Chinese Checkers

Opening Positions for Two and Six Players

Alternate Names

The original version of this game was called Stern-Halma. The "Stern" word is German for "Star" and refers to this game being a version of Halma played on a star-shaped board (in contrast to the square board used in Halma). The game was later marketed to English-speaking areas under the name Star Halma. The most commonly used name for this game today is Chinese Checkers, which originated as a marketing scheme by Bill and Jack Pressman for their Pressman Company. At this time in history, the U.S. and many parts of Europe had a general fascination with all things of Chinese or Oriental making. Earlier versions of the Pressman marketed game were called Hop Ching Checkers. Ironically, the game of Chinese Checkers was introduced into Asia from Europe and the Americas and became quite popular there. The Chinese also made several different rule variations for the game, which were usually more complex than the traditional versions. In parts of China the game is called Tiau-qi, meaning “The Jumping Game”

No. of Players

This game can be played by two to six players. Playing with five players, however, can give an advantage to the one player who is moving to occupy an unoccupied camp.

Equipment

A Chinese Checkers board is required. If two or three players, each may commence with 15 counters of a separate color. If four, five, or six players; each must commence with ten counters each. There are six colored triangles at the corners of the board where counters begin and end the game, here referred to as “camps”. For obvious reasons, the counters should be arranged symmetrically on the board if playing with two, three, or four players. This, however, is impossible with five players. Marketed versions of the game have often used marbles of differing colors as the counters.

History

Chinese checkers is not Chinese. The game is, however, popular there. Its invention must likely be attributed to a German or Swede. It was first published by Ravensburger in 1892. Chinese Checkers is very similar to Halma and one was most certainly derived or inspired by the other. They both seem to have been invented right around the same time.

Objective

The objective of the game is to occupy all of the positions of the camp directly opposite the initial camp with your counters. The first player to do so wins the game. If there are four or six players they may make teams of two players each with partners at opposite corners. Using such a configuration, a team wins when all of its counters have traded sides before the counters of the opposing team(s) do the same. Alternately, multiple players may play without making teams. In such a game, play may continue after one player wins to determine rank.

Play

The game commences with the counters positioned as above, corresponding to the number of players. After determining which player goes first (a considerable advantage), alternate turns entail a move of a single counter in any direction along a line to a necessarily vacant neighboring intersection or a jump over a neighboring counter, of any color, to a necessarily vacant intersection immediately beyond in a straight line in any direction. There are no captures in Chinese Checkers and a jumped counter remains on the board. Double or multiple jumps in one move are permitted and direction may be changed after each jump. Thus, on a turn a player may move a single counter to a neighboring intersection, perform a jump, or perform a series of any number of jumps with the same counter.

It should be noted that one small problem remains with the rules as stated above. An unscrupulous player may keep a counter in his camp to prevent its total occupation. There are a few different rules which may be implemented for serious players of Chinese Checkers to prevent such exploitation. First, it may be decreed that a player wins the game when all positions of the enemy base camp are occupied, at least one of them by a counter of their own color. Another rule states that when one player completely vacates his camp, his opponent must vacate her own camp on successive plays. Thus, the opponent cannot move a counter outside of her camp until the yard is empty of her counters. The latter is probably the best solution to the problem of trivial draws, as crafty players may be able to devise further trivial draws even with the implementation of the former rule.

Strategy

Essentially, the basic strategy is to find the longest hopping path that leads to the home camp on the opposite side of the board. Try to avoid moving counters step by step, as it obviously requires fewer moves to finish when using multiple jumps in a single turn. However, since one or more players can make use of whatever hopping "ladders" an opponent creates, more advanced strategy requires hindering opposing players as well. Equally important are the players' strategies for leaving their starting camp and filling in their home camp. Games between experts are rarely decided by more than a couple of moves.

Variations

The Chinese Checkers game is often played on a topologically equivalent board made of hexagonal cells. In this version, the counters are played on the cells, rather than at the intersections.

The Chinese Checkers board has been published in smaller versions for children’s travel games. The Mini Chinese Checkers board shown here can also be played with up to 6 players, each starting with three counters in their corner of the board.

A medium-sized board with seventy three positions can be played with up to six players. Here, each player commences with six counters.

The medium-sized board with different color markings seventy three positions is utilized for the game called Diamond Game. This version is popular in Japan and South Korea. Only two or three players may play at a time each commencing with ten counters. Beyond that, all of the rules are exactly the same as standard Chinese Checkers.

Opening position for three players in the Diamond Game.

Another variation of Chinese Checkers can be played on the Fox and Geese board (1) for 2 to 4 players, each commencing with 8 counters positioned as below. Alternate turns entail orthogonal moves to a neighboring vacancy or a non-capturing jump over a friendly or enemy counter to a necessarily vacant intersection beyond along any line, as in standard Chinese Checkers. The winner is the first to occupy the corresponding positions of the opponent on the opposite side of the board.

A version marketed around 1970 in Europe as Anri seems to be Chinese Checkers for two players with ten counters apiece on a simplified board.

Super Chinese Checkers is a very fast-paced variant, played largely in mainland China, but also popular in France. It is the exact same as Chinese Chinese Checkers except a counter may jump over another counter in the same line that lies any distance away, provided that the piece that is jumped lies at the exact midpoint of the jump. This is called the "symmetrical long jump" and is rarely used in board games. A normal Chinese Checkers jump is also allowed, but it is the shortest possible jump of this game. All jumps are always only allowed to be over a single counter.

Hexma, by Cameron Browne, is a two player variation of Chinese Checkers which changes the the players' objective to completing an unbroken chain of friendly counters connecting their initial side and the opponent’s initial side. A game with the same rules may be played utilizing a different board and is described here as Hexma.

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