Checkers is a game that trains attentiveness, instills perseverance and a focus on winning. The senior kindergarten group is considered a good age for learning. Exactly at the age of 4 - 5 years it is worth training children, developing in them a visually figurative and predictive function of the mind, and teaching them logical thinking. Let's talk in this article about how to teach a child to play checkers from scratch.
From this article you will learn
The benefits of the game
Psychologists have established the fact that children, starting from 5 years old, master and actively use the associative sequence "thought - word" or "thought - action". It is the kindergarten age that is considered the most suitable in order to begin a step-by-step study of the rules of the game of checkers.
This intellectual game stimulates mental development, attentiveness, purposefulness. After a year of training, the resulting concentration and perseverance will help to achieve great success in school. And the ability to calculate the situation several moves ahead, make important decisions and take responsibility for them are qualities that will be very useful in adulthood.
If your child is still a preschooler, then you can teach him the game yourself, for this you need to have initial skills or watch educational video tutorials on the Internet. If the child is of primary school age, and you yourself are new to this business, then you can send him to the school circle, where teaching is carried out according to different methods, depending on the level of training of the young checker player.
Advice to parents: change family evening gatherings in front of the TV for a game of checkers, this will have a good effect on family cohesion, trust in each other. Perhaps it will become a good home tradition.
Rules of the game
There are several variations of the game in the world - Turkish, English, Italian checkers. They differ in color palette, variants of moves, the number of fields and, accordingly, the number of pieces. We will analyze the classic Russian checkers. To make it easier for the child to remember the rules, you can learn short funny rhymes with him.
Checkers board for the Russian version of the game consists of 64 cells, painted in black and white, checkers are also black and white. Before the start of the fight, all pieces are placed in the bottom three rows against a dark background. 
All moves in the game are carried out only against a dark background:
"Checkers slowly but accurately
They walk only on black cells! "
- First move advantage always belongs to white pieces:
“You can start a fight boldly -
The first move is always for white! "
“Everyone knows: both old and young,
We hit with a saber forward - back! "
- Walk the other way with this position of the figures prohibitedeven if you expose yourself to the blow:
“Probably the checkers are not lucky,
Checkers move only FORWARD! "
“The opponent's checker will die immediately,
If yours jumps over it! "
“The fields will suddenly end,
Immediately the checker will become a king! "
"So that your lady is not caught,
Its move along the entire diagonal! "
- Kill the king, in the appropriate position, any figure can.
- The player who wins the first will kill all the opponent's checkers:
"The goal of the game is to beat the" enemies "
And so that they have no moves! "
Advice to parents:if you have difficulty explaining the rules to your child, then use the online training courses, where experts give not only instructions for the game, but also conduct online consultations for parents.
How to teach
The first lesson should start with an introduction to the playing field. Let the child first try to correctly arrange the figures on his own, if it does not work out, come to the rescue. Explain that the middle should be free to fight, then go directly to the game.
On a note! Try to play with fewer checkers. In the first practice game, their number can be reduced to 8. This will allow you to better familiarize yourself with the rules and use more exercises.
When you get to the moment when the rivals' pieces are nearby, and the cells behind are empty, explain that, as in any battle, it is time to kill the enemy. The one who makes the first is the one whose turn it is to walk.
You can make a move back in the case when you can eat someone else's checker. When one of you gets to the opposite edge of the board, flip the piece - now it's a king. For greater clarity, a colored circle or picture can be glued to the king, showing its importance and the ability to walk as it pleases: on any number of cells, both forward and backward.
Usually the child is so keen and focused that he does not see the whole situation, does not notice the dangers that the opponent is preparing for him, does not realize the dynamics of the whole game. An important skill that you must teach a young player is to calculate your own and other people's moves, predict possible situations.
Check out helpful tips from additional education teacher Matveeva Irina Vladimirovna.
- As paradoxical as it may sound, but learning should take the form of a game... The usual reading of the rules will not lead to any result. Turn all the pieces into warriors and practice strategies for capturing aliens or crown the most worthy knights to reign. Come up with new stories every day, the participants of which will be your acquaintances, friends, favorite cartoon characters or fairy tales.
- Don't let your toddler get tired... No matter how interesting your party was, but taking breaks for a minute of exercise, a snack or a short walk is mandatory. This will not only preserve health, but also prevent the game from becoming boring and uninteresting.
- Praise, cheer your child up, point out the most successful combinations, inspire victories and new achievements. Do not scold if the child did not understand something or made a wrong move, be patient. Show your child an interesting and understandable video material with great grandmasters.
- Don't fall for! If the child wins all the time due to the fact that you have successfully "set up", then there will be no sense from such a game. It is enough to give him a head start only occasionally to add confidence in his abilities. Of course, losing will upset the baby, tears may even appear, but this will serve as an incentive for the next victories. Just explain that it’s not a shame or scary to lose, it’s a shame not to try anything, and it’s scary not to try to do better next time.
- When the game of Russian checkers is clear and accessible, you can play “ Giveaway», « Chapaeva», « Corners". These types of checkers are no less interesting and exciting. When you master these fun, then the time has come.
Gentleman's Rules
The presence of gentlemanly rules is a feature of Turkish drafts. However, their use in the Russian version of the game is not only appropriate, but also quite justified.
