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Checkers Around the World Invented Checkers Variants
Chebache Checkers Black and White
~ The “Chebache
Checkers” ~
A “chebache” is
an angle formation that is created when a player
occupies three consecutive spaces along his/her
path, while at the same time controlling two
Intersections and occupying the Square or Tivit
between them. Forming a “chebache” enables
the player to control the opponent's Square
or Tivit and prevents pieces from using them
as a landing zone. The move also threatens all
pieces already occupying that space. The “chebache” traps
any threatened pieces remaining in “chebache” at
the end of the opponent's next turn, thus sending
these game pieces, black or white, back to Start.
(There is no counterpart in Checkers for this
maneuver other than the strategic traps each
player can set against the opponent through
experienced play.)
Black Chebache ~ White Chebache
 
White Chebache ~ Black Chebache
A capital letter labels the central Square or
Tivit of each “chebache”,
while the same letter in lower case labels the
controlled Square or Tivit directly from the “chebache”.
Each player may form a “chebache” using
the same Intersections at different times.
Red dashed lines from the ‘side’ of “chebaches” (C,
F) point to threatened Squares (C,
F).
A chebache can be a strategic weapon employed
by each player in the same way that a carefully
planned and tactical attack and capture of
an opponent’s checkers and King pieces
can be executed in a complex game of Checkers.
Thomashow states in his review that “…Pieces
are vulnerable either by replacement capture
or by chebache. The chebache formation is an
ingenious device and the heart of the game’s
originality.”
Chebache checkers in black and white definitely
adds an extra dimension to this game; however,
the complexity of the rule variations is not
very different from that in a traditional game
of Checkers where a clever mind can create a
subtle trap as well. Each checkers game has
its unique features that make them both a lot
more challenging that may at first be observed.
Though an opponent may trap game pieces black
and white, or checkers in each variant, there
are always ways to wiggle out of a potentially
dangerous situation. Being alert and daring
can be the salvation in both Chebache and Checkers.
- Possible Chebaches: each
player may create eight different chebaches
from A-H.
- A chebache controls the opponent's
Square or Tivit directly across from
its center position toward which its
angle opens, either closest to a,
b, d, e, g, h or across the board
from the Chebache at c,
f.
- Courses of Action: if
a player forms a Chebache, a warning will
appear above the dice area at the start
of the opponent's turn; the blinking "CHEBACHE" warning
means that piece(s) are threatened and
in jeopardy of being trapped or sent back
to Start if they remain in chebache at
the end of the opponent's next turn.
- Once the game piece(s) are in Chebache,
the player has several options.
- Escape: move
piece(s) out of Chebache as part of Phase
I.
- Or in Phase II jump piece(s) out of
the Chebache formation in squares c or f only
and over a relevant Intersection they
control.
- Break the Chebache: take
control of as least one of the Chebache's
Intersections by attacking it.
- Sacrifice Piece(s): leave
piece(s) to become trapped in Chebache
in exchange for a preferred move; the
trapped piece(s) are sent back to Start
at the end of that turn.
- Restricted Movement: a
player may not land in a space controlled
by a Chebache without first breaking this
formation; however, the player may pass
over the Chebache if the die roll allows.
The Chebache is certainly the central element
in this Checkers, etc. variant and it will take
time to develop the skills that will allow each
player to maximize on the power behind the play
in much the same way it takes the novice time
to turn simple tactics into complex strategy
in maneuvering an opponent’s checkers
into a capture situation.
~ The Black White Kings ~
In both games of Chebache and Checkers, the
King is a special playing piece with the power
to change the dynamics of the game, but it
also has the power and stance of two pieces
or single checkers for the purposes of attacking
and stacking. In a game of Checkers, the King
is created by ‘crowning’ when
an opponent stacks two checkers on top of one
another. Then it has the ability to move in
different diagonal directions forward or backward
across the checkerboard according to the specific
rules of each Checkers variant. In Chebache
it moves as a single checker piece with the
added ability to move either forward or backward
from any location on the board, with the exception
of returning to Start or exiting Finish.
- All jumping rules set in Phase II apply
to a King, except that Kings may also jump
backward from any Square or Tivit, with
the exception of jumping out of Finish
~ Checkers King Moves ~
In the following moves or situations, it is
apparent that a Chebache king has a different
level of power and unique moves in comparison
to those of a Checkers King, though each possesses
control and capture potential.
- Covered King: a
King with stacked pieces on top may not
move until those pieces have been moved,
with the exception of when the stack is
actually jumping.
