Checkers Online
Glossary Terms
A (attacking) – Lines: the
two double-corner diagonals stretching from 1 to 28 and from 32 to 5.
Backward
Men: men that have made little progress
towards the opponent’s king-row; these
often prove to be a liability in the endgame,
and are known as pivot men when held fast by the opponent.
Checkers Glossary, Blitz: a
type of timed checkers game that often involves
speed and a good sense of tactical play; checkers
players are often limited to 1, 2, or 3 minutes
each per game; this is also the name of a checkers
program.
Blockade: a
position where the checker pieces cannot move;
one way to win the game.
Book play: the
same as published play.
Bridge: a
configuration in a checkers game consisting of
two checkers of the same color on the king row
wherein there is also one empty square between
the men to form a bridge position; this bridge
is an important strategy, especially in the endgame.
Capture: checkers
player jumps over one or more of opponent’s
pieces and removes them from the board and play.
Center: squares
14, 15, 18, and 19 on the checkerboard.
Checker: a
colored, circular playing piece, also called a ‘man’,
used to play a game of checkers.
Checkerboard: 8x8
or 10x10 game board for checkers play; traditional
checkerboard has 64 or 100 squares with variations
in play depending on the country of origin and
has alternating light- and dark-colored squares;
in the game the playing pieces or men are placed
on the darker squares.
Checkers
Program: an extensive computer program
that may contain master-level databases and is
used for practice sessions and tournaments.
Classics: very
important recurring late midgame positions; four
major classics are Fifth Position, Lucas’ Position,
Cowan’s Coup, and Strickland’s Draw.
Cook: innovation
or non-book move meant to force opponent’s
hand in use of a different line of play, and often
one difficult to win.
Crossboard: 1)
to play over-the board instead of using analysis
or book tactics; 2) to be in an unfamiliar position
and playing the round from “the head” rather
than from “the book”.
Crown (crowning): the
placement of a second checker on top of a ‘man’ that
has reached the final rank, the king row, of the
checkerboard; place indicates promotion to king rank.
D(defensive)-Line: single-corner
diagonal stretching from square 29 to square 4.
Dog-Holes: squares
5 (light) and 28 (dark) that should be avoided
because of their poor mobility.
Glossary
Term, Double Corner: corner
of the board where there are two squares in play
adjacent to the corner square; light squares 24,
27, 28, and 32, and dark squares 1, 5, 6, and 9.
Double Jump: a
move wherein two jumps are made one after the other
as part of the same move in which a player captures
the opponent’s checkers at once.
Double-Corner
Cramp: a restriction of checker mobility
in this region of the board.
Draw/Draw
Game: both opponents have agreed that
neither player has great enough advantage to
win the game or in a timed game, the player with
an advantage does not have enough time left to
finish and win the game.
Dust-Holes: squares
12 (light) and 21 (dark) are generally to be avoided
since there is poor mobility for a winning checkers game.
Dyke Square: pressure
against an opponent’s double-corner using
squares 14 and 19 when 14 is occupied by light
or 19 is occupied by dark.
E(equality)-Lines: two
diagonals stretching from squares 30 to 12 and 3 to 21.
Early Midgame: extremely
important part of the game that moves from the
opening to a climatic point in the play that signifies
the beginning of the late midgame.
Checkers
Glossary Term, Elbow: play
configuration of ‘dark’ checkers on
squares 6, 10, and 14, for example; often vulnerable to attack.
Elementary
Tactical Devices: simple strategies in
gaining a checker in the play such as 2 For 1,
2 For 2, 3 For 2, Rebound, In-and-Out, Double-Corner
Devices, Breeches, and Fork and Optional Jumps.
Elimination: decision-making
to choose a move by eliminating unsatisfactory ones.
Endgame: ending
to the checkers game wherein both sides have acquired
a king, or at least gained a clear way to the king-row;
careful play is necessary in this portion of the
game, as the moves often determine the final result.
File: vertical
column of squares.
First Position: a
standard ending position that results in a win
for the attacking opponent.
“Flying” King: (not
used in American Checkers but in several other
International variations) play where a kinged checker
can move any number of spaces diagonally in either
direction as well as jump other checkers in its
path as long as there is a space between the checkers.
Force: one
of three key tactical elements working within the checkers game.
