four straight directions, including backward. Earning a dama is usually the goal of the middlegame, because its long range and distance captures can overwhelm the opponent. One well-placed dama often decides who wins the game.