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Let's learn to play checkers from scratch. How to teach a child to play checkers from scratch in a playful way. The sport of checkers is developing all over the world

Rules for playing Russian checkers

The goal of the game is to eat all the opponent’s checkers or “lock” them (i.e., make them unable to move)

The game is played only on dark fields. The checkerboard is positioned between the partners in such a way that there is a dark corner field to the left of the player. In the starting position, each side has 12 checkers, which occupy the first three rows on each side

Checkers are divided into simple and queens. In the initial position, all checkers are simple. Upon reaching the last (eighth from oneself) horizontal row, a simple checker turns into a king

Moves are made one by one, by moving your checker to an unoccupied field. Skipping a move is not allowed. The first move is always made by the player playing white. A simple move only moves forward one square diagonally. The queen moves diagonally to any square, both forward and backward, and she cannot jump over her checkers

If a simple checker is located next to the opponent's checker, behind which there is a free field, it must be transferred through this checker to the free field, after which the opponent's checker is removed from the board. If at the same time the opportunity arises to continue capturing other opponent’s checkers, then this capture must be made. When fighting through a queen square, a simple checker turns into a king and continues the battle according to the rules of a king. During one move, the enemy's checker can be hit only once (Turkish strike rule). According to this rule, if, during the battle of several enemy checkers, a checker or a king re-enters an already beaten checker, then the move stops. Knocked opponent's checkers are removed only after the end of the move. Capturing the opponent's checker is mandatory and can be done both forward and backward. With several capture options, for example, one checker or two, the player chooses the capture option at his own discretion.

Winning

Draw

  • if a participant who has three queens (or more) against one of the opponent’s kings does not take the opponent’s king in 15 moves;
  • if in a position in which both participants have kings, the balance of forces has not changed (there was no capture, not a single simple checker became a king) during:
    • in 2 and 3 figure endings – 5 moves,
    • in 4 and 5 figure endings – 30 moves,
    • in 6 and 7 figure endings – 60 moves;
  • if a participant having:
    • three simple,
    • three queens,
    • two queens and a simple one,
    • a queen and two simple ones,
    against one enemy king located on the main road (the main diagonal of the board), he will not take the enemy king in 5 moves;
  • if during 15 moves the participants made moves only with kings, without moving simple checkers and without taking.

Rules of the game of Giveaway (Reverse checkers)

Giveaways are checkers with the opposite goal of the game - to lose all your checkers: to force the enemy to “eat” or “lock” them.

Rules for playing Diagonal checkers

The rules are similar to the rules of the game of Russian checkers, but the initial arrangement is different (the large diagonal is free, all the cells above and to the left of it are occupied by black checkers, below and to the right - by white ones).

Rules of the game of International checkers

The game is played on a board of 10×10 cells. The checkers are placed on the black fields of the first four horizontal rows on each side. The player playing white moves first, then moves are made alternately. Checkers are divided into simple and queens. In the initial position, all checkers are simple.

A simple checker moves diagonally forward one square. Upon reaching any field of the last horizontal line, a simple checker turns into a king.

The queen moves diagonally to any free square, both forward and backward.

Taking is mandatory if possible. Checkers are removed from the board only after the taking checker has stopped.

When capturing, the rule of the Turkish strike is applied - if, during the battle of several enemy checkers, a checker or king re-enters an already captured checker, then the move stops (that is, it is forbidden to take the same checker twice, while you can cross the same empty field twice ).

If there are several options for capturing, you need to execute the one that removes the maximum number of opponent’s checkers (regardless of their quality - both a simple and a king are considered one checker). If there are still several options, you can choose any of them. If there is a choice of battle with a king or a simple one, then you can take any of them, observing in this case the rule of taking the largest number of checkers.

If a simple checker, in the process of being captured, reaches the queen square and can hit further as a simple checker, then it continues the battle with this move and remains simple. Otherwise, she turns into a queen and stops. According to the king's rules, she acquires the right to fight only from the next move.