- As a sign of respect for each other at the beginning and at the end of the game, the opponents shake hands. Thus, at the beginning of the game, it promotes a friendly mood, and at the end, despite the fact that there is a winner and a loser, the tension is relieved.
- It is strictly forbidden to distract the attention of a playmate or give prompting. Cheating, like any kind of fraud, is not held in high esteem in a decent society.
- To play quietly, measuredly, without throwing the figures, rearranging them without unnecessary noise are signs of a well-mannered person.
- It is unacceptable to laugh at the loss of an opponent. Respect for a person in any situation is a sign of nobility.
Important terms
- Simple - an ordinary checker that is not a king.
- Side checker - a piece at the edge of the playing field.
- Lady field - the last, 8th row of the playing field.
- King - a piece that has reached the ladies' field.
- Run, or quiet run - movement of a checker piece from one cell to another.
- Shock stroke - the move at which the opponent's checkers are captured.
- Giving - setting an ordinary checker so that the opponent could kill it.
- Exchange - a move in which both players lose the same number of pieces.
- Passed checker - a checker, which on the next move will take the place of the king.
- Breakthrough - a combination of techniques, providing passage to the kings.
- Tetanus - the defeat of the king determines the order of the move.
- Sieve - such an arrangement of figures in which free squares alternate with occupied ones every other.
- Locking - the checker is in such a position that it is covered by the opponent's pieces and has no move.
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In the most summary, the rules of the game are as follows: the game is played on a board of 8 x 8 cells,
checkers occupy the first three rows on each side; you can beat arbitrary
the number of checkers in any direction; simple can beat back, the king can
walk to any number of fields; the goal of the game is to eat or lock up all the opponent's checkers.
Let us now consider these rules in more detail:
The playing field. Starting position
The playing field is a square 8x8 board similar to a chessboard. Verticals (columns) are denoted by Latin letters from a to h, and horizontals (lines) - by numbers from 1 to 8. Unlike chess, not
all, but only dark fields (in the program they are displayed in green).
For example, square a1 is playable, but square c4 is not.
Each side at the beginning of the game has 12 checkers. Checkers are placed in three,
closest to the players, contours. In particular, white checkers are placed on
fields a1, c1, e1, g1, b2, d2, f2, h2, a3, c3, e3 and g3, and black, respectively,
on the squares h8, f8, d8, b8, g7, e7, c7, a7, h6, f6, d6 and b6. Two central rows of fields
remain free. Here, in these fields, there is a convergence and first contact
opposing forces, here from the very first moves a struggle for possession of
center, which gives a significant advantage in checkers. Starting position placement
shown in the diagram on the left.
Opponents move alternately, moving checkers of their color across the playing fields.
White starts first. Situations on the board are called positions, or positions.
The game played from beginning to end is called a game, and the movements of checkers are called moves.
The side that managed to destroy or block the movement of all wins
checkers of the enemy.
\u003d\u003d Simple Checkers \u003d\u003d
At the beginning of the game, all checkers are simple (see picture).
A simple checker can make, depending on the position, moves of the types: quiet and shock.
- Silent move - moving forward one space diagonally. A quiet move is possible if the corresponding square is free and there is no need to capture the opponent's checkers anywhere on the board. For example, the correct move from the starting position is the movement of the checker from the c3 square, for example, to d4 (in the notation of the game, this is denoted as c3-d4), or to b4 (c3-b4).
- Shock move (fight of the opponent's checkers) - moving two fields forward or backward diagonally, through the opponent's checker. A checker during its move is obliged to beat (take) an opponent's checker if it is located on an adjacent (diagonal) square and if the next square is free. The taking checker stands on this free field, jumping over the enemy checker, which is removed from the board. Taking can be done not only forward but also backward.
the capture continues, that is, in one move (in one move) the checker must beat as much
checkers of the opponent, how many are in its way. Captures in Russian checkers are compulsory.
If it is possible to take in different directions, the choice, regardless of the amount
or the quality of the removed checkers is given to the taker. When taking several
You can remove enemy checkers from the board only after completing your striking move.
It is forbidden to jump more than once with a striking checker (king) over one
and the same opponent's checker (but it is allowed to step on a free field several times).
\u003d\u003d Ladies \u003d\u003d
If a simple checker reaches the last rank, it becomes a king. Ladies,
unlike ordinary checkers, they are capable of moving an arbitrary number of fields along
the chosen diagonal, both forward and backward.
The king, on its move, must take the opponent's checker (both forward and backward)
regardless of the number of free fields before it, if only this checker is
on the same diagonal with the king and behind this checker there are one or several free squares.
Moreover, in the latter case, the king, having captured the opponent's checkers, can stop at any of them.
If, when taking on any of the intersecting diagonals, one also finds opponent's checkers ,
behind which there are free squares, then the king is obliged to continue capturing these checkers,
no matter how many of them are in her path.
Just as in the case with simple checkers, if there are several ways to execute
shock move (with the same or different kings), the choice of the latter remains with the taker.
If an ordinary checker reaches the last rank as a result of the fight of the opponent's checkers
(where she is supposed to turn into a king), and if she is given the opportunity to further
capturing enemy checkers, then she is obliged to continue the battle with the same move, but already as a king.
Please note: this rule applies only if the checker reaches the last
horizontal as a result of the shock stroke. In case a simple checker reaches the last
row without capturing and after that she will have the opportunity to fight, then she must beat (if such
the opportunity will remain) only on the next move.
