Checkers

The board at the start of a game

Checkers, or English draughts, is a strategy board game for two players. It's in the draughts family of games, which have the following properties in common:

• The board is a grid of squares, usually in two different colors
• The pieces are identical short cylinders, in two colors (one for each player)
• The goal is to capture (remove) all of your opponent's pieces
• Capturing means jumping over an enemy piece with one of your own

The word "checkers" is more common in the USA and Canada, and "draughts" everywhere else. "Checkers" usually means the specific game of English draughts, but it's also used to refer to the other draughts games (for example: "Turkish draughts" may be called "Turkish checkers"). Draughts games vary in terms of the size of the board, the number of pieces, and what powers a piece gains when it reaches the opposite side. In most versions, capturing is compulsory (though capturing the most pieces might not be). This rule is often forgotten or even disputed, to the chagrin of some. Players of one version are often unaware the other versions exist.

English checkers is played on an 8x8 board of alternating color squares, much like the one Chess is played on. There are only two kinds of pieces: the normal checkers, which can only move forward diagonally, and "kings" which are created when a checker reaches the far side of the board and can move forward or backward diagonally. Since all moves are diagonal, all pieces throughout the game will always be on the same color square; the squares horizontally and vertically between them will never be occupied.

Capturing an enemy piece is accomplished by jumping diagonally over that piece with your own; if your opponent is dumb enough to leave his pieces in a bad formation, it's possible to capture multiple enemy pieces by chain-jumping over them all in a single turn. However, if the compulsory-capturing rule is used, clever sacrifices can be made to force your opponent's pieces to go where you want them to.

Tropes used in Checkers include:

• But Thou Must!: If you are able to capture an enemy piece, you are required to. If you have a choice between which piece, you get some flexibility there.
• Color-Coded Armies: The colors for the teams are usually black and red or dark and light.
• Kill'Em All: The objective.
• Large and In Charge: When a piece reaches the other side of the board they become a king and a second piece is added on top of them.
• Last Stand: From the loser's point of view.
• No Plot, No Problem: The game has a bit less "theme" than, for example, chess.
• The Siege: It is common to delay a game by moving to a double corner and using it as a fortress. From there there is always one place to move while approaches can usually be parried easily. The proper response is to place two kings side by side ahead of the double corner to plug the escape and work a third king in to a point where it can force entry. The lengthy choreography has analogies to a siege in military terms.
• We Have Reserves: Once an advantage is gained it is almost inevitable that victory can be assured by exchanging one's way to victory. It is to be noted that there should be an advantage of at least two because with only two checkers against the opponent's last any attempt to force an exchange will give a double jump unless backed by the side of the board.