Checkers and Variations of

Variations

Around 1100, the old Arabic game of Alquerque was adapted onto an 8 × 8 chessboard in the south of France. The larger board required expansion of the number of pieces to 12 per side. The name of the game was Vierges, and the pieces were ferses. Fierges had no compulsory jumping. The mandatory capture rule came into being in 1535 in France to add challenge to the game; the new variation was called Jeu Force, and the older Fierges, now relegated to women's play because it was less of a challenge, became known as Le Jeu Plaisant de Dames or Dames. With Jeu Force, by the middle of the 16th century the basics of the modern game were in place.

This form became Draughts in England. Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand also refer to the game as Draughts. The English mathematician William Payne wrote a work on Draughts in 1756. The Dutch refined the game in the 18th century by enlarging the board to 10×10 and using 20 pieces a side. In this form it moved to North America and became Checkers.

Checkers and Draughts games all use two types of pieces (called stones): soldiers and kings. Initially all pieces are soldiers. Players take turns moving their pieces either into blank squares or jumping and thereby capturing enemy pieces.

Captures are single or multiple and are generally mandatory, with no option of ending a jump before taking all available enemy pieces. Soldiers become kings by reaching the enemy's back row. Soldiers move diagonally; kings have more options, depending on the variant being played. Victory comes to the first player to stalemate the other, either by blocking all moves or taking all opposing pieces. If neither can prevail, the game is a draw.

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