Checkers is a fairly simple game for two (in Russian checkers). At the same time, logical thinking is actively involved in it, as in chess. Let's figure out how to play checkers.
How to learn to play checkers?
Beginning of the game
To play checkers, you need a standard 8 by 8 chessboard. You need to turn the board so that the player who plays white has a black square in the lower left corner. During the game, only 32 black cells (squares) are involved. Therefore, checkers are placed only on them. At the initial position, checkers occupy only black squares along 3 horizontal lines.
Simple checkers
Checkers are divided into two categories: simple and kings. The queen has great possibilities, it is designated as an inverted checker or 2 checkers on top of each other. At the beginning of the game, all checkers are simple. Simple move in two ways: "Quiet move" and "fight". "Silent move" means simply moving forward one adjacent empty square diagonally. "Fight" is a designation of an attacking action in which you "eat" an opponent's checker (it does not matter: a simple or a king). You can "beat back". The condition for such a move is the presence of the opponent's checker on a diagonally adjacent square, as well as an empty square adjacent to it on the same diagonal. If after making a move your checker has the opportunity to eat another checker of the opponent, then you should "beat" the second checker and so on until the moment when the opportunity to attack ends. You can even beat a checker that is not on the same diagonal along which you made the first move, i.e. in any direction. The main thing is that the rules described above are followed. The opponent's "broken" checkers and kings are removed from the board.
How does the king move?
You can reach the level of the king by reaching the last square of the opponent. There are 2 types of king moves. The first type is "quiet running". It is movement in any direction diagonally across any number of fields. The second type of move is "combat". The queen can jump over a simple checker or the opponent's king. They can be in any direction from the kicking king diagonally. In this case, the rule must be observed that an empty field should remain behind the attacked opponent's checker. If there are several squares after the attacked opponent's checker, then the beating king can take any of them. The fight, as in the case of attacking a simple checker, continues as long as there is an opportunity to "beat" the opponent's checkers. If you can continue the fight from the free field either in the same direction or perpendicular to it, then you need to continue to attack in any of the directions of your choice until the opportunity for attack stops.
Purpose of the game
How to play checkers correctly? If the configuration of the game is such that you can make several variants of "quiet" moves, but there is no possibility of "combat", then you choose any direction of the "quiet" move. If the situation is such that you need to "beat" the opponent and at the same time there are "quiet moves", then you must definitely choose the first option (this is the rule). If it was ignored, then it is necessary to "move", if possible, with the same checker. The goal of the game is to "beat" all the opponent's checkers. Also, the opponent's checkers can be "locked". This means that they are not beaten, but they cannot make a move (analogous to "stalemate" in chess). There is a draw in checkers. The limitation in the game is next rule : "the opponent's checker beats only once" - this is important to consider in long combinations.
There is such a game as "Chinese checkers". We will tell you how to play Chinese checkers correctly. The "board" is a six-pointed star with 6 to 10 chips on the tops. The game is designed for 2-6 people. The goal of the game is also to move your pieces to the opposite end of the star. The player starts the move with the brightest chips, then moves clockwise. In one move one piece moves in any direction. You can jump over other people's chips if there is free space behind them. And if there is still a piece behind this free space not in a straight line relative to the previous move, then jump over it in the same move. The winner is the one who first reaches the opposite end of the star. Then the second is distributed, etc. places.
Have fun!
1. The game is played by two persons on a checkerboard, divided into 64 squares, painted in white and black, with 12 white checkers belonging to one player, and 12 black checkers belonging to another player.
2. The board between the players is placed so that the main road runs from the player from left to right.
3. Checkers on each side are placed in black squares on the first three rows from the player.
4. The players' moves are made alternately.
5. A move is considered the movement of a checker forward to the adjacent black square, as well as the capture of enemy checkers.
6. If the adjacent square is occupied by an enemy, say, a black checker, and the black square following it is free, then the black checker "beats", that is, the white checker jumps over the black one, followed by a free black square, and the black checker " eat ”- removed from the board.
7. For one move, as many checkers are "beaten" as they stand in the way under the conditions indicated above.
8. If it is possible to take the opponent's checkers simultaneously in two directions, the choice, regardless of the number, is at the discretion of the taker.
9. When capturing, checkers are removed from the board only at the end of the move.
10. It is not allowed to take a checker (crossing it with the striker) twice in one move during the course.
11. If a checker of one of the players during the game penetrates to the last row, then it turns into a king.
12. If a simple checker, when capturing the opponent's checkers, becomes a king and after that it again opens up the opportunity to beat the enemy's checkers, then such a capture is mandatory (unlike Polish checkers).
13. The queen has the right to move along the entire length of the row of black squares to any place not occupied by checkers.
14. It "hits" the enemy checker if a free black square is left behind. It strikes along the entire length of a row of black squares at any distance from itself.
15. Both a simple checker and a king are obliged to "beat" if there is a chance for that.
16. Both the simple one and the king “beat” the enemy's checkers both forward and backward.
17. The winner of the game is the one who either takes all the opponent's checkers, or deprives him of the opportunity to make any moves, locking up the checkers remaining on the board.
18. If it is impossible for both sides to win the game, the game is considered a draw.
19. If the same moves are repeated three times directly on one side, the opponent is given the right to recognize the game as a draw.
