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Checkers Around the World
Pool Checkers or Spanish Pool Checkers
The game of Pool Checkers appears to have been derived from an old version of Spanish or French checkers or perhaps even both games that were once played in the southern states during the eighteenth century.
At this time, the checkerboard used was an 8 x 8 or 64 square board whereas the French now use a 10 x 10 gaming surface. The rules from that period were very similar to those of Pool Checkers today. Some variations may appear depending upon the region in which the game was played, but the similarities are evident.
In the old French version, maximum capture was compulsory and though Spanish checkers were similar as well, the checker pieces could not capture backwards. One common characteristic to both checkers games was the ‘flying king’, where it could travel as many squares as possible. Of course, this is one of the main differences with British Draughts, which later became American Checkers or straight checkers.
Rules of the Game:
~ The Game Board ~
This version of checkers is played by two opponents on the dark squares of a standard 8 x 8 checkerboard of alternating light and dark squares which total 64 squares.
Each player has 12 regular checkers which are both in contrasting colors.
~ Object of the Game ~
- The obvious game objective is to beat the opponent’s play by using strategy to win to outplay the other player and thus win the game.
- Winning is achieved by capturing all the opponent’s checkers or by preventing the player from making any further moves with his/her checkers.
~ The Starting Position ~
- The checkers players set the board squarely between them so that each has a single dark corner on his/her left and a dark double corner on the right.
- The opponents place their checkers on the first three rows closest to them.
- The player with the dark checkers begins the game with the first move, and then they alternate with each move thereafter.
~ Game Moves & Captures ~
- Each opponent moves his/her single checkers in a forward diagonal direction only to an adjacent empty square one space at a time.
- To capture the opponent’s checker(s), each player must jump over the piece(s) to the unoccupied square diagonally adjacent.
- Capturing is mandatory.
- Checkers may jump both forward and backward for as long as there are opposing checkers in the diagonal path and empty squares in between.
- However, neither player may jump over his/her own checkers, nor may they jump over the same checker more than once.
Crowned to become a Flying King ~
- When a player reaches the opponent’s far or King row, the checker is crowned to become a king.
- It only becomes a king if the move terminates at the king row, whether through a single move or jump.
- If the checker reaches the king row through a capturing sequence, but can continue the jump away from the last row, then it must complete the jump and is not crowned king.
- Once the checker becomes king, the opponent must crown the checker with another and then the turn moves to the opponent once he/she has crowned the man.
Flying King Moves & Captures ~
- Kings are called ‘flying kings’ because they can move forward or backward on any number of squares in a diagonal sequence to an unoccupied space.
- Kings may also capture from any distance along this diagonal line by jumping forward or backward over the opponent’s checkers with at least one empty square between the checkers.
- The capturing king continues the jump as long as there are checkers and empty spaces in between, either on the same diagonal line or by making a right angle turn onto another diagonal.
- Kings must not jump over their own checkers and must not jump over any checker more than once.
- If an opponent has the choice of different moves in the capturing sequence, then he/she may choose whichever path is the best; however, once a path has been chosen, the player must continue the capture to make all the possible jumps in that sequence.
- A player may not choose to leave one or more opposing checkers uncaptured if he/she can make a capturing jump.
- A “huff” of a checker is no longer permitted for failure to jump a proper capturing sequence, though it was in past rules.
- If an incorrect move is made, the player is not penalized but is required to retract the move made and make a correct move in its place; if at all possible, the new move should be made with the same checker that made the incorrect move.
- Until all capturing jumps are completed and the player’s hand is removed from the king or man are the captured checkers removed from the checkerboard.
Win or Draw ~
- A win is achieved if one player has either captured all of his/her opponent’s checkers or successfully blocked any other moves by the opposition.
- A draw is the result if:
- Both players agree to this decision.
- If the same playing position is encountered three times on the board.
- If there are three kings against one lone king with no other checkers on the board, then the player with the three kings must achieve the win within thirteen moves, even if the fourteenth move would result in a capture, or the result is also a draw.
- Either player can forfeit the game at any time and this will result in a win for the opponent.
- If either opponent fails to follow the game rules, the result will also be a win for the other player.
- A player loses if his/her time limit has expired before all moves have been made.
Time Limits ~
- Time limits may be set for regular games as well as tournament play.
- These may be based on a fixed amount of time given for each move in the game.
- Less time may be allowed for situation in which there is only one possible capturing move.
- Time limit may be given for a fixed number of moves, regardless of the time used during these moves; when the given number of moves have been made by each player but the allotted time has not been used, an additional time allotment and moves is given to each opponent until the end of the game.
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CHECKERS CHEST
Two Player