starting position on a 10×10 draughts board

Draughts, also known as checkers, is a group of mental sport board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemy's pieces. starting position of international draughts Licensed for use in accordance with the GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... starting position of international draughts Licensed for use in accordance with the GFDL. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A game of mental skill (sometimes called a mind sport) is a game where training of muscles and skill in controlling them offers insignificant advantage, and mental abilities are paramount. ... A board game is any game played with a premarked surface, with counters or pieces that are moved across the board. ...

The most popular forms are international draughts, played on a 10×10 board, followed by English draughts, also called American checkers that is played on a 8×8 board, but there are many other variants. The starting position International draughts (also called Polish draughts or international checkers) is a board game, one of the variants of draughts. ... English draughts also called American checkers and in these countries often simply called draughts or checkers respectively is a form of the draughts board game played on a 8x8 board with 2x12 pieces that can only move and capture forward. ...

The name "draughts" is preferred by English players and others in the United Kingdom and its former colonies and territories. In the United States, Canada, and Australia the name "checkers" is preferred. This article treats the names "checkers" and "draughts" as synonyms, though the longstanding name "draughts" is used except in specific references to the game in these countries, where "checkers" is used.

History

Though many authorities believe the game of draughts originated around 1100 AD, probably in southern France, other authorities disagree. It has been generally held that the inventor created the board game by combining a chessboard with the rules of Alquerque. Earlier evidence has been found of a similar game played in ancient Egypt, and mentions of the game had been made by Plato and Homer in the first few centuries BC. [1] Egyptian origins can be traced as far back as 1600 BC. [2] For alternate uses, see Number 1100. ... A chessboard is the board used in the game of chess, which consists of eight rows and eight columns of squares arranged in alternating colors. ... Alquerque (also known as Quirkat) is a board game that is thought to have originated in the Middle East. ... Statue of a philosopher, presumably Plato, in Delphi. ... Bust of Homer in the British Museum For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ...

The game pieces of draughts in 1100 AD were called "ferses", the name that was given to chess queens in this time period, and the draught ferses moved in the same way as the queen did in chess. Note however that at this time the rules of chess were still different from the modern form of the game: the queen was able to move only diagonally, and only one square per turn. The one new move this game introduced was the ability to jump over an opponent's pieces and take them. At this time the game was known as "Fierges". The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess. ...

In Philip Mouskat's "Chronique" (1243) is a reference to the use of "Kings", suggesting that the ability to promote a piece existed at this time. 1243 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ...

When in Chess "ferses" were renamed to "Dame", the same occurred in Draughts, and the game's name also changed to "Dames". While it is thought that the original Fierges had a compulsory capture rule, there is no evidence that this rule existed in Dames. This rule was however reintroduced in France in 1535. Modern play includes this rule. Events January 18 - Lima, Peru founded by Francisco Pizarro April - Jacques Cartier discovers the Iroquois city of Stadacona, Canada (now Quebec) and in May, the even greater Huron city of Hochelaga (now Montreal) June 24 - The Anabaptist state of Münster (see Münster Rebellion) is conquered and disbanded. ...

The name "Checkers" originated with European settlers in the United States. The version of checkers most often played in the United States is identical to the English variant of draughts, though there are some regional variants of checkers, such as pool. Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in new lands or colonies. ... Pool checkers, or also called American pool checkers, is a variant of draughts, in which men can jump backwards and there are flying kings. ...

In the 18th century an anonymous Pole invented the variant of draughts that is played on a 10×10 board with 2×20 pieces. [3] This variant was called Polish draughts and was later called international draughts. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The starting position International draughts (also called Polish draughts or international checkers) is a board game, one of the variants of draughts. ...

General rules

Draughts is played by two people, on opposite sides of a playing board, alternating moves. One player has dark pieces, and the other has light pieces. The player with the light pieces makes the first move unless stated otherwise. Pieces move diagonally and pieces of the opponent are captured by jumping over them. The playable surface consists only of the dark squares. Capturing is mandatory. A piece that is captured is removed from the board. In all variants, the player who has no pieces left or cannot move anymore has lost the game unless otherwise stated.

Here are some important terms to know:

• Flying kings - kings that can move as far as they want in diagonals like a bishop in chess. However, flying kings cannot capture like a Bishop.
• Crownhead or Kings Row - the farthest row forward where men become kings when they touched this row.

Uncrowned pieces (in other words, men) move one step and capture other pieces by making two steps (that is, jumping over the opponents' piece). A bishop (♗♝) is a piece in the strategy board game of chess. ... Many countries claim to have invented the chess game in some incipient form. ...

