to Chess are published in all countries, so that Chess has, so to
speak, become an international, universal language.


The History of Checkers


The literature on the game of Checkers (English: Draughts) is
very limited and there are no certain references to prove that
the game was known before the Sixteenth Century. Two theories are
current as to its origin; one of them claiming it to be a
simplified Chess, the other explaining it as the result of
transferring the Spanish game Alquerque de doze to the Chess
board.

H. J. R. Murray, the greatest authority on the history of games,
considers it most likely that the game has been evolved from both
Chess and Alquerque. The method of capturing men and the rule
concerning the huffing of a man unquestionably point to the
Spanish game, while the board, the diagonal move of the men and
the idea of crowning a man are taken from Chess.

In France, Germany, Italy and Spain the name of the game is still
that of the Queen of Chess (Dame, Dama) whose move in the Middle
Ages was identical with the move of the Checkermen.

Checkers has never been able to attain more than national
uniformity, and it is played with different rules in different
countries. In the United States it is more popular than in any
other country and a number of players have obtained national