Checkers: a History

Checkers is a popular board game played in both America and England. The game is played on an 8x8 checkered board. Hence the name, Checkers. It is also called Draughts in England. The players begin by arranging 24 flat, wooden, cylindrical disks into piles of red and black. The players then arrange them on the checker board into the starting position seen here:













The row closest to the player is referred to as the “king’s row”. The darker color (contrary to chess) moves first. There are 2 ways to move: a simple diagonal move to an adjacent square or a jump, which is a move directly adjacent to an opponent’s square. Then the player would then “jump over” the opponent’s checker in a diagonal move to an empty square opposite to the opponent’s square. The square’s checker is then captured and added to the capture bin. When a piece moves to the opponent’s side, it is “kinged” and it is then known as a “king” which can move backwards. You win when you have captured the entire opponent’s checkers.

The History of Checkers dates back to the Mesopotamian cultures of 3000 BC. However this early form of Checkers used a different board with a different number of checkers and no one is sure of the rules. The next development in checkers was “Alquerque“an ancient Egyptian game which dates back to 1500 BC which used a 5x5 board. This variation was played in Europe for several hundred years. Around 1100 AD, a Frenchman had the idea of putting 12 pieces on an 8x8 board, called "Fierges" or "Ferses" it was soon brought to England and then later, America.

In my opinion, this game is unbelievably simple, which is why I prefer Chess over checkers because you need a brain to think strategically rather than simple guess work. However, this is still a viable way of passing time.