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Checkers Around the World
Canadian Checkers Game
CANADA is known for many regional legends,
and even in the game of Canadian Checkers,
there exists a legend about the origin of
the Canadian version. According to this legend,
some time during the 19th century, a traveler
came from Europe, where he had become enthralled
with a game called ‘le
jeu de dames’, or Draughts.
Here, in Canada, he tried to reproduce
the same game but could not remember the
actual number of squares on the playing board
so he added an additional row of squares
all the way around the game board, which
created 144 squares in total. Therefore,
the playing surface of the Canadian checkers game
became a 12 x 12 board, instead of the 10
x 10 board of the European checkers strategy
game. As a result, this game was named “le
jeu de dames canadien” or Canadian
checkers.
“Le jeu
de dames canadien”, also known
as Montreal or Quebec checkers, became
a very popular game of strategy amongst
the French-speaking communities of Quebec,
Ontario, and New England. Later, the interest
in this Canada checkers board game spread
to other communities throughout Canada
and is still a common activity pursued
by many Canadian game enthusiasts, just
as it is the world over. In fact, Canadian
checkers game is also played in India and
Sri Lanka.
Canada Checkers Rules of Play:
~ The Game Board ~
- two player checkers game played on the
dark squares only of a checkerboard 12
x 12 in light and dark squares (144 squares)
- each opponent has 30 checkers of contrasting
colors, often referred to as ‘black’ and ‘white’
- checkerboard is positioned squarely
between the opponents and is turned so
that a double corner is on the right of
each player and a dark square is on the
left side of each player
- each opponent places the checkers or
men on the dark squares of the five rows
nearest the player
~ Object of Canadian Checkers Game ~
- object of the Canadian checkers game
is to win by preventing the opposition
from making a move on his/her turn; therefore,
strategy is applied to try to either capture
all the opponent’s
checkers, or to block moves of the remaining
checkers on the board
- if neither player can capture all the
opponent’s checkers or block future
moves, then the game is a draw
~ Game Starting Position ~
- the opponent with the lighter colored
checkers makes the first move of the game,
and then the players alternate moves afterward
Game Moves & Captures ~
- Canadian checkers game players make only
one move at a time
- single checkers or men move forward
only in a diagonal direction either left
or right one square at a time to an empty
space
- all captures are mandatory; if a checker
can be jumped, then the player must make
this move, regardless if he/she can make
another move
- maximum captures are also compulsory;
this means that if there is a choice of
play wherein 2 checkers can be captured
with one move or 3 checkers with another
move, then the player must choose the latter
capture
- capture is made by jumping over an opposing
checker onto on a diagonally adjacent square
to the unoccupied square immediately beyond
- checker pieces may jump forward or backward
- continuous jumps take place as long as
there are opposing checkers situated near
empty squares
- a player may not jump his/her own checkers
to begin or complete a move
- a checker or king cannot jump over the
same opposing man or king more than once
- Canada checkers players may not remove
the captured checker(s) from the board
until all jumps made in the move are complete
and the opponent’s
hand is removed from the capturing checker
or king
~ Crowned to become King ~
- when a checker reaches the opponent’s
last row or ‘King
Row’, this checker is crowned
or ‘kinged’;
however, if the checker reaches the ‘king
row’ through a jump, and is
still able to capture another man or king
by jumping backward away from the ‘king
row’, then this move must
be made, and the checker does not become
a king
- the checker only becomes a king if the
move or series of jumps ends at the ‘king
row’
- once the checker successfully reaches
the opponent’s far row, it is then
the opponent’s turn and he/she must
crown the new king by placing a checker
of the same color on top
- a player may not make his/her own move
until the opponent’s checker is crowned
~ King Moves in Canadian Checkers~
- kings may move forward or backward any number of
squares in a diagonal direction to an empty square
- capture by kings is accomplished from any distance
along a diagonal line by jumping forward or backward
over an opposing checker or king as long as at least
one unoccupied square is just beyond
- a capturing king lands on an empty square and
continues jumping, if possible, on the same line or
by making a right angle move onto another diagonal line
- kings may not jump over their own men
- when there is the option of more than one way to jump
the opponent must choose the move that results in the
capture of the greatest number of opposing checkers
- a “huff”
of a checker for failure to complete the jump properly is not permitted
- an incorrect move must be retracted, and then replaced
with the correct move; if possible, the correct move must
be made with the checker or king that was originally moved
incorrectly
~ Game Time Limits ~
- time limits for Canadian checkers game
play are set based on a fixed amount of
time for a given number of moves, regardless
of how much actual time is used on any
one move
- when the given number of moves has been
made by each opponent and neither player
has used up the allotted time, the players
are each given additional moves and time
allotment; this procedure continues until
the conclusion of the checkers game
- unused time is retained when a new allotment
is given to each player
- in Canada a player loses the game if
his/her time expires before the required
number of moves have been completed
~ Checkers When A Draw Occurs ~
- when both opponents agree to the draw
- the same game position is encountered
three times
- each opponent has played 16 moves without
any capture or promotion, and there are
three kings against one
~ Rules of Player and Spectator Conduct ~
These are the same as those instituted for
any tournament match. Spectators are to be
kind and courteous during Canadian checkers
games.
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