Winning

The game is considered won in the following cases:

  • if one of the participants left the party or announced that he was giving up;
  • if the checkers of one of the participants are locked and he cannot make another move;
  • if one of the opponents has all his checkers beaten.

The game is considered to end in a draw in the following cases:

Draw

  • if one of the participants offers a draw and the other accepts it;
  • if it is impossible for any of the opponents to win;
  • the same position (the same arrangement of checkers) is repeated three (or more) times, and the turn of the move will be on the same side each time;
  • For 25 moves, the participants made moves only with queens, without moving simple checkers and without capturing;
  • if a participant, having at the end of the game:
    • three simple,
    • three queens,
    • two queens and a simple one,
    • a queen and two simple ones,
    against a lone queen or one king against a lone queen or a simple checker, will not achieve a won position with his 5th move;
  • there are five queens left on the board or four queens and one simple checker against two kings, and the stronger side will not achieve a won position with its 50th move.

Checkers notation

According to the notation adopted in international checkers, all black fields have numbers (from 1 to 50). The numbering of the board starts from the black side and goes from right to left. To record the move of a simple checker or king, first designate the field where the checker or king stood, then put a dash and write down the field on which it is placed (for example: 8-12). When recording a capture (battle), a colon is placed instead of a dash (for example: 12:21, 47:24:35).

Rules of the game of English checkers (Checkers)

The rules of the game of English checkers (Checkers) are very similar to the rules of the game of Russian checkers, but have some differences:

  • The player playing with black checkers goes first
  • a simple checker cannot hit backwards;
  • the queen can only move one square in any direction;
  • the queen can hit only one square in any direction;
  • You can hit any number of checkers.

If a simple checker, in the process of capturing the opponent’s checkers, reaches the field of the last horizontal line and is given the opportunity to be further captured by a king according to the rules of battle, then it turns into a king, stopping on the field of the last row. According to the king rules, she acquires the right to capture only from the next move.

Winning

The game is considered won in the following cases:

  • if one of the opponents has all his checkers beaten;
  • if the checkers of one of the participants are locked and he cannot make another move;
  • if one of the participants announced that he was giving up.

Draw

The game is considered to end in a draw in the following cases:

  • if one of the participants offers a draw and the other accepts it;
  • the same position (the same arrangement of checkers) is repeated three (or more) times, and the turn of the move will be on the same side each time;
  • during the last 40 moves there was no change in forces, that is, none of the players managed to move at least one checker into kings, and at least one checker or king was not removed from the board.

Please note that the game will be saved to history, and points will be awarded for it only if 3 or more move transitions have been completed (for example, 2 white moves and one black move for the “Russian Checkers” mode).

Mode panel

The mode panel allows you to select the current game mode.

Top button panel

Move backwards, Move forward- allows you to undo and redo moves in a game with a computer.

Offer a draw allows you to send a draw proposal to your opponent. If he agrees, the game will be completed as a draw, and the number of points for both players will not change;

Give up

A new game- begin new game with a computer.

Leave the game

Additional buttons in co-op play

Offer a draw allows you to send a draw proposal to your partner. If he agrees, the game will be completed as a draw, and the number of points for both players will not change;

Give up- ends the game (loss is counted).

Leave the game- allows you to immediately end the current game (loss is counted).

Bottom button panel

Settings- opens the settings menu where you can:

  • Select the color of the shapes;
  • Change the computer difficulty level;
  • Enable or disable automatic move for situations when, according to the rules of the game, there is only one possible move;
  • Enable display of captured pieces and move history;
  • Turn sound on or off;
  • Prevent other players from inviting you to the game;
  • Open blacklist.

Description- opens the game description.

Questions and feedback- opens a guest book in which you can leave a review or request for the game.

Story- a history of all your games, indicating the date of the game, the opponent and his place in the ranking.

Games you won are marked in yellow, games you lost are in red, games that ended in a draw are blue.

Games that you have added to your favorites are marked with a star.



Points are awarded only for victories over opponents (no points are awarded for draws and victories over the computer).

Elo rating system, Elo coefficient is a method of calculating the relative strength of players in games involving two players. This rating system was developed by an American physics professor of Hungarian origin, Arpad Elo.