Variants

• International draughts - The board size is 10×10 with 20 pieces on each side and has flying kings. If there are many sequences to capture, one has to capture the sequence that has the most pieces. If a man touches the kings row from a jump and it can continue to jump backwards, it has to jump backwards, but it is not kinged. It is mainly played in the Netherlands, France, some eastern European countries, some parts of Africa, some parts of the former USSR, and other European countries. This is the most popular variant of draughts.
  

  

  The starting position of English draughts
• English draughts - Also called American checkers or "straight checkers". It is played on an 8×8 board with 12 pieces on each side. Black (the darker color) moves first. Men (the uncrowned pieces) can only move and capture forward. When there is more than one way for a player to jump, one may choose which sequence to make, not necessarily the sequence that will result in the most amount of captures. However, one must make all the captures in that sequence.
• Brazilian checkers - Exactly the same rules as international draughts, but it is played on a 8×8 board. It is mainly played in Brazil.
• Canadian checkers - Exactly the same rules as international draughts, but it is played on a 12×12 board with 30 pieces on each side. It is mainly played in Canada.
• Pool checkers - Exactly the same rules as Brazilian checkers but when there is more than one way for a player to jump, one may choose which sequence to make, not necessarily the sequence that will result in the most amount of captures. However, one must make all the captures in that sequence. Another different rule between Brazilian checkers is in which black moves first, instead of white. It is mainly played in the South-Eastern states in the United States.
• Spanish checkers - Also called Spanish pool checkers. Men cannot jump backwards. Exactly the same rules as Brazilian checkers, but if there are many sequences to capture, one has to capture the sequence that has the most pieces. If there are still more sequences, one has to capture the sequence that has the most kings. The board is mirrored (the left side is flipped to the right side and vice versa). It is mainly played in some parts in South America and some Northern African countries.
• Russian checkers - Also called shashki checkers or Russian shashki checkers. Exactly the same rules as Brazilian checkers, but if a man touches the kings row from a jump and it can continue to jump backwards, it has to jump backwards as kings, not men. It is mainly played in some parts in Russia, some parts of the former USSR, and Israel.
• Italian checkers - Men cannot jump kings and men cannot jump backwards. If there are many sequences to capture, one has to capture the sequence that has the most pieces. If there are still more sequences, one has to capture with a king instead of a man. If there are still more sequences, one has to capture the sequence that has the most kings. If there are still more sequences, one has to capture the sequence that has a king first. The board is mirrored (the left side is flipped to the right side and vice versa). It is mainly played in Italy, and some Northern African countries.
• Suicide checkers - Also called anti-checkers, giveaway checkers or losing draughts. One has to give away all of one's pieces or block all of your pieces to win; that is, stop oneself from having a legal move.
• Russian poddavki checkers - Suicide version of Russian checkers.
• In Turkish draughts pieces move straight forwards or sideways, kings moving like a rook in chess, so that both red and black squares are used. Each player starts with 16 pieces in the first two rows. It is played in the same locations as Russian checkers.

The starting position International draughts (also called Polish draughts or international checkers) is a board game, one of the variants of draughts. ... Starting position for English draughts. ... Starting position for English draughts. ... English draughts also called American checkers and in these countries often simply called draughts or checkers respectively is a form of the draughts board game played on a 8x8 board with 2x12 pieces that can only move and capture forward. ... English draughts also called American checkers and in these countries often simply called draughts or checkers respectively is a form of the draughts board game played on a 8x8 board with 2x12 pieces that can only move and capture forward. ... The starting position International draughts (also called Polish draughts or international checkers) is a board game, one of the variants of draughts. ... The starting position International draughts (also called Polish draughts or international checkers) is a board game, one of the variants of draughts. ... Pool checkers, or also called American pool checkers, is a variant of draughts, in which men can jump backwards and there are flying kings. ...

Halma and Chinese checkers

Halma is a game in which pieces can move in any direction and jump over any other piece, friend or enemy. Pieces are not captured. Each player starts with 19 (2-player) or 13 (4-player) pieces all in one corner and tries to move them all into the opposite corner. Halma is actually a very different game than checkers. Halma (from the Greek word meaning jump) is a board game invented by an English surgeon, Howard Monks, in 1883. ...

Chinese checkers is based on Halma, but uses a star-shaped board divided into triangles. Contrary to its name, this game is not of Chinese origin, nor is it based on checkers. Chinese checkers Chinese checkers is a board game that can be played by two to six people. ...

External links

• The Rules of Checkers
• Checkers Rules, Variants, Strategy, and Links
• Checker Animations
• Chinook Homepage
• CheckerBoard Homepage
• Draughts to play online at Kurnik Online Games
• ICheckers, free checkers playing software
• Play turnbased checkers and draughts at YourturnMyturn.com

References

• LoveToKnow 1911 Online Encyclopedia. © 2003, 2004 LoveToKnow.