Checkers Education

[Phil C]

I mustn't neglect this great game. Many famous people played a good checkers game. One was the great boxer Jack Dempsey.
There are many checkers clubs and also you can get a game on the internet at varours web site as well as other sites that can help you improve your game. Also good computers are available.
Checkers isn't as complicated as chess but it is still a game that requires much thought and study to be good at.
I recommend that your read and study two books: Win at Checkers by Millard Hopper and Checkers Made Easy by Tom Wiswell. If you study and master these two books you will be a very good checkers player and be above average and win most of your games.
Another good book is Checkers in Ten Lessons by Tom Wiswell.

Enjoy this wonderful game. Remember study, play and patience and not giving up is very important.

One of America's great Chess players was Harry Nelson Pillsbury who was the US champion at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century and had he had good health may have challenged for the world chess championship. He was one of the original five grandmasters of the game. Besides chess at one time he was one of the top 20 checkers players in the US!
He was also known to play a good game of wrist (a popular card game at that time).

[crzyjournalist03]

Phil, have you read all of the books that you are reccommending for Chess or Checkers?

[Phil C]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
Phil, have you read all of the books that you are reccommending for Chess or Checkers?

I have read most of them or at least parts of them. The ones on checkers should be read through though. Chess books are different. One has to learn to read the chapters that mainly he/she is interested in. As one progresses one gets a feel for what he needs. This is experience.

[crzyjournalist03]

What levels have you reached as a player?

[STANG RED]

Phil, I used to love a good game of chess or checkers in my youth. Used to play for hours on end at times. But I bet its been 25+ years since I have played either.
You have renewed my interest sir. Now all I have to do is find a playing partner, with as odd of hours as I have.:(

[sinton66]

um, give me 42 or 88 anytime.

[Old Green]

I play on line sometimes and do quite well at it.;)

[Phil C]

There are computers available that you can use when you have time and also on the internet. The good thing is that you can play on these at your convenience.
I was probably better than average at chess and checkers when I was younger but just got recently interested especially since I head that it is good to have such type activity when you are older. Also crosswork puzzles and such are good too.

[Phil C]

I just realized that the third book I recommended Checkers in Ten Easy Lessons was the same book as Checkers Made Easy. The third recommended book by Tom Wiswell was Learn Checkers Fast.

[Phil C]

Playing against a computer or on the internet is great. You can do it at your convenience and you can put it at your level of play. After a while when you can win consistently at your set level you can increase it and improve.
Still nothing beats playing a good, friendly game against a live opponent.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Old Green
I play on line sometimes and do quite well at it.;)

Hey Old can you give me some of the links where you play. Maybe if Sinton plays Cuero in football game in 2008 (depending on alignment etc probably) maybe we can meet earlier and play a friendly game.

[STANG RED]

Are there any online sites where you can go play against other people?

[Phil C]

Originally posted by STANG RED
Are there any online sites where you can go play against other people?

I think so Stang. I prefer to play against the computer on line but I am having trouble finding one above my level.

[Phil C]

To be good at checkers does imvolve some mimerization but learning and understanding are much more important. Practice and patience are important.

[Phil C]

It is true that computers have now taken over checkers and will soon do so in chess.
But no man or women ever will. For that reason human competition will continue in these great games.
Checkers is so simple that very small children can learn to play the game but it is also so complicated that no man or woman will ever master it in a lifetime and probably not even in several lifetimes.

[Phil C]

When playing friendly games and games to improve your skill I recommend that you play by the accepted rules. And these must be discussed in advance. A common practice is that some people play where you don't have to take jumps. This is complete opposite to the rules and will throw you off your game because you will overlook this and make moves where you want the opponent to jump but if he doesn't have to he won't. You may have to play this exception at family get togethers and that type of thing but I recommend that you mainly play with people who are willing to play by the accepted traditional (and current) rules accepted by the American Checkers Federation.

A long time ago players that didn't jump gave the opponent an option. If the player wanted he could remove the checker from the board or else compel him to jump. This rule has been eliminated over fifty years ago and now jumps have to be made. Many people don't give the option but instead just have the player remove the checker. Some people still play this way and it is important to make sure that you get an understanding that you are playing by accepted current rules where a person "has to jump." If they overlook the jump and make another movie then that move must be taken back and the jump must be made.

