Chinese Checkers is a game that has been derived from the game known as Halma. It was an American professor called Dr. George Howard Monks who founded the game Halma. The professor got the idea after reading about an English game called Hoppity. His fascination with the game eventually led to his invention of the game. Significant contribution was also made by Dr. Thomas Hill, and this game was first launched by E.I Horsman Company in 1885.
Chinese Checkers is quite similar to Halma and is played on a board shaped like a six pointed star. A maximum of six people can play this game. Generally every player is assigned 10 game pieces, but some variants of the game allow up to 15 pieces per player.
This game is based on simple rules that can be easily learnt by everyone. The aim of the game is to move your pieces onto the side exactly opposite to you. A player is allowed to jump over rivals’ pieces and can block their paths. He/she is also allowed to hold the opponent’s pieces captive.
Each player is given a differently colored set of pieces and these are arranged neatly in the region of the star that has been allotted to him. Sometimes marbles are used as game pieces and this increases the visual appeal of the game.
In order to excel at this game, the player must be able to make decisions wisely and move pieces in such a way that will enable him/her to arrange his/her pieces on the opposite side before any other player. The game continues even after the winner is decided, and thus the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth places are determined.
Chinese checkers was initially known as Hop Ching Checkers but was later renamed to Chinese checkers. This game was first patented by the name Stern Halma but was later patented by the Milton Bradley Company under the name of “Chinese Checkers”. Variations of this game also exist and one of them is known as Super Chinese Checkers.
This game is wonderful for family gatherings as six people can play it. It can also be played on a picnic with a group of friends. It provides hours of entertainment and challenges the player to make moves using tactics. The simple rules make it suitable for all age groups and even children can quickly learn the basics of the game. By playing just a few games, one can become a pro at it and devise strategies to win the game every other time.
Online Chinese checkers can be played by a single individual, with the computer doing the rest. This is a very entertaining game if you have an evening all for yourself.
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