Chinese checkers is a popular board game from a series of logic. It can also be found under the names "Corners", "Halma", "Jumping". It appeared in its modern form in the second half of the 19th century and is a simplified modification of the ancient Chinese game "Halma". The American company “J. Pressman and Co. ”in 1880 as“ Hop-chin drafts ”- (translated as“ Chinese jumping drafts ”).
Therefore, in fact, there is absolutely no "Chinese" and no actually "checkers". But the game does not get worse from this. She has simple rules that are understandable even to a five-year-old child. But behind such apparent simplicity, as usual, lies the fascinating variability and variety of logical constructions.
Chinese checkers can be easily recognized by the characteristic playing field in the form of a six-pointed star with many holes, in the corners of which are colored checkers-pegs. There are also varieties of the playing field in the form of a square, but this is closer to the game "Halma".
So, Chinese checkers - the rules
The set, in addition to the six-pointed star field, most often includes 60 pieces of six different colors, which are equally distributed between the players. Accordingly, there can be two, three or six players. If there are six players, each will get one set of drafts, two players three sets, and three participants two.
Preparation: each person chooses for himself checkers of a certain color and places them in one ray of a star - the playing field. It turns out this way: one ray - one color.
Purpose: it is necessary to quickly transfer all of your checkers into the opposite ray of the star (house). The one who makes it first wins. The game of Chinese checkers ends when all participants successfully moved their peg chips.
Game progress: first you need to play the right of the first move, which then moves to the next player clockwise. Only one single piece is allowed to move in one move.
At first there are not many options for moves, but by the middle of the game, when everyone has already brought their drafts to the middle of the playing field, the most interesting begins.
Movement Algorithm:
- One move is the movement of one checker.
- You can move them in any direction.
- It is allowed to jump over one checker (one's own or another's), if there is a free cell immediately after it.
- In one move, you can sequentially jump over any number of checkers, if rule 3 is observed.
As you can see, the rules are very simple, but there will be a lot of reasons for reflection and combinations during the game.
Interesting variations:
Depending on the number of participants, Chinese checkers may slightly change the rules.
For example, if 2 or 3 participants play, then you can reduce the number of drafts to one or two sets for each. Beginners can take just one color for the game.
And when advanced experienced participants come together, the rules can be complicated. For example, to allow moving only by "jumping", that is, make a move only by jumping over your own or another's chip. And if there is no possibility for a jump, then the player skips the move.
Chinese checkers somehow quietly became one of my favorite games, and now the children are drawn in. After all, it’s so great to tear yourself away from the computer, exit the virtual world and get a portion of live direct communication, train your logic and just relax from the daily bustle.
This game helps out at various parties, when you need something to entertain guests. It is amusing to observe how adult uncles and aunts gather in a tight circle, start reinserting chips recklessly and argue about how best to make a move.
The party in Chinese checkers is always dynamic and fun. So, if you meet this game - do not hesitate, get it safely! A pleasant pastime with benefits for the heart and mind is simply guaranteed!