20. When three kings are fighting against one, no more than 15 moves are allowed to win.
21. If with one king there is one or more checkers, no more than 30 moves are given to win, until the balance of power changes.
22. If the winnings are not achieved in both of the latter cases, the game is considered a draw.
24. To write down the move of a checker, first mark the cell on which it stood, by means of the numbers and letters that correspond to the given cell, put a dash and then assign the name of the cell on which it stands in the same way.
25. If it is necessary to indicate the removal of a checker from the board, then between the name of the cell, from which the movement begins, and the name of the cell, on which the checker is placed after the fight, a colon (sometimes an X) is placed instead of a dash.
26. When fighting a row of checkers, only the beginning and end of the fight is indicated, omitting intermediate cells.
Checkers, a sport, a board game between two opponents with special round pieces (which are also called checkers) on a board divided into squares-fields, alternately colored with dark and light colors ... The goal of the game is to take all the opponent's checkers or create a position in which the remaining checkers on the board will not have an opportunity to move.
There are many (national) varieties of checkers game, differing from each other in size (number of squares-fields) and - less often - in the shape of the board, the number of chips used and their initial arrangement, the rules of move and capture, etc. The most common games are on 64 and 100 squares ...
In addition to intramural competitions in "classic" drafts, tournaments are held in correspondence play (by correspondence, by e-mail, by phone), in lightning and fast drafts, in drawing up and solving drafts compositions.
64-square checkers
rules
General Provisions. Board, figures. Checkers are played on a square board divided into squares of two contrasting colors, alternating with each other in all directions. During the game, the board is positioned so that the square in the left corner closest to the player is black (dark). The opponents have an equal number of chips: one has white (light), the other has black (dark). Before the start of the game, the chips are placed in several rows on opposite horizontal lines of the board on dark squares (this is called the initial arrangement).
Move, capture, simple checkers and kings. White starts the game. Opponents take turns making moves, moving one or another of their pieces diagonally to an unoccupied one dark field ... In the course of the game, you can beat, or take (i.e. remove from the board) an opponent's piece that is in the neighborhood, "jumping" to a free field directly behind it (situations are possible when one of the players can take several opponent's checkers at once, sequentially jumping over them).
Having reached the last rank on the opposite side of the board, a simple checker turns into a king, which in some variants of the game (for example, in Russian checkers) gives it advantages over ordinary chips in the nature of movement on the board and capture. (Depending on the presence / absence of such an advantage in the kings, some classifications subdivide all drafts games into two large groups: respectively, "long" and "short" checkers). The player can play an unlimited number of checkers into the kings.
Determination of the winner. The game is won by the one who will be able to beat all the opponent's checkers or deprive other people's chips remaining on the board of the opportunity to make a move ("banning" them). If none of the opponents succeeds in achieving this (there is a draw on the board), a draw is declared. The result of the game can also be determined "ahead of schedule" - if one of the opponents surrenders without bringing the game to the end, or both of them agree to a draw. In addition, an athlete is credited with a defeat if the time allotted for the game is overdue, as well as in case of certain technical or disciplinary violations committed by him during the game (competition). A draw can also be declared in a situation when, after a certain number of moves, the material balance of forces on the board does not change (the number of moves allowed in this case is determined by the number and quality of the pieces on the board), the same game situation is repeated 3 or more times (with the next move each time will be behind the same side), in the ending “three kings (possessing the long diagonal) against one” cannot destroy it within 15 moves, etc.
(With the modern level of development of the theory of checkers game, the martial arts often end in a draw. playable according to the usual rules, and with the opening of the established pattern, when the first three moves in the game are predetermined.)
Timing. It is determined by the rules of the competition.
In competitions in Russian drafts, the following systems are usually used:
45 minutes per game for each of the opponents (in micromatches with a classic opening);
1 hour per game for each participant (in youth competitions, etc.);
1 hour 10 minutes for the first 35 moves plus 15 min. (in competitions with the draw of the first moves).
The usual (or classic) time control in international drafts is 2 hours for the first 50 moves plus 1 hour for every next 25 moves (games usually last no more than 75 moves and take 4–6 hours on average). Replay games are played with shortened time control: 20 minutes. per batch with the addition of 10 sec. for each turn. The next stage: control - 10 minutes. per party plus 5 sec. on the move. If even in this case it is not possible to identify the winner, the new regulations provide for a game with 10-minute control plus 5 seconds. accumulation for the move made, if it ends in a draw - one more game with the time remaining on the clock, etc. - until the "effective" outcome.
In lightning (blitz) play for the whole game, each of the opponents is given 3-5 minutes, in fast play competitions, respectively, from 10 to 30 minutes.
Competition regulations. According to the form of the drafts competitions, they are divided into championships, championships, tournaments, matches and match-tournaments. They can be personal, team and personal-team.
There are several systems for holding competitions: round-robin (participants alternately meet each other - in one or more rounds), Olympic (or with elimination: after losing the meeting, the athlete (team) is eliminated from the fight), "Swiss" (i.e. with selective by lot: depending on the number of participants, a certain number of rounds is established), "Scheveningen" (members of one team / group alternately play with representatives of another team / group) and mixed (on different stages competitions use different systems). In South America, competitions (in Brazilian drafts) are held according to the "scoring system" similar to that adopted in Formula I auto racing: participants receive a certain number of points depending on the results at a particular stage, which are then summed up.
