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| Checkers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Checkers |
| Other names | Draughts |
| Setup time | ~1 minute |
| Playing time | 10–60 minutes |
| Random chance | None |
| Skills | Strategy, Tactics, Calculation |
Checkers
Checkers is a two-player abstract strategy board game with roots in ancient Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Greece traditions and later codification in France, England, and Netherlands. It features opposing armies of uniform pieces on a checkered board and has influenced figures from Benjamin Franklin to Marcel Duchamp while appearing in institutions such as the British Museum, Louvre, and Smithsonian Institution collections. The game spawned organized play overseen by bodies like the World Draughts Federation and national federations in United States, United Kingdom, and Netherlands.
The origins trace to games excavated at Ur and artifacts associated with Akhenaten and the Amarna Period; similar grid games were discussed in medieval manuscripts found in Paris, London, and Rome. By the 12th century rules resembling modern play appear in documents circulated via Al-Andalus, Crusades, and merchants trading between Venice and Genoa. Standardization occurred in 18th-century France and 19th-century England with treatises published in cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and London and played by notables such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Queen Victoria. Competitive organization developed in the 20th century with events hosted by the International Olympic Committee-adjacent federations, national bodies in United States and Soviet Union, and global meetings in Amsterdam and The Hague.
Standard play uses an 8×8 dark/light board manufactured by companies in Belgium, Germany, and United States with pieces produced in workshops from Sheffield, Florence, and Nuremberg. Each player commands 12 identical men placed on dark squares as codified in rulebooks printed in London, Paris, and New York. Movement, capture, and promotion procedures were formalized in rule compilations issued by federations such as the World Draughts Federation and national bodies in Canada and Australia. Tournament equipment must meet specifications adopted in championships organized in Moscow, Stockholm, and Buenos Aires and employed by champions like Marcel Deslauriers and Dafni Mandalaki.
Numerous regional variants exist, including 10×10 international forms codified by federations in Netherlands and Belgium, 12×12 versions played historically in Russia and described in archives in St. Petersburg, and fast-paced adaptations endorsed in United States scholastic circuits. Local styles derive from Mediterranean rules recorded in Spain and Portugal and from colonial-era rules transmitted through India and Sri Lanka. Hybrid variants have been proposed in academic journals from Cambridge, Harvard, and Oxford and tested in exhibitions at venues like the Royal Academy and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Strategic literature cites balance between center control and endgame conversion, concepts debated in analyses published by authors from Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Princeton University Press. Tactical motifs include forced sequences, zugzwang analogues, and king mobility discussed in periodicals from The Times (London), Le Monde, and The New York Times and studied in computer programs developed at MIT, Stanford University, and University of Edinburgh. Endgame databases and tablebases were created by research groups in Moscow State University, Tel Aviv University, and University of California, Berkeley and applied by world champions at events in Amsterdam and Reykjavík.
Organized championships began under national federations in United States and United Kingdom and evolved into world championships run by the World Draughts Federation with title matches held in Amsterdam, Warsaw, and Moscow. Notable champions have included titleholders from Soviet Union, Netherlands, and United States who competed in matches reported by BBC, CNN, and Reuters. Major events such as the World Championship and continental championships in Europe, Asia, and Africa are staged with sponsorships from cultural institutions like the Royal Palace, City Hall of Amsterdam, and Palais des Congrès.
The game appears in literature and art by creators such as Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, and Marcel Proust and in films screened at festivals like Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival. It is referenced in music venues associated with Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall and in exhibits at museums including the Vatican Museums and Tate Modern. Television portrayals have aired on networks such as BBC, CBS, and ABC and characters in works by Arthur Conan Doyle and George Orwell have been depicted playing the game. Educational programs run by institutions like Smithsonian Institution and British Library use the game in outreach alongside historical artifacts from collections in Prague and Vienna.
Category:Board games