Formations: structures
consisting of 6 or more men in the midgame; six
major formations are the Dyke (Long and Short),
Pyramid, Phalanx, Mill, Echelon, and Mixed.
Give Away: any
checkers variation where the purpose is to lose
all of one’s checkers first.
Index Notation: official
recording system of moves and jumps in checkers
literature, based on the assigned numbers of particular
squares on the board.
International
Checkers: variation of checkers played
in Europe, Asia, and other non-English speaking
countries; has its own set of rules and board size.
Jump: two-square
diagonal move from the square directly in front
of opponent’s checker to a vacant square
directly behind the same checker; opposing piece
is captured and removed from play.
This Glossary
Term is important, King: a
checker that has already moved to the king row
or last rank; kings can move and jump backwards
and forwards, represented by two stacked checkers
or a checker with a distinguishing symbol on it.
King Row: first
rank or farthest row from a player and closest
to the opponent, where checker pieces are promoted to ‘kings’.
Late Midgame: play
that leads from the conclusion of the early midgame
to the potential start of the endgame.
Man: single
checker not yet advanced to king row.
Material: advantage
or disadvantage based only on number of checkers
left on the board for each player.
Midgame: the
play between the opening and endgame where most ‘shots’ are
set up and completed.
Move, The: a
player’s last move in the game, which is
an important part in many endings, especially those
involving equal number of checkers on the board.
Opening: initial
combination of moves for each checkers player wherein
positional advantages and disadvantages are often determined.
Opposition: timing
factor and ability of a player to pursue and check
the advance of the opposing checkers beyond a certain
point on the board.
Glossary Term, Piece: a
checker ~ ‘man’ or king in a game of checkers.
Pin: a
situation where a checker, often on the edge of
the board, can’t move without being captured by the opponent.
Pitch: deliberate
sacrifice of one or more checkers to set up a trap
or ‘shot’; widely known as ‘the soul of draughts’.
Poddavki: variety
of Russian Checkers, which works on the principles
of ‘Give Away’.
Position: advantage
or disadvantage based more on the location of the
checkers on the board than on the number of pieces
on each side; many openings can offer one side
a strong position without the actual loss of a
man as seen in the 3-move deck.
Problem: composed checkers study
in the element of force within the game
Published Play: move or series of moves in a checkers
game that has been previously examined and subsequently
published, often by masters of the play; updated
and corrected on a regular basis and should be
the backbone of any serious study of a checkers game.
Quadruple
Jump: a move consisting of four jumps
made in one turn.
Checkers
Glossary Term, Rank: a horizontal row of squares.
Resign: to
forfeit or concede a game of checkers.
Shot: setting
up and completing a multiple jump or forced combination
of moves that usually involves one or more sacrifices
or pitches; often used to gain advantage in position or material.
Single-Corner: a
corner of the checkerboard wherein just one square,
the actual corner, is in play such as light squares
21, 22, 25, and 29, and dark squares 4, 8, 11, and 12.
Single-Corner
Cramp: restriction of mobility of the
checkers in this section of the board.
Space: closely
linked with the freedom of movement or mobility;
one of three key elements in a checkers game, which
primarily concerns the creation and maintenance of play formations.
Checkers
Glossary Term, Strategy: long-term
planning and game tactics.
Tactics: various
procedures or devices used to gain advantage in
the strategic plan; can be very complex.
Themes: basically endgame tactics
wherein the major ones are Self-Destruct, Changing Guard, Vice, Pocket, Ace in
the Hole, Single Corner Block, Double-Corner Block, Hobson’s Choice,
Hanging Man, Steal, Squeeze, Captive Cossacks, and Nipped at the Wire
Glossary
Term, Time: one
of 3 key elements part of a checkers game; multifaceted,
consisting of the opposition, developing a tempo
and game structure, waiting moves, and individual initiative.
Timed Game: checkers game wherein
the players have a limited amount of time per move or per game before an automatic forfeit
Triple Jump: a move in which three jumps are made, capturing three of the
opponent’s checkers at one time
Visualization: forming
a mental picture of possible plays by moving the
checkers around in your mind; also called ‘looking ahead’.
Zugswang: a
position that causes the player to lose his move
no matter how it’s played, even though the
player might not be in trouble if it were the opponent’s turn.
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