Competitors are divided into several age categories: up to 12 years old (boys and girls), 12-13 (younger boys / girls), 14-15 (boys), 16-17 (older boys), 18-19 (juniors), not over 23 (youth), from 23 and more (adults). There are also competitions for veterans.
Varieties of checkers game.
Russian checkers. The game is played on a 64-square (8 × 8) board with the same notation as in chess (to record moves or positions, the squares are designated horizontally in Latin letters from "a" to "h", vertically - by numbers from 1 to 8 , the countdown comes from the lower left corner - on the diagram - the board). The players have 12 checkers at their disposal, at the beginning of the game occupying the first three rows on each side.
A simple checker can move one square - only forward diagonally (left or right), and beat - both forward and backward. The queen moves (and hits) in any direction diagonally to any number of free squares. If the king appeared as a result of a quiet move (i.e., without capturing someone else's piece), it has the right to capture not earlier than the next move. If she appeared on impact (move with capture), then - if there is such an opportunity - beats on the same move as a king. According to the rules of Russian checkers, the king must take someone else's checker - regardless of the number of empty cells before it. It is obliged to take the enemy token located in the neighborhood and an ordinary checker. In a situation where several options for capturing are possible, the player can choose any of them at his discretion.
The captured checker (s) can be removed from the board only at the end of the move, you can jump over each of them only once. (The situation when a checker (king) is prevented from taking further by the opponent's checker, which has already been knocked down by it on this move, but has not yet been removed from the board (or it is necessary to go through it again), is called a Turkish blow.)
In addition to competitions in classical Russian drafts, so-called tournaments with a random draw are also held: with an officially approved list of initial two or three moves. Another option is “flying checkers”, when at the beginning of the game one piece from each side occupies a position on the board that is different from the traditional one. Before the start of the game, the opponents by lot determine the number of the opening or starting position. (Such competitions - like the 80-square checkers that once existed in the rank of an official discipline - are designed to save traditional Russian checkers from the predicted "no-man's death": for the reason that the theory of the game has reached a critical limit in its development).
International (100-cell) checkers. The most common checker game. It was first known as "French checkers". In addition to France, it was cultivated primarily in other French-speaking countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, plus some African states), as well as in the Netherlands and Poland (one of the names of the game adopted abroad is “Polish Checkers”), but over time received worldwide recognition - and its current name.
They play international checkers on a 10 × 10 board with numerical notation (from left to right and from top to bottom - that is, in the same order as we read the lines in the text - all dark fields are conventionally designated by ordinal numbers from 1 to 50). In the initial placement, 20 pieces occupy four rows on opposite sides of the board.
The moves are made in the same way as in Russian checkers, but there are three fundamental differences in the capture rules, which - along with the larger number of checkers and the size of the board - make international checkers more complex, rich and varied in terms of possibilities for a combination game:
The queen, which appeared as a result of a blow, has the right to strike like a king only on the next move;
If, upon impact, a simple checker reaches the last rank and can hit further as a simple one, it is obliged to do so, but at the end of the move it remains a simple one;
With several possible options captures, the player must choose the one that will result in the largest number of opponent's checkers beaten (majority rule).
Some other variations of the game. There are several dozen varieties of the game of checkers, both sports and "everyday", which are played exclusively at leisure. Often these games bear “nationally colored” names, but at the same time they can be actively cultivated far beyond the borders of their historical homeland (for example, Spanish drafts are played in countries South America and North Africa - hence, their other name: Algerian).
In Brazilian and Canadian drafts, the game is played according to the rules of international drafts, but on the boards, respectively, 8 × 8 and 12 × 12 - and with a different number of drafts (12 - in Brazilian and 30 - in Canadian).
A number of drafts games are essentially close to Russian or international drafts and differ from them only in some peculiarities in the rules of move and capture. The extremely popular checkers game in the USA uses the same board as Russian checkers. The initial arrangement of the figures is similar. The main difference is that a simple checker can only beat forward, while a king can only move and beat one square (in any direction).
In Czech checkers, a simple checker can also only hit forward, while it is necessary to take the maximum possible number of enemy chips, if there are several options for "beating" the player chooses any of them, but if a hit is possible with both a simple checker and a king, you must beat necessarily a king.
An 8 × 8 board - but rotated 90 degrees (relative to the position we are used to) - is also used in Italian checkers. A simple checker cannot beat back (as well as a king), and a king can only move one square. The player is obliged to beat the maximum number of other people's checkers, and in case of quantitatively equal capture options, he must choose a move that allows him to beat the largest number of kings.
The rules of the pool game, which is extremely widespread in the USA and a number of other countries, are very similar to Russian checkers, the main difference is that a simple checker, having reached the last rank during the fight, does not turn into a king.
There are a lot of checkers games that have more significant differences from the "classic" checkers: by the number of pieces used, by their initial arrangement, by the rules of the game, etc. So, in Armenian and Turkish checkers, opponents have 16 chips, which are arranged at the beginning of the game in two rows on the 2nd and 3rd horizontal lines ("ladies' fields" remain free). Checkers move one square forward (vertically) or to the side (horizontally), but not diagonally. They take enemy checkers in the same directions. A simple checker cannot walk (beat) back. Queens move in any direction - back and forth - on any number of fields. Capture is mandatory - majority rule applies.