In your personal account, you can provide additional information about yourself, upload a photo, change your password, and also store and carry out personal correspondence with other registered players.

You can play without registering as a guest. After registration and/or authorization you will have access to Personal Area and you will be able to send private messages to other players.

To register, you just need to enter a name (at least 3 characters) and a password (at least 5 characters). If such a name is already registered in the game, you will have to choose another one.


Checkers is perhaps the second most popular board game in the world, second only to its older brothers - backgammon.

The history of their origin goes back several centuries, and the first games similar to checkers existed in Ancient Egypt in 1600 BC.

Over the subsequent years, checkers gained popularity all over the world - archaeological excavations have proven that flat figures made of amber or simpler versions made of stone were used for mental entertainment back in Kievan Rus.

In the 12th century, they appeared on the territory of France, and two centuries later - in England, where they were actively used not only for recreation, but also for developing tactics for conducting knightly battles.

Interesting fact! Peter the Great, a famous reformer and innovator of his time, who from a young age showed interest in developing sciences, paid special attention to checkers. There was even a special room in the palace reserved for games, in which the emperor liked to spend his free time.

And today it is loved by many board game, which has become one of the most accessible and popular types of sports.

Checkers sport developing all over the world:

  • Tournaments of various sizes are held annually, from regional competitions to continental world championships.
  • Clubs of amateur chess players are formed.
  • Schools for beginners are functioning and developing, where real professionals share their experience with young athletes.

If you are fascinated by the magic of the game and you want not only to learn how to walk correctly, but also to hone your logical abilities, or you dream of teaching your child how to spend time away from the computer in an interesting and useful way, we will tell you how to play checkers correctly to win.

So, let's look at the rules of the game of Russian checkers:

  1. The competition involves two players, each of whom has his own set of 12 pieces, white or black.
  2. The game is played on a standard 8 x 8 chessboard, rotated so that there are letters horizontally and numbers vertically.
  3. Checkers are placed only on black cells in such a way as to fill three horizontal rows on their side. This leaves two free lanes between the enemy pieces.
  4. The steps are performed one by one, with the player with the white pieces making the first move.
  5. You are only allowed to walk on the black squares of the board.
  6. If there is an empty one behind the checker black cage, then it must be “killed” - the first player moves his piece to a free square, and the opponent’s piece is removed from the board.
  7. In one move, they hit as many pieces as can be stepped over, with no limit on the number.
  8. There is a zafuk rule, according to which a player who did not notice the opportunity to “eat” the opponent’s checker must return back to his square and repeat the move correctly. This provision replaced the outdated fuka rule, in which a piece that made an incorrect step was considered “killed” and was removed from the table, but the move was not repeated.
  9. If, as a result of the game, a simple checker reaches the last horizontal line on the opponent’s side, it is turned upside down and receives the name “king” with increased opportunities for capturing the opponent’s pieces. The king can move along the entire length of the diagonal row, “eating” all the enemy pieces on its way.
  10. Both a simple checker and a queen can “hit” pieces in any direction - back and forth. But, unlike the way the king moves, a simple checker cannot make a backward move unless it is a strike move.
  11. One of the tactics of the game is to “surrender” one or more of your own pieces to gain the opportunity to make a move or for other advantages in the game.
  12. The game ends with the victory of one of the players if he “beat” all the opponent’s checkers, or a draw if the pieces on the board are placed in such a way that further moves are impossible on both sides.
  13. If there is not a single simple piece left on the board, but only queens, 15 moves are allowed, after which either the winner is determined or a draw is declared.

Note! Other types of games may have some differences in rules. So, for example, Canadian checkers is played on a board measuring 12x12, and in English version“Black” makes the first move.

Time control

In order to indicate the time frame, at international competitions it is customary to use several classifications of game duration:

  • Classic checkers – 1 hour per game.
  • Rapid ( quick game) – 15 minutes per game.
  • Blitz ( lightning game) – 3 minutes per game.

If necessary, the judge can add a certain amount of time for each move made until the end of the game.

