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Checkers Glossary

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

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

Centre: 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visualisation: 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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