Checkers also referred to as draughts in England, is one of the world’s oldest board games dated way back to 3000BC. Initially, the game’s opening moves were entirely discrete to the individual, termed as “go-as-you-please.” Today there are many variations to the game though go-as-you-please has retained its popularity in informal plays. Two opposing persons play checkers across a 64 light and dark-squared board (chequered), basically a chessboard. Each player begins with 12 contrasting colored pieces placed on the dark squares of the board beside them.
Based on the numbering of the squares on the board is the game’s notation. The aim is to jump over all the opponent’s pieces.
The game consists of diagonally moving a piece forward to a connecting vacant square. The black piece makes the first move. If the opponent’s piece is in the blank square, and having space beyond, jump over to the space to capture and remove it. If the square presents another space beyond it, the player can make forward successive jumps either alternating or straight, and complete the same play. The player has a choice when presented with more than one way to jump.
When the player’s piece initially enters the opponent’s back row (king row), the opponent crowns it by placing another piece with the same color on it. The peace is now called a king can move and jump backward. It continues to capture backward if it did the same in the last row. When the player captures all the opponent’s pieces or blocks all of them such that they do not move, that is a win. When none of the side captures or blocks or the game becomes repetitive, the game becomes a draw.