Note! Like chess tournament, players also keep a notation, that is, they make a record of their maneuvers, in which they abbreviate the characteristics of a move or a tactical technique.

Glossary of terms

As in any sports competition, checkers has its own terminology, with the help of which experienced players designate their action, the period of the game or the position of the pieces on the board.

For beginners, it would be a good idea to understand the special expressions used by checkers players in order to learn all the subtleties and secrets of this intelligent look sports

Term Explanation
Attack The offensive of one of the parties
Blockade A situation in which it is impossible to advance a checker in any direction
Majority (majority rule) A rule accepted in some varieties of the game, in which the player is obliged from any possible options of his move, choose exactly the one in which his checker hits the largest number of enemy pieces
Fork A position in which one king remains on the board against two simple checkers of the opponent
Gambit Sacrificing your piece at the very beginning of the game to gain initiative in the game
King The strongest piece on the board, has the ability to hit in any direction and take any number of enemy checkers
Victim Deliberate loss of one's figure in order to obtain further benefits
Trap A position in which opponents try to draw each other into to establish a winning position.
Draw The result of a game in which neither the winner nor the loser is determined
Giveaways (reverse checkers) A type of game whose end result is not the capture of all the opponent’s pieces, but the surrender of one’s own
Position Arrangement of pieces on the board
chop Remove the enemy's checker that is under attack and place your own in its place
Quiet running A simple checker move, without capturing an opponent's piece
Impact stroke A move in which one or more enemy pieces are “eaten”
Wing One side of the checkers board
Zugzwang A position in which any move only leads to a worsening of one’s own position
Endgame Final phase of the game

In our article, we tried to briefly and clearly talk about the most common rules used for playing checkers. But only those who take lessons from an experienced checkers player, who will gradually reveal all levels of skill, will be able to play truly well.

Checkers is a great way early development children. You can play them from a very young age until old age. A set of pieces and a board can be easily purchased at any sporting goods store or educational games department.

The cost of such a product is available to everyone, and the benefits brought by this intellectual game, and the pleasure of victory, will be able to keep our mental abilities in good shape for a long time and add positivity to our everyday life.

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How correctly you organize the game checkers game, your success largely depends. Just knowing the rules and having a vague idea of ​​how the game should be played is very little for success. In order to learn not just to play, but also to win, you need to have at least a basic understanding of the strategy and tactics of the game. Every move you make on the board must be thoughtful and balanced, because here you can lose in less than 10 moves. Today we’ll talk about how to learn to play checkers to win.

How to master the basic secrets of checkers well?

In order to win at least half of all games, you need to start learning practically from scratch. This is because some of the basics of this game are familiar to us from school, but this does not really help in adult friendly matches. At school, few people thought about the strategic side of this fun (at least, there were not so many such people). At that time, having a good time was considered more important. In adult life, the ability to take tactically calculated steps is the most important thing. You should not only see your position on the board, but also imagine what it will be like in 5-10 steps. Your future victory depends on how clearly you can control the game.

How should you play checkers? First, you will need to know the rules of the game. This is necessary in order to decide what kind of checkers you are going to play. The thing is that this game, simple at first glance, has more than a dozen varieties, which have some differences not only in the game equipment, but also in the rules. Therefore, before starting a game, players always say what checkers they are playing and by what rules. If you want to emerge victorious from any checkers battle, then you should familiarize yourself with the rules of the most popular variants of the game.

Secondly, in order to not only play, but also win, you will need practice. These can be either real battles or virtual battles, but they must take place with “live” opponents without fail. This rule does not prohibit playing with a computer at all, but remember that at a low level of difficulty artificial intelligence he will deliberately “forget” about some checkers, and if it is high, you will not be able to beat him. That is why you need a very real opponent to polish your skills. Not only will he give you an idea of ​​how the game actually plays, but he will also be happy to point out your mistakes.

During the learning stage, it is vital to always analyze the game after the game. This will best tell you all the advantages and disadvantages of the strategy you have chosen, and will also help you avoid mistakes in the future.

