Checkers

Checkers, also known as draughts, is a group of strategy board games for two players.

The game relies on the forward movement of uniform pieces and the mandatory capture of opponents. The term "checkers" comes from the checkered pattern of the board used in play. In British English, the game is called "draughts," a name derived from the verb "to draw" or "to move." Players compete to capture the opponent's pieces through jumping. The game is a test of tactical planning and foresight. It remains a popular way for people to engage in mental competition.

Two opponents sit on opposite sides of the gameboard. One player controls dark pieces, usually black, while the other uses light pieces, such as white or red.

Movement occurs only on the dark squares of the board. At the start of the game, all pieces move only in a forward direction. A player moves a piece to an adjacent unoccupied square. If an opponent's piece is in the adjacent forward square and the square beyond it is vacant, a capture occurs. The player must jump over the opponent's piece and land on the empty square. The captured piece is then removed from the board.

In many official rules, capturing is a mandatory action. If a player fails to capture an available piece, they may face a penalty known as a "muffin." In such cases, the opponent can remove the offending piece.

A player loses the game if they have no pieces remaining. They also lose if all their remaining pieces are obstructed from moving by the opponent. This state of being blocked means the player has no valid moves left. Strategic depth is created by these strict requirements for movement and capture.

Standard pieces are often called "men" or "stones." When a man reaches the farthest row, called the kings row or crown head, it is promoted to a king.

This promotion is marked by crowning the piece with an additional piece on top. Kings possess enhanced powers compared to regular men. In American checkers, a king can move and capture both forward and backward. In international draughts, kings are known as "flying kings." These flying kings can move any number of squares at a time. They can capture an opposing man from a distance by jumping to any unoccupied square past the target.

Checkers likely evolved from an ancient game called Alquerque.

Alquerque was played on a 5x5 grid with intersecting lines. An Arab scholar named Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani mentioned a similar game in the 10th century. Between the 13th and 16th centuries, the game migrated from the Alquerque grid to chess boards. This transition caused the game to split into two distinct evolutionary paths. European players restricted movement to diagonal lines, creating English Draughts. In the Arab world, players kept orthogonal, or straight-line, movement, leading to Turkish Draughts.

Many different variants exist across the globe today. Most popular forms, such as American, Russian, and Turkish draughts, use an 8x8 board.

International draughts is widely played on a larger 10x10 board. Some versions, like Canadian or Malaysian checkers, use a 12x12 board. These variations change the scale and complexity of the matches. Each version carries its own specific rules regarding how kings move and how captures are enforced. This variety allows the game to adapt to different cultural preferences.

Modern technology has changed how people interact with the game. Checkers can now be played online through various free apps.

Computers have even reached a level of high proficiency. In 2007, a team of Canadian computer scientists led by Jonathan Schaeffer weakly solved American checkers. Their research showed that if both sides play perfectly, the game results in a draw. This discovery provides a mathematical understanding of the game's balance. Whether played by humans or machines, the fundamental challenge of the board remains.