In Frisian (or German) checkers, the game is played on a 100-square board according to the rules, which are very similar to international ones, but capture is possible not only diagonally, but also vertically and horizontally. You cannot move one king more than three times in a row (unless a shock move is made, as well as with the exception of situations when the player has no other checkers left on the board except this king). If the opponents made 25 moves in a row with kings and did not take any other's checkers, the game ends in a draw.
In an old Russian game, column checkers (towers), all the chips remain on the board until the end of the game: a beaten checker is placed under the striker. Towers formed in the course of the game move around the board entirely, "obeying" the top checker. The tower can go into kings (only the top checker turns into it). When taking a tower, the top piece is removed from it: the piece that was previously under it now becomes the main one in this tower.
In northern checkers, unlike traditional Russian ones, when capturing someone else's king, it is not removed from the board, but replaced with a simple checker. According to the rules of Stavropol checkers, you can play for your opponent, but in Samoyed checkers you can (and should) hit another checker regardless of its color, i.e. both his own and someone else's.
In two-move checkers, the opponents make 2 moves in a row (which gives a serious advantage to White), and the diagonal ones differ from the classic Russians in the initial arrangement of the pieces: they line up in opposite corners of the board on dark squares in three rows so that in the first (from the corner) row there is 2 checkers, in the second - 4 and in the third - 6.
In Pskov and Novgorod checkers, the game is played on a hexagonal (6-sided) board. At the same time, the Novgorod checkers differ from the Pskov ones not only in the initial arrangement of the pieces and their number (respectively, 8 checkers on the small board and 15 on the large board for the “Novgorodians” and 13 and 24 in the Pskov checkers), but also by the fact that three rivals.
In the game of Neva checkers (it is played on a special board) 4 people participate simultaneously, each of whom has 6 checkers (of a different color).
Some drafts games are fundamentally different from those recognized as "sports" by the essence and purpose of the game. So, in giveaways, you need to give up all your checkers (or make sure that those remaining on the board are locked). The essence of the game in the corners is to try to quickly move the opponent all your pieces, lined up in a square in the corner, to the opposite corner, in turn moving the pieces to the nearest empty cells or "jumping" over adjacent pieces if there is a free field behind them (capturing pieces in this no).
In the game of go-ban, opponents, having 12 checkers on their hands, put them in turn (one by one) on any field of the board, trying to put 5 of their chips in a row in a straight line (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) - and not give do it to the opponent. Having put all the checkers on the board, they then move them one by one (in any direction, but only to an adjacent square, not occupied by another checker), striving all towards the same goal. Each successful combination (in the form of 5 checkers in a row) brings the player a point. Whoever gets 10 points first wins the game.
Belarusian checkers are one of the varieties of the "chess-checkers" game. Each player, in addition to 12 checkers located on black squares and moving, as in ordinary checkers, has 12 pawns that move according to chess rules (i.e. forward), but cannot beat, but only contribute to the destruction (locking) other people's checkers and the protection of their own.
Some checkers games are named after their creators. For example, Lasker's checkers, invented by the world chess champion in the 1910s, based on Russian post checkers. The game is played on a 7 × 7 board on white squares (the corner squares on such a board are white). In Wigman's checkers, the opponents have 24 chips, arranged in three rows on black and white squares and moving diagonally. In fact, two games are played simultaneously on the board: on the black and white squares. In this case, the rule of a double move applies: a player can resemble the same piece twice, or make two moves in a row with different pieces.
Is your preschooler already old enough and at the same time quite assiduous for playing board games? Tell him how to play checkers. A new hobby will help develop intellectual abilities, which will contribute to the upcoming good studies.
Checkers is an addicting board game
Everyone knows that sports are not only mobile, but also board games - checkers and their origins go back to the distant past. Some historians believe that they were invented by the Greek warrior Palamed during the ten-year siege of Troy, while others believe in the Egyptian origin of this ancient fun. As a result of excavations, archaeologists have found similar in appearance sets of boards with cells or squares and round chips on the territory of Kievan Rus, Sweden, Norway and many other countries. This means that checkers have been very popular for a very long time due to their simplicity and at the same time the need to have a rather sharp mind in order to master this, one might say, science. And in our time, this board game captivates everyone - from small to large. It is noteworthy that even small mini-checkers are produced, designed for a useful pastime while traveling, while the chips have special legs for firm attachment to the playing field.
Types of checkers
Historically, in each country this hobby acquired its own distinctive features ... How to play checkers, for example, in Armenian or Brazilian? Let's get acquainted with the rules of some countries:
International... The rules are similar to the Russian game, but the playing field consists of one hundred cells (10 by 10). Only the checker that ended the battle on one square can become a king (which, for example, is impossible with a long set of moves when beating an opponent).
English... The game is in many ways similar to Russian checkers. The differences are in the prohibition to beat in the opposite direction and the requirement to find the kings in only one playing field.
Armenian... Checkers do not move diagonally, but in a perpendicular direction, crossing cells of different colors. Just like the English, there is a prohibition to destroy the opponent's pieces by going backwards.
Brazilian... The rules are like international ones, and the playing field is like the Russians: 8 by 8 squares with 12 chips for each opponent.
Spanish... Brazilian rules apply, but checkers are located on white cells when the playing field is rotated 90 degrees. You can't beat back.