Also as in chess a game of checkers can last a long time so you may want to establish move thinking time limits so it doesn't last into the late morning hours.

And for goodness sake make sure that everyone knows that you are playing the American version of checkers and not one from another country .

[Phil C]

Like chess the world's best checker players are born not made. Still with work and persistence one can become a good player at this game and be an expert.

[Phil C]

In serious checkers game matches the time limit for each move is five minutes a move (not five moves a minute!). If a player has not moved in the five minute limit then the director will call time and the player has one more minute to complete the move or the game is lost by forfeit. The only exception is that if there is only one way to jump the player has one minute to complete the jump. If the player fails to complete the jump in one minute time is called and he must complete the jump in one minute or the game is lost by forfeit.

In serious chess matches time clocks are used with flags that fall after the time limit is reached. If the player fails to make a certain number of moves before the flag falls he loses the game by forfeit.
Usually in serious tournaments the time limit is 40 moves in 2 1/2 hours. Unlike checkers you can take longer than five minutes on some moves and several great players have used a long time to make up their minds. It usually works out well because the first few moves they know what they are going to do so they can save time to ponder difficult moves. The great champion Bobby Fischer rarely ever took over five minutes to make a move.

Remember if you ever play a tournament in chess or checkers like the above matches that you can also use your opponent"s time when he is to make a move to analyze the position as he is pondering.

[Phil C]

You can get good checker equipment at a reasoably price at local stores such as Wal-Mart. Some checker players don't recommend the red and black pieces that go with the red and black board but I don't see anything wrong with them. It is the enjoyment that counts. Of course tournaments have restrictions but for study and friend games they are adequate.

[Phil C]

I recommend that when you study checkers in your spare time you study it for about 30 minute intervels and take a short ten minute break and listen to music or take a short walk etc.

[Phil C]

A good list of checkers book is at the site below. In fact you can scroll down till you get to Checkers Made Easy by Arthur Reisman and you can download that book free and it is legal. This is a good book to have along with what I have also listed. Enjoy.

http://www.bobnewell.net/checkers/checkerbooks.html

[dogdad]

I play online at zone.com
you can play against a live opponent or against the computer

[Phil C]

Checkers was very popular in the older days. Our grandparents loved to play the game in the 40s but unfortunately it is not as popular today as they have video games and other electronic games along with other board games that this great game is neglected. Let's not let this great game go away and work to keep it popular.

[Phil C]

Study and persistance and playing games and learning from your mistakes is the key to becoming a good checkers player.

[Phil C]

We are fortunate that we can get games online if not with a real person. By studying a few books one can become a good player. It is most unfortunate that unlike chess there is no serious videos for checkers on you tube. A tragedy indeed but we are fortunate in having good books to study.

[Phil C]

Remember in checkers there is an opening which is the first part of the game and there are many traps that one can fall into. Most checkers books cover these and it is worth studying over them and get an understanding how they happened not just so you can spring them on opponents but so you can avoid having your opponents trap you. If you master the few books I have mentioned you will become a very good above average checkers player.

[Tiger Turtle]

Never thought there was much to playing checkers until I sat down to play with our former superintendent at a senior party one night. He beat me six games in what seemed like about ten minutes. I was impressed, to say the least.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Tiger Turtle
Never thought there was much to playing checkers until I sat down to play with our former superintendent at a senior party one night. He beat me six games in what seemed like about ten minutes. I was impressed, to say the least.

I know what you mean Tiger but with a little practice and study you can eliminate those type of loses or at least play him a good game and perhaps even win.

[Phil C]

Keep in mind as in chess if both sides play perfect the game will be in a draw. Mistakes are what loses games.

[Phil C]

Also be sure to be familiar with the rules and how the game is played. Many people have the mistake that once a piece moves where it is a king that it can continue on that same move by jumping pieces. So know the game and the rules and play with people that know the game and rules and play by them.

[Phil C]

Another good checkers book even though it is old is the book Let's Play Checkers by Kenneth M. Grover and Thomas Wiswell.