- Attacking/Stacking
Order: there is no required order
of stacking when attacking with or stacking
a King with one or two pieces; however,
a player must cover the King if it is
not the last piece to move.
- King versus King: a
King may not attack another King or the
stack containing a King, unlike Checkers
where a player can and should ‘attack’ and
capture the opponent’s King piece.
- King Capture: a
player may capture the opponent's King,
if it is alone on an Intersection, by attacking
it with two regular pieces.
- The player should flip the King over
to his/her color and place it on top
of his/her attacking pieces.
- It then becomes the player’s
piece instead of simply being sent back
to Start.
- In Checkers, when a player captures
the opponent’s King with a single
checker or the King, the opponent’s
King also becomes the capturing player’s
piece; however, it is not retained in
play but removed from the board.
- Rolling doubles may allow either opponent
to capture a King stacked with one or
two additional pieces using three or four
of the attacking player’s own pieces.
- Here, two of the attacking pieces
capture the King and then stack beneath
the flipped King; the extra attacking
pieces(s) send the opponent's regular
piece(s) back to Start.
- At this point, the player must sacrifice
these extra pieces by sending them back
to his/her start to obey the stacking
limit.
- Controlling Both
Kings: if a player controls both
Kings (he) may stack them together,
at which time using doubles, the opponent
may move four pieces to attack and capture
the stacked Kings, which flip and remain
on the Intersection; however, the opponent
also sacrifices all four attacking pieces.
~ Chebache Checkers Win or Draw ~
Draw: if an
opponent's last piece in play is a King and
the other player captures it, then the game
ends in a draw.
Sudden Win: trap
the King in Chebache; if one player chebaches
the opponent's King and during the following
turn the opponent cannot free his/her King
either by escaping or breaking the Chebache,
then the player wins the game if the opponent
controls both Kings, the other player only
needs to trap one King in Chebache to win.
Checkers Strategic Hints:
Many published game books are an excellent
source of proven strategies and game moves
in Checkers that can be utilized by both the
novice and experienced player. With time undoubtedly
such resources will become available for Chebache
as well.
The following offers some strategies in
playing this game:
- Try to control the three middle intersections
at spaces 7, 9 and 11 for their strategic
value in creating chebaches that control
the opponent's central Tivits on spaces
8 and 10.
- Strengthen control of intersections
by stacking three or four pieces on them.
- Carefully weigh the benefits between
stacking pieces up or spreading them out
to maximize the probability of maximizing
the gain from dice rolls, and be prepared
to use a shifting blend of these two strategies
as the game progresses.
- Divert the opponent's attention and keep
them on the defensive by attempting to control
intersections and forming threatening chebaches.
- Whenever possible use doubles effectively
by stacking pieces together and/or occupying
Tivits for backward movement as this will
increase the chances of attacking or landing
on an intersection with three or four pieces.
- Quickly move the King into play and
try to avoid covering the Kings with other
pieces whenever possible.
- Take advantage of the backward movement
allowed by Tivits by leaving at least one
piece on them whenever it’s possible
to do so.
- Take advantage of the King's ability
to move backward by occupying non-Tivit
spaces with the King.
- Be willing to attack or create chebaches
early in the game and within the first
six spaces from the beginning position
because the chances of them being sent
back increases as they move along the chosen
path.
Patience and clear analytical thinking provide
a sound backdrop to winning a game of Checkers,
but so does a willingness to readily apply developed
board tactics, whether from the player’s
perspective or the opponent’s.
- Occasionally choose fewer pieces for
jumping in order to land on partially filled
spaces along the jumping sequence, so that
it is possible to continue jumping further
along the path.
- Try to prevent the opponent from moving
pieces out of Start by creating chebaches
near the opponent's Start.
- Carefully consider the benefits between
capturing the opponent's King to gain power
and the disadvantage of having two more
pieces than the opponent to move into Finish,
especially when it is near the end of the
game.
- Try to avoid moving pieces into Finish
prematurely, if it is a possibility that
a player might prevent the opponent from
moving his/her pieces out of Start; though
this may seem to be taking a risk, it may
also give the player a winning head start.
- Once a piece is moved into Finish, be
careful not to leave the King vulnerable
to the opponent’s chebaches, especially
if there are pieces in the Start position.
As in Checkers, think clearly and take advantage
of opportunities when they present themselves,
but also, don’t be afraid to be a risk
taker at times as some risks will avail themselves
gains that will only happen once during the
black and white chebache game.
More about Chebache Checkers
Chebache Checkers Page 2
Chebache Checkers Page 3
Chebache Checkers Page 4
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