To learn how to play checkers well, you need to understand that this activity cannot be rushed. If you are looking to learn how to quickly and easily get recognition, this game is not for you. Constant self-study, excellent knowledge of theoretical material and constant practice are the only keys to success. People who play this game professionally did not learn all its subtleties and secrets in a month or two. If you really want to learn this sport (and it is a sport) so as not to lose in friendly and amateur matches, be patient and have some free time. And remember - you won’t be able to do this easily and simply (you will still have to put in some effort). Only by constantly polishing your skills will you be able to understand how not to play. And this is already half the success.

How to play Russian checkers? Rules

The rules of the game of checkers are extremely simple. Memorizing them is not difficult, but it is important, especially for new players. On 64 cells playing field There are 24 checkers - 12 for each opponent. Each of them can move diagonally only forward one square. If during a move there is an enemy checker on the way, it goes into battle (it is considered beaten and is removed from the game board). In Russian checkers, you can usually hit both forward and backward (unless the opponents agree on different rules).

The game continues until all of your opponent's checkers are captured (or they are all completely blocked). By the way, there is a very common misconception that a game of checkers can end in a draw. It arose by analogy with a stalemate in chess, but this cannot happen in a checkers tournament - there is always a winner and a loser.

The secret of success in checkers is very simple - the correct game tactics always win. That is why there is a reason to delve into the records of international tournaments. There are very interesting variants of strategies that have already become classics.

How to teach a child to play checkers?

In order for your child not only to learn how to play this game, but also to achieve some success in this field, it is worth sending him to a specialized sports section. This will give him some advantages in the future. In addition, professional coaches know how to teach the game correctly and how to build educational process for beginner children so that learning goes as smoothly as possible. However, it is not enough to simply send your child to a sports school. He will need your understanding and support at any stage. Competition is very difficult for children, so try not to focus on the result (especially if the first experience of competition was negative).

How to play Chinese checkers?

As mentioned earlier, the game of checkers has dozens of varieties, and you are unlikely to be a master of each of them. Therefore, it is worth choosing one type in which you will eventually become a real dock.

Among all the varieties of the game, Chinese and Japanese checkers are considered the most exotic and unusual. The unusual shape of the field and rather atypical rules make them unique.

Chinese checkers, as paradoxical as it may sound, have nothing in common either with checkers in the classical sense, or with China, since Germany is considered their homeland. The playing field is shaped like a six-pointed star, allowing six players to play at the same time. The rules of the game are simple: opposing checkers are placed in opposite corners of the field, which move one square forward (it doesn’t matter straight or diagonally). The goal of the game is to move all the checkers in the opposite direction faster than your opponent does. There is no need to capture and hit enemy checkers in this version of the game.

Although Japanese checkers use a quadrangular field, the goal of the game is not to knock out all the enemy “soldiers,” but to capture as much territory as possible.

The rules of playing international checkers are not much different from those used in Russian checkers. However, they still have their own individual feature - a hundred-cell playing field. But Brazilian checkers needs to be played on a familiar 8x8 field, but according to the rules that are used in international checkers. Such a variety of rules and conditions make learning this game very exciting and interesting. This will help you not only diversify your leisure time, but also give your brain a good workout (which is very useful at any age).

How to play checkers in Chapaev?

In addition to the incredible abundance of classic game options, there are also quite specific fights using checkers. An example of this is the game of Chapaya, which, in principle, has nothing in common with any checkers strategy. Here, flat stones are used as projectiles with which to knock out the same stones from the enemy. This is done by clicking so that the checker flies out of the field. The winner is the one who was able to completely clear the field of enemy stones.

But the rules of the game of corners are very similar to the classic one Chinese game, however, the action takes place in a classic 8x8 rectangular field. Checkers are placed in different corners of the board in the form of a square and must be moved in such a way as to completely occupy the enemy’s position (that is, place white and black checkers in the corner). Whoever manages to do it faster wins.

