CHECKERS.

As I write the above title, I wonder if there is a boy or a girl in this great American land who does not own a checker-board, or does not know how to play this delightful game. The game was brought to us from England, we cannot say how many years ago, probably by the first settlers in these then lonely wilds.

This game of checkers is a scientific one and is governed entirely by calculation. So, in order to become a good player, one has to give considerable time and thought to the subject, which is perhaps as good mental discipline as many of our less interesting school studies.

The game is played upon a board or table, divided off into thirty-two white and thirty-two black squares, with twelve white and twelve black men or checkers.

The board can be made out of thin wood, or upon a strong piece of pasteboard, the white squares left the original color of the material used, and the black colored with ink or paint, whichever is most conveniently at hand.

For the checkers, small pieces of wood may be used, or black and white buttons be substituted in their place.

The table or board should be so placed that each player shall have a black square at his right hand, if playing on the white squares, or a white square, if playing on the black.

The men move obliquely forward until they arrive at the last, or the adversary’s head row, when they are made kings and can then move backward as well as forward.

To distinguish a king from a common man he is crowned, by placing another checker of the same color on top of him, as soon as he reaches the king’s row.

The adversary’s men are taken by leaping over them, and must be taken whenever offered or exposed. No move can be recalled after the man has been quitted; that is, after the finger has been removed from him.

The players have the first move in each game alternately.

Checkers may best be learned by playing, for awhile at least, upon a board on which the white squares are numbered, some authorities advising the placing of permanent numbers in a corner of each white square, so as to be seen when the men are placed.

The numbers are arranged as follows: 1 being on your right hand and 4 on your left; number 5 the right hand of the second row, and 8 the left, and so on. See illustration.

The black men are placed upon 1 to 12; the white on 21 to 32.

In order to understand the game more readily, it may be of some assistance to beginners to show how a simple game might be played.

Suppose B., who has the black men, makes the first move from 11 to 15. W. follows him with 22 to 18. B. now moves from 15 to 22, jumping over 18, and capturing it by the move. 22 is now exposed, so W. is obliged to take it, and to do so moves from 25 to 18. B. now commences a new line of moving, and passes 8 to 11. W. moves 29 to 25 thus breaking his king’s row. B. 4 to 8; W. 25 to 22; B. 12 to 16; W. 24 to 20; B. 10 to 15. Now W. moves 27 to 24, and loses the game by so doing. B. follows with 16 to 19, thus exposing 19. As it is a law in the game that the opposite side must take up the exposed men, W. is obliged to jump 19, and moves from 23 to 16 in so doing. B. moves from 15 to 19; W. 24 to 15 to jump 19; B. 9 to 14; W. 18 to 9, and captures 14. B. now sees 15 and 22 exposed, and moves from 11 to 25, thus capturing both men by the act. W. 32 to 27; B. 5 to 14, jumping 9. W. 27 to 23; B. 6 to 10. W. 16 to 12; B. 8 to 11. W. 28 to 24; B. 25 to 29, and is made a king. W. now moves 30 to 25, but as 29 is a king and can move backward as well as forward, B. moves from 29 to 22 and jumps 25, but exposes the king, which is quickly captured by W., who moves from 26 to 17. Now both sides proceed in a quiet manner for a time, B. moving from 11 to 15, W. 20 to 16, B. 15 to 18, W. 24 to 20. B. captures 28 by moving from 18 to 27, and W. takes 27 by jumping from 31 to 24. B. 14 to 18; W. 16 to 11, which is taken by B. who moves 7 to 16. W., in turn, takes 16 with 20, which he jumps over to 11. B. 18 to 23; W. 11 to 8. B. 23 to 27, and W. now gains another king by moving 8 to 4. B. moves 27 to 31 and also gets a king. The king, you remember, can move backward, so W. moves from 4 to 8; B. 31 to 27. W. 24 to 20; B. 27 to 23. W. 8 to 11; B. 23 to 18. W. 11 to 8, and B. 18 to 15, which shows the game is lost to W.

The two following problems are given for practice, and are intended to materially assist the learner in gaining some knowledge of the intricacies of the game.

SOLUTION TO NO. 1.
Black to move and win.
Black. White.
1stmove6to1 5to9
2dmove10to15 9to5
3dmove15to18 5to9
4thmove1to5 9to6
5thmove18to15 21to17
6thmove5to1 6to9
7thmove15to18 9to5
8thmove18to22 17to14
9thmove1to6 5to1
10thmove6to2 14to10
11thmove22to18 1to5
12thmove18to14 White loses.
SOLUTION TO NO. 2.
White to move and win.
White. Black.
1stmove18to14 5to1
2dmove14to9 1to5
3dmove22to17 5to14
4thmove17to10 21to25
5thmove10to15 25to30
6thmove15to19 30to25
7thmove27to32 25to22
8thmove19to24 20to27
9thmove32to23 White wins.

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