CHECKERS, chequers or draughts; Fr, jeu de dames; Germ., Damenspiel; Ital., giuoco di dama; Sp., juego de damas; Arab., la'ab ed dama: a game of skill played by two persons on the familiar board— divided into 64 squares. The pieces or "men') used are 24 wooden (bone or ivory) discs, 12 black and white (or red). For purposes of recording games and moves the squares are numbered as shown in the diagram: As the game is usually played on the dark squares, it must be noted that in printed dia grams the white squares are invariably used to indicate the position of pieces — as in prob blems — and for numbering. Only 32 of the squares (the half) are used in checkers; but whether the dark or the light squares are used in play, each player must have the double corner of that color at his right. The black pieces are arranged on the squares 1 to 12: this is called "the black side*• 2 the white pieces on those numbered 21 to 32, which is called "the white side? The vacant squares 13 to 20 form the preliminary battle-ground. The general rules are simple. Black always has the first move, and at the beginning of each suc cessive game the players change colors, taking alternately the black and the white pieces. The pieces are moved forward diagonally one square at a time except in jumping, when a piece may cover as many as six squares in one move. Each piece as it reaches the extreme opposite side of the board becomes a •kings and is by having another piece of the same color placed on top of it. The king can move forwards or backwards—always di agonally—one square at a time, except, as be fore, in jumping. By arranging the board it is possible for a king to jump nine pieces. A man can never jump more than three. The capturing piece jumps over the man "en prise° to a vacant square beyond, and may continue to jump as many pieces in its path so long as there is a vacant square behind each. When a *man;° i.e., not a king, jumps a piece or sev eral pieces and lands in the opposite king-row, the move is ended; he cannot move or jump out again until the other side has made a move. A king, however, can jump into a king-row and right out again so long as there is any piece in position to be taken. The theory of
the jump is simple: Place the 24 men ready for play; black moves 11 to 15; white responds by moving 22 to 18, and black must jump over that piece from 15 on to square 22, taking the man on 18 off the board. The black piece now on 22 is liable to captuie by the white pieces on 25 • and 26: either 25-18, or 26-17. The former is the correct jump, 25-18, and the black piece is captured and removed from the board. This is a °level exchange? i.e., one for one. These moves form the"single-corners open ing, than which no other offers so great a scope for attack or defense. For many years, indeed, it was the only opening checker players knew of. When a piece is touched it should be moved if possible. Keeping a finger on a piece that has just been moved does not con fer the right to move that piece back again at will; no move once made can be withdrawn except by consent of the opponent. When a player has a in which two or more pieces can be captured, and the hand is with drawn from the capturing piece before all the men possible have been taken, the move is completed; in other words, the player cannot retrieve the omission. When a player has a *jump* before him and fails to take it by making some other move instead, the opponent has the choice of one of three methods: (1) he can the piece that should have made the jump, i.e., take it off the board as a pen alty; (2) he can compel the player to take his wrong move back and make the jump, or (3) if it suits his game, he can let the error stand as if it had not occurred. A *huff" is no move; the player entitled to do so must *huff* first and then make his move; if he makes his move first (overlooking the *huff?) he cannot take the *huff)) afterward. The *huff* is a pe culiar movement. As there should be no talk whatever during a checker game, a player *huffing)) picks the offending piece off the board, passes it near his mouth and blows upon it — just like blowing out a match — and places it on his side of the table. The °huff* is not generally employed except in match play, where the rules are very strict and every move is timed by special clocks.