This is not the entire list of fun games that can be played using white and black pebbles and a game board. You can also change the rules of the game of checkers at your discretion, having agreed with your opponent. By the way, this is how the famous Russian game of giveaway appeared, when the goal of the party is not to capture the enemy’s stones, but to completely destroy one’s own.

Checkers is a multifaceted game that consists of many nuances and has an incredible number of varieties. While studying it, you can be completely sure that you will definitely not be bored.

Each of us loves games; in fact, they accompany us from childhood, contributing to our physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development. There are many games, but few of them become truly popular and even famous throughout the world, checkers is one of them.

This seemingly simple game has many useful and positive qualities: it gives creative satisfaction, relaxes and allows you to forget about the everyday hustle and bustle, develops intelligence and memory, makes it possible to learn to think ahead, and also trains the will quite well.

You may be surprised how all this is possible in such a primitive toy: just know that move the round checkers across the black cells, trying to remove as many as possible from the field more checkers enemy. The rules are simple, they do not cause any particular difficulties for memorization, and only experienced players know perfectly well that the apparent simplicity is deceptive; in fact, to win at checkers, luck and knowledge of the basic rules are not enough.

In fact, this is a real art, with a bunch of combinations and tactics that can significantly increase the chances of winning. And here the question arises, how to learn to play checkers in such a way that you always, or at least as often as possible, remain among the winners and not the losers?

So, if you are new to this business, then it would be useful to start with the simplest and even, perhaps, obvious for more experienced players.

  • Study the rules of the game thoroughly: firstly, they may differ depending on the chosen type (Russian checkers, international, etc.). Try to practice as much as possible, read relevant literature and choose more experienced opponents. Of course, at first you will probably lose more, but over time, your skill level will only increase. There is even an opinion that you need to lose exactly 100 times to achieve good level. At the same time, these should not be thoughtless games; each time it is important to work on your mistakes, think about the reasons for the defeat and learn valuable lessons.
  • In order not to forget the conclusions obtained, you can write them down in a special notebook, enter the games that are most interesting from your point of view there, and also write down your own original ideas.
  • To play checkers really well, it’s a good idea to learn and remember several successful win-win combinations. They represent a sequence of certain moves, as a result of which the player approaches his goal - victory - as quickly and successfully as possible. Sometimes these actions consist of cunningly creating a threat to the enemy or, on the contrary, artificially sacrificing checkers in order to later take more checkers from the enemy or to achieve “kings”. Some of these combinations will just have to be memorized (from books or from a more experienced player), but in the future, with practice, you will learn to create your own “cheating maneuvers”.
  • Try to calculate your own and your opponent’s actions in advance: having figured out his combinations, it is much easier to protect your own pieces from possible risks and consequences.
  • Always strive for one thing: so that the enemy’s checkers always become fewer on the board than yours. It seems like a simple rule, but sometimes it can only be achieved with special techniques.

How to learn to play from scratch?

  • Try to convert as many simple checkers as kings as possible, which will significantly increase your chances of winning. Move your pieces to those places on the field where fewer of your opponent’s pieces are located, or where they are as scattered as possible.
  • Keep the last row of your own checkers in their positions for as long as possible - this will not give your opponent the opportunity to transfer his checkers to kings in the early stages of the game. Of course, you won’t be able to hold it for the entire game, so when there is a convenient opportunity (for example, to exchange checkers with your opponent), don’t be afraid to move your pieces from the last row.
  • Try to move “in tandem” all the time, that is, move your checkers in pairs or even small groups. This reduces the risk of falling into your opponent’s traps, and also gives you the opportunity to create your own.
  • Sometimes it makes sense to exchange checkers with your opponent, but you should only do this if it benefits you.
  • Try to always ensure that at least a few of your pieces remain in the center of the board - this way you can, if necessary, quickly transfer your forces to a more advantageous position on the field. If the center of the field is occupied by the enemy, most of the advantage will be on his side.

We have listed only the simplest and most basic techniques that will help a beginner master such interesting game, as well as prepare the field for further development and improvement of your own skills. This can only be achieved with practice (if you do not have a permanent strong opponent, special computer programs), as well as reading theoretical literature. Good luck!