The Official Mythic Scribes Checkers Club =)

[Sheilawisz]

Hello everyone, and yeah... Welcome to the Checkers Club!

As many of you know after playing with me, I love the game of Checkers and practice it as much as I can. It has come to my attention that some people here have shown an interest as well, so why not? I have decided to create this Club and see what happens.

In case you are interested, please post a message in this thread asking to join the Checkers Club.

So far, I am the only member in it but I am sure that some people will join. As part of the Club, we can contact each other through the Chat and play whenever that it's possible. I have not tried yet the game capabilities that are part of our chat system, so normally we play at the SkillGamesBoard site.

It's not necessary to have an account there, but I recommend it.

Also, if you want to join the Checkers Club please keep in mind that we play with European Continental rules (Minor Polish, known in the U.S. as Pool Checkers) and not the English style, but playing English too will be considered in the future.

The Club is open to all members of Mythic Scribes =)

 

[BronzeOracle]

Hey Sheila count me in! I've been checker-fodder several times now and am determined to get some friendly payback.

 

[CupofJoe]

I'm at conference tomorrow and one of the talk is entitled "A Gambling Study Looking at Decision Making in Checkers".
A perfect opportunity to find out how to win, to hone that killer move, to ask an expert for tips, I thought...
And then I read the abstract and it's about OCD...
Colour me disappointed...

 

[Sheilawisz]

Excellent! Then you are already part of the Checkers Club, BronzeOracle.

You already play much better than some of the first times that we played. It's difficult to find opponents to practice against them, so my recommendation for you is to purchase or make your own Checkers set. I make my boards with white cardboard, and my checker pieces are actually Fuze Tea caps.

Simulating that you have an opponent is not as effective as real playing, but it helps to analyze the game and learn how to set traps, avoid wrong moves and calculate shots =)

Also, having your own personal board allows you to invite family or friends to play with you. Throwing a Checkers set on a table and convincing people to casual play is far easier than doing the same with other, more intimidating games, because the main advantage of Checkers is how friendly and innocent it looks.

Updated list of members of the Checkers Club:

1- Sheilawisz
2- BronzeOracle

CupofJoe, do you want to join?

 

[CupofJoe]

Since I have no idea what any of

European Continental rules (Minor Polish, known in the U.S. as Pool Checkers) and not the English style

means... count me in!
I can help with your win percentages...

 

[Sheilawisz]

Hello CupofJoe, thanks a lot and Welcome to the Checkers Club.

I thought it would be a good idea to give an explanation about Minor Polish, because most people here in Mythic Scribes are unlikely to be familiar with this style of Checkers.

Just like English/American Checkers, the game is played on a 64 squares board using 32 squares for 24 playing pieces. There are two kinds of pieces, sometimes called simpleton and doubleton, or man and king. The common pieces only move one square diagonally forward, but this is where similarities end.

In Minor Polish (or Pool Checkers) the common checkers can jump an enemy piece backwards, even though they cannot retreat without a jump. This changes the game dynamics and strategy a lot, not to mention that the crowned checkers obtain the power to move any number of squares and they are known as Flying Kings (or Queens, in some countries).

The Flying Queen can choose on which square to land after a jump.

Polish is played with the Forced Capture rule, just like the English style and most other games in the Checkers family. This means that when you have the opportunity to jump you cannot ignore it, and jumping becomes a mandatory and irresistible force.

When you have more than one jump available, you are free to choose which path to take.

The site where we play is SkillGamesBoard. That is a new site for board gamers, it's free to use and people play by sharing links that lead directly to a game.

Checkers Club members list:

1- Sheilawisz
2- BronzeOracle
3- CupofJoe

 

[BronzeOracle]

Throwing a Checkers set on a table and convincing people to casual play is far easier than doing the same with other, more intimidating games, because the main advantage of Checkers is how friendly and innocent it looks.

Haha Sheilawisz that friendly innocence is ripped to shreds the first time they see a 'shot' played - that move is BRUTAL. Makes chess look like a tea party!

CupofJoe its good to see you here - I feel like we're some Christians about to enter the Colosseum. "Hey Josephus what are these wooden swords for?"

 

[CupofJoe]

CupofJoe its good to see you here - I feel like we're some Christians about to enter the Colosseum. "Hey Josephus what are these wooden swords for?"

I think the guys over there look a little annoyed.
Why don't you go over and ask them why [and where they got their cool armour from]... and I'll see what the snarling sounds from behind these gratings is all about... Animal cruelty does upset me you know...
Here Kitty kitty kitty...

 

[Sheilawisz]

Thank you Bronze and Joe, I think the Checkers Club is off to a very good start!

In case you see me in the chat, please do not hesitate to invite me to a Game. Playing each other and also against other people at the board games site is the only way to become better Checkerists, which takes loads of effort but in the end it feels great when you start to set your first traps and shots.

I wanted to share with you a very cool video:

[video=youtube_share;AcDO_LO51bk]http://youtu.be/AcDO_LO51bk[/video]

That is a nice presentation of some very advanced Shots in Minor Polish Checkers. I wish that someday I'll be able to play like that, so yeah... I need more practice! =)

At the SkillGamesBoard site in the Checkers menu, please select options 1, 2 and 3 in order to activate the game as Minor Polish.

 

[Manalodia]

I already joined through Sheilawisz, but I thought it would be more official by saying on the threat that I'll be added to the club~

 

[Sheilawisz]

Hello Manalodia, and thank you for joining the Checkers Club!

We already are four members in total, I really like how this is going. My intention is not only to play each other, but also to share links to interesting Checkers articles and sites. There are many cool videos out there as well, so the Club's thread shall be updated in a regular basis even if we do not play often.

Tonight, I wanted to share a link to a cool site: AllDraughts - The History of Draughts.

AllDraughts is a nice site dedicated to our game, where you can learn and also practice several variants. Also, it's important to know that the name Draughts refers to the same game as Checkers. I have chosen to use Checkers in our Club because this name is better known, and I have noticed that many people are confused if you say Draughts.

This is the updated list of Checkers Club members:

1- Sheilawisz
2- BronzeOracle
3- CupofJoe
4- Manalodia

Please feel free to invite me to a game if you see me in the chat =)