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. | ||||||||
| 1st | move | 6 | to | 1 | 5 | to | 9 | ||
| 2d | move | 10 | to | 15 | 9 | to | 5 | ||
| 3d | move | 15 | to | 18 | 5 | to | 9 | ||
| 4th | move | 1 | to | 5 | 9 | to | 6 | ||
| 5th | move | 18 | to | 15 | 21 | to | 17 | ||
| 6th | move | 5 | to | 1 | 6 | to | 9 | ||
| 7th | move | 15 | to | 18 | 9 | to | 5 | ||
| 8th | move | 18 | to | 22 | 17 | to | 14 | ||
| 9th | move | 1 | to | 6 | 5 | to | 1 | ||
| 10th | move | 6 | to | 2 | 14 | to | 10 | ||
| 11th | move | 22 | to | 18 | 1 | to | 5 | ||
| 12th | move | 18 | to | 14 | White loses. | ||||
| SOLUTION TO NO. 2. | |||||||||
| White to move and win. | |||||||||
| White. | Black. | ||||||||
| 1st | move | 18 | to | 14 | 5 | to | 1 | ||
| 2d | move | 14 | to | 9 | 1 | to | 5 | ||
| 3d | move | 22 | to | 17 | 5 | to | 14 | ||
| 4th | move | 17 | to | 10 | 21 | to | 25 | ||
| 5th | move | 10 | to | 15 | 25 | to | 30 | ||
| 6th | move | 15 | to | 19 | 30 | to | 25 | ||
| 7th | move | 27 | to | 32 | 25 | to | 22 | ||
| 8th | move | 19 | to | 24 | 20 | to | 27 | ||
| 9th | move | 32 | to | 23 | White wins. | ||||
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