Checkers (International)

What is the difference between Draughts and Checkers?  None - just the British and American names for the same game.  However, Polish Draughts, more commonly now called International Checkers, is a different game, though very similar.

I played Draughts against my dad when I was young.  He was not academic, but he was competitive and had the advantage of experience, having played in the navy.  I was a budding mathematician and felt I should be the better player.  However, it took some time before I could claim this!  I didn't play again until I was nearly 30.  Chess computers were only weak to average at that time.  I bought Sargon 2.5, and was its equal at reasonable time controls.  It had an interchangeable cartridge slot for which I bought the draughts playing program Borchek - it slaughtered me!  Draughts programs attained world championship standard much sooner than chess programs.  Marion Tinsley (the world's best ever Checkers player) narrowly beat the  computer program Chinook 4 - 2 (with 33 draws) in 1992.  Tinsley only lost 7 games at the top level in his lifetime including those 2 against Chinook.  It took a further 10 years before chess programs attained the equivalent standard of play.

So what are the differences between Draughts/Checkers and International Draughts?

• The board is 10x10 instead of 8x8 and each player has 20 men instead of 12.
• The men can capture backwards as well as forwards!
• Maximal captures are compulsory.
• A king has a flying move, i.e. it can fly over a line of empty squares, including in a capture.

Here are the full Rules on BoardSpace.

I recently played Dr Dave at International Checkers and only have a handful of games as experience, but nonetheless, here are my thoughts on the game . . .

• I am sure there must be lots of opening theory out there, but with no knowledge of this, it feels to me like the early moves are semi-random.
• With so many pieces on the board, it takes a long while to get to a middle game where strategy becomes possible - for example to try to create a hole to run through to make a King.
• I am poor at tactics in all games, but here it seems like I am just hoping to spot a situation where I can take advantage of a favourable 1 for 2 swap, or benefit from a blunder!  It may well be just a woeful lack of experience, but I cannot see how to set up traps equivalent to forks or pins in chess.
• Men taking backwards makes the tactics trickier and also aids the defence against running through for a King.
• Surely gaining a flying King would lead to a swift win in a game - it seems so powerful!

International Checkers has passed the test of time, so I am sure it is a great game.  However, it is not one that I feel motivated to learn.  Mind you, I could say the same for Chess if I hadn't played it regularly for over 50 years!  Perhaps if I'd have learned to play it when young . . . ?

P.S. I have dug out Borchek from its store, and it still works!!

Maybe I should take my courage in both hands and give it a game . . . 

P.P.S. If you want to play Chinook, here is a link I have found but not tried.   Play Chinook - World Man- Machine Checkers Champion (ualberta.ca)