Chinese Checkers Contemporary Board and Traditional Games
Most people are aware of the traditional game of checkers, but not the Chinese style of the game. Chinese checkers is played on a wood board with marble pieces. While it is called a Chinese version of checkers, it is very different from checkers, and was actually invented in Germany.
How do you play Chinese checkers?The typical wood board is shaped like a six-edged star. The goal of the game is to move your marbles from your end of the star to the opposite side. The player that gets all of their marbles across to the other side first wins. If there are multiple players, the game will continue until it's clear that the last person has moved all of their marbles.
The game is played by each player taking turns moving one piece. Like regular checkers, you can move by jumping one space ahead of a piece. You can also take multiple jumps if there is an opportunity to do so. What makes Chinese checkers different is the fact that when you jump over the marbles, they remain on the board. As a result, a lot of the strategy in Chinese checkers revolves around blocking opponents from getting good movements across the board.
How do you set up the Chinese checkers board game?To set up the game board, all you have to do is to make sure that different colored marbles are being used and set up in each player's corner. When playing Chinese checkers with only two players, you should start playing opposite each other. The game is suited for an even number of players to make the board more balanced during play. However, an odd number of players can still enjoy Chinese checkers with ease.
What kind of Chinese checkers game boards are available?While the wood-based board with slots is the classic design, Chinese checkers is available in different setups. Some of the designs include aluminum material, while others are magnetic. The magnetic game boards are especially great for young kids. It helps the pieces stay attached to the positions so that if the game board is accidentally knocked or bumped, they'll stay put.
Many of the Chinese checkerboards are also foldable as a space-saving design. This makes it a portable game that can be taken just about anywhere.
Are there any other varieties of the game?Chinese checkers is designed to be versatile. Many people enjoy the different varieties that are played with the board and pieces. One variety of the game is where pieces that are jumped over actually get collected. Whoever gets the most pieces at the end of the game wins. This mode is less time-consuming and more fast-paced, especially when there are many players.