Checkers is known by a variety of names, e.g. American checkers, straight checkers or English draughts. It is an abstract strategy board game which involves two players. This game is played on an eight by eight squared board, with a total of sixty four squares all in all. Both players are given twelve pieces which are placed on each side. Conventionally, the pieces may either be black, white, or red.
As evidenced by the archeological evidences found in the Middle East, this game has actually existed for some time since 660 BC. This game was known back then as Alquerque and is considered to be the predecessor of modern checkers. A handful of representations of the game have been found engraved into the temple walls, and the game was widely played throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean regions.
Although the mechanism of the game of Alquerque remains to be unknown, it is still without doubt that it possesses a number of resemblances with modern checkers. For instance, both Alquerque and modern checkers use round and flat pieces and are grouped into light and dark colors. However, unlike modern checkers, Alquerque made use of a 5x5 grid and featured diagonal lines set in an intersecting pattern.
In the 12th century in France, the first version of the game "Fierges" came out. It was definitely a direct precursor to modern checkers as we know it today. In this game, the rules and pieces of Alquerque were incorporated with the common 8x8 chessboard. By the 15th century, the game was renamed as Dames. A century after, more formal rules for Dames began to develop, the most prominent of which was the Forced Capture rule. Because of this, the name "Jeu Force" came about, and it was as this edition that the game became popular in England and later on in North America. The name of the game was eventually changed to Draughts in England, and to checkers in North America.
Playing checkers is an excellent way of spending one's leisure time. It is fun and challenging at the same time. The rules of the games are very simple and easy to remember. In order to master the basics of the game, a few minutes is only required. The game involves two players. Both take turns in making moves, usually, the player with the black pieces make the first move. The objective of the game is to capture all of your opponent's checkers or block them so that they cannot be moved.
Initially, all checkers may proceed toward the opposite side of the board by moving diagonally from one red square to another vacant red square. When a checker reaches the opposite side of the board, it is then crowned and becomes a king. Consequently, a king can be moved in any diagonal direction on the board.
If a diagonal square is taken by an opponent's checker with a vacant square beyond, the opponent's checker must be jumped over and captured. The player must continue jumping as long as he is able to do so. The only exception is that when an uncrowned checker jumps into the king row (the opposite side of the board), it is not allowed to jump again until the next turn. When there is more than one way to jump, the player has the option to choose which jump to take. Modern checkers have also been conquered by the online world. Several versions of online checkers are now available for play. This ancient game has been modified in order to be suitable for our modern times.
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