Basic rules of the game of checkers (Russian) for simple pawns
Let's get acquainted with the basic principles that need to be followed when moving chips across the field, hitting the opponent and turning into kings. Pay special attention on the distinctive features of the game when the status of a checker changes. rules final stage (after the appearance of kings) acquire different conditions and are described later in the article.
- The game board is the same as the chessboard and consists of 64 squares alternating in color (8 horizontally, 8 vertically).
- Each opponent has 12 checkers, which are initially arranged in three rows on black cells.
- The fold on the board is the dividing line of the players' fields.
- The moves are made alternately in the diagonal direction only along the cells of a dark color.
- In one move, you can simultaneously beat (remove from the board) several opponent's checkers, if they are located so that there are free cells between them for moves.
- The direction of movement can be changed (right, left). The reverse move can only be in case of beating the opponent.
- All affected pieces are removed from the board only after the end of the move.
Final Game Rules
- Turning into a king is possible upon reaching the opposite row (starting for the opponent). Usually the chip is turned over, but sometimes a game set contains specially marked elements of the corresponding color.
- The queen has the right to move any number of cells in any diagonal direction.
- There should be no refusal to beat the opponent from the king, therefore, thanks to this rule, "crowned persons" often fall into traps.
- The winner is the player who takes all the opponent's checkers or creates a situation in which he cannot make a single move.
- A draw is determined after three times repetition of the same moves and the impossibility of making others.
- The game is recorded by locating the cells by putting numbers on the board next to each square along the left vertical line of the board and letters along the lower horizontal line.
Rule options
But our people like to deviate from the standards, therefore, in simple everyday life, some interesting interpretations of the unified rules of the game of Russian drafts often arise. Children especially fantasize. Surely many will remember the eccentric "giveaway", when the goal of the game is not to beat the enemy, but to lose as soon as possible, substituting their chips for battle. How to play checkers following these "rules"? There are many options! Here are some of them:
Stavropol... In the game, a participant can, in the order of his turn, make a move not with his own chips, but with the opponent.
Pillar... Checkers move along the field, under which there is a knocked out trophy of the enemy.
Samoyeds... According to the rules, you need to beat not only the opponent's checkers, but also your own.
How to play
This board game differs significantly from the traditional one, both in terms of rules and content. First, immediately striking appearance boards that are shaped like a six-pointed star. Secondly, checkers are replaced by chips. In this case, from two to six players can participate in the game (maximum - according to the number of colors used). What are the rules of the game? Checkers are located on the tops of the star, their number depends on the size of the field and ranges from six to ten. The brightest player starts moving. Then the order changes clockwise. The goal is to reach the opposite end of the star. According to the rules, you can move in any direction, while jumping over other people's chips, behind which there is a free cell. Whoever first reached the required goal - he won.
Isn't it simple and easy to understand how to play checkers? Try it! And you will definitely succeed!
Russian checkers are the most popular type of checkers in Russia. The rules for the game of Russian drafts given here correspond to the Russian Drafts Code approved by the Conference of the Russian Drafts Federation on October 5, 2002, as well as to the international rules of the game of Russian drafts. All official tournaments are held in accordance with them, including various championships.
Board for playing Russian checkers
Before starting to write about the checkers board, it is worth mentioning that two people play Russian checkers. Now let's start describing the battlefield on which two opponents will fight. The board for the game consists of 64 identical squares, alternately light and dark fields. The game is played only on dark fields.
An oblique row of dark fields from one edge of the board to the other forms a diagonal. The longest diagonal consists of 8 black squares and crosses the board from left to right, it is called the great road.
The checkerboard is placed between the checkers so that there is a dark corner field to the left of each of the players. In other words, the big road runs from left to right. If there is a marking on the board: there are Latin letters horizontally: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and vertically there are numbers from 1 to 8, then it is even easier to understand the location of the players at the board - one sits there , where the letters are located, and the second opposite and the big road is easy to find, it starts at field A1 and ends at field H8.
Checkers in the game
Each of the partners in the game has 12 flat round checkers, one of them is white, the other is black. 
Checkers are placed on the black squares of the first three horizontal rows on each side of the player. White occupies squares from the first to the third rank, and Black from the eighth to sixth.
In the initial placement on the board, all checkers are simple. But a simple checker can become a king. If during the game the checker reaches one of the squares of the last, eighth (counting from itself) horizontal row, it turns into a king. On the board, kings are indicated by doubled checkers, that is, placed one on top of the other.
Moves in Russian checkers
White makes the first move The rules of the game of Russian checkers indicate that the first move in the game is made by the player with white checkers, in contrast to English checkers, where the game is opened by black. A move is the movement of a checker from one field of the board to another. Partners take turns making one move until the game is over.
A simple checker moves only forward to the adjacent square diagonally and only to the fields not occupied by other checkers.
If a checker is on the same diagonal next to an opponent's checker, behind which there is a free square, it must be transferred through this checker to a free square. And in this case, the opponent's checker is removed from the board - this process is called capture. If, in the process of capturing, a checker again finds itself on one diagonal next to another opponent's checker, behind which there is a free square, it must be transferred through the second, third, etc. checker.
The rules of the game of Russian checkers clearly regulate what the capture of the opponent's checker is compulsory and is carried out both forward and backward... A capture counts as one played move. Taking your own checkers is prohibited.
Mandatory capture of the opponent's checker back The king, in contrast to a simple checker, can move in any direction, both forward and backward, and diagonally to any of the free squares. But it can, like a simple checker, only on free fields, and it cannot jump over its checkers.
If the king is on the same diagonal with the opponent's checker, behind which there is one or more free squares, then it must capture it, that is, be transferred through this checker to any free square. In this case, the opponent's checker is removed from the board.
In the process of sequential capture, it is allowed to pass several times through the same square, but it is forbidden to transfer a checker or king over the same checker (king) of the opponent more than once.
If the capture is possible in two or more directions with a king or a checker, the choice of what to take, regardless of the number or quality of the removed checkers (kings or simple), is given to the taker, in contrast to where the player should take as much as possible.
If a simple checker, when captured, reaches the last (eighth from itself) horizontal row, it turns into a king. And if she is given the opportunity to further capture the opponent's checkers, then she is obliged to do it with the same move.
If the checker reaches the last horizontal row without capturing, then the move ends there.
The purpose of the game of Russian checkers
The main goal in the game is to win. Although there are times when they set themselves the goal of playing a specific game of draws, for example, in a drafts tournament in the last round, playing a fairly draw result. Or the checkers player simply does not want to offend the opponent, so he purposefully plays for a draw. But these are more likely the exceptions to the rule. Taking part in the game is good, but winning is much better!
Black cannot make a move So who can be considered the winner of the game? The winner is the one who first reaches the position in which his opponent:
1) recognizing his position as lost, announced that he was giving up;
2) will not be able to make the next move;
3) has no checkers.
The rules of the game of Russian checkers indicate the moments when draws in games:
1) If it is impossible to win for any of the rivals;
2) If during 15 moves the players made only moves with kings, without moving simple checkers and without taking;
3) If a participant in the game of checkers, having at the end of the game three or more kings against one of the opponent's king, does not take the opponent's king by his 15th move (counted from the moment of establishing such a balance of forces);
4) If the participant, having at the end of the game:
Only 5 moves to win - three kings or
- two kings and a simple checker, or
- a king and two simple checkers, or
- three simple checkers
against the lonely king of the opponent, located on the high road, with his 5th move he will not be able to achieve a won position.
5) If the same position on the board is repeated three or more times (the same arrangement of checkers), and the turn of the move each time will be behind the same side.
Now you are familiar with the rules of the Russian checkers game. But in order not to forget them, be sure to practice: sort out the various options for capturing checkers on the board, see what positions are possible for a win or a draw, and of course play several games of Russian checkers.
No wonder such a board game as Checkers is deservedly considered the simplest and most logical in the world, because to understand what how the king in checkers chops or various moves are carried out and will not be at all difficult. Why is that? Because the whole idea of \u200b\u200bsuch entertainment is based on a fairly simple, but demanding strategy for thinking, which, in turn, requires both opponents to be able to correctly form their moves. But, whatever one may say, the strongest piece in the game is undoubtedly the king, since it is noticeably different in capabilities from other pieces and cuts in checkers in a completely different way, becoming a good advantage in the strength of the opponents.
How does the king cut in checkers and how is it different?
To create a king for yourself, as you might guess, it needs to get to the farthest edge of the opponent's side and this rule is invariable regardless of the characteristics of the game. However, the possibilities of the king herself may differ markedly! The most striking examples can be Russian and Turkish checkers, where in the first case the king can move almost any distance diagonally, and in the second even in a straight line. That is why, first of all, you always need to look at exactly what rules the game will be played on and how the king in checkers chops, because the differences can be just cardinal. But it is worthwhile to understand the issue in more detail, and since Russian drafts are most popular in our area, their specific rules are most often applied.
How does the king move and chop in Russian checkers?
Since the king in checkers cuts only diagonally, its capabilities remain sufficiently limited, but the resulting ability to move in any direction expands the list of available targets. It is especially useful specifically in the Russian version of this board game, since the king in checkers cuts not one nearest cell, but several cells at once.
Therefore, if there is an accessible target on the diagonal, the king in checkers easily cuts it regardless of the distance. Nevertheless, before taking such a step, it is important to take into account that it is still impossible to beat figures that are successfully covered. In its own way, this is a strong simplification of the gameplay, so such games will be especially interesting for those who are used to such a style. So the king cuts in checkers only in Russian and international versions of the game, while others work according to a different scheme.
What systems are most often found on the Internet?
If you have sat down to play on your computer, then the first thing to do is to read the rules of a particular option immediately. The thing is that they, no doubt, will be different if there is no postscript (Russian checkers), so you should not focus only on the king without a proper understanding of its features.
Since, according to the standard system, the king cuts only 1 square in checkers, this greatly complicates its use, even if it leaves a certain level of advantages. Therefore, the player cannot jump it at any diagonal distance, and is also forced to build his own traps with a high level of tactics. Therefore, if you play by such rules, you will certainly find useful materials on how to catch a king in checkers with three kings, since a bad strategy will only prolong the tournament without a victorious end.
Be that as it may, these are the main options for how the king cuts in checkers, therefore, for your learning the gameplay, you should pay attention to this particular type. And, finally, it will be useful to see, which will clearly demonstrate all the features of such a walker and allow you to master it in the best way.