Checkers

On-line Help Manual

How to Play Checkers

Introduction

Object of the Game

Checkers Board

Game Rules

Tips

Getting Started

Starting a New Game

Making Moves

Invalid Moves

Move List

Winning a Game

Reviewing a Game

Saving a Game

Exiting a Game

Opening a Saved Game

Settings

Game Settings

Sound Settings

Display Settings & Toolbar

About Purple Software & Contact Details

How to Play Checkers

Introduction

Checkers (or draughts as it is also known in England) is the classic strategy board game popular with cultures all around the globe.  Steeped in history, games similar to Checkers were played by the early Egyptian pharaohs (c.1600 BC) and were even mentioned in the works of the Greek writers Homer and Plato.  Around the time of the 12th century AD an early form of the game was adapted to the current 8 x 8 checkerboard, with the rules to the modern game of Checkers essentially being formed around the 16th century.

The game of Checkers is deceptively simple yet full of intricacy and this version from Purple Software allows players of all abilities to enjoy a challenging and stimulating game.

Object of the Game

The object of the game of Checkers is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces or to block your opponent from being able to move.

Checkers Board

The game of Checkers is played by two people on an 8 x 8 checkerboard with each player starting with twelve       pieces.  The board is placed so that each player has a light coloured square in the corner on the right.  One player has the darker pieces (called “Black”) and the opponent uses the lighter pieces (called “White”).  The pieces are usually called “checkers” or “men”.  The checkers are only ever allowed on the dark squares, and you begin the game with your twelve checkers on the first three rows on your side of the board.

Game Rules

Once the board is set up, play will commence with black moving first.  Moves then alternate between the two players.

Checkers must always be moved diagonally forward to an adjacent dark square.  If you manage to negotiate a path to the first row on your opponent’s side of the board, your checker is promoted to a King.  The King moves in the same way as a standard checker, but is given the advantage of being able to move either backwards or forwards.

The aim of the game is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces.  Once a piece is captured, it is removed from the board.  Capturing is achieved when there is an opposing checker adjacent to one of your checkers with the opportunity to jump to a vacant dark square directly beyond it (going forward with a standard checker and either forwards or backwards with a King).  If there is an opportunity to capture an opponent, this move must be made, even if this subsequently places you in a position to be captured – capturing is compulsory.  If after capturing an opponent’s checker this offers you the chance to take another of your opponents checkers, this move must also be made.

Here, it is whites move.  White must take Black.

Tips

The simplicity of Checkers allows everyone of all ages and abilities to play the game, however, it is advisable that the novice should choose to play with a defensive strategy, trying to ensure that the checkers move up the board protected by a flanker.  This defensive approach will hopefully make it more difficult for the opponent to capture your pieces.

Getting Started

When you first run Checkers, you are presented with the Checkers board and opening screen.

Starting a New Game

To start a new game, select the New option from the File menu.  Alternatively, you can click on the New button on the far left of the Toolbar or, when there is no game in progress, you can also click with the mouse anywhere on the game area.

The New Game dialog opens:

Here you select the players (human against either human or computer) , the colours of the checkers (Black or White) and the difficulty level for the computer (level 1 is the most basic).  Whoever plays with the black pieces has the first move.

Making Moves

When it is the turn of a human player, click a piece on the Checkers board to select it.  If there is only one valid move for the selected piece, the piece is automatically moved to its destination when you click on it.  If there is more than one valid move for the selected piece, all of the valid moves will be displayed.  To move the selected piece to one of these squares, click the desired destination square.

When you click a destination square, or when the computer makes a move, the piece is animated and moves to its new location.  You can change the animation speed by selecting the Game Settings option from the Options menu.

Note that if you have the opportunity to capture an opponent’s piece this move must be made, even if it subsequently places you in a position to be captured.  See Game Rules section above.

If you wish the computer to suggest a move, select the Hint option from the Game menu or click on the Hint button on the far right of the Toolbar.  To play the hint, click the piece suggested by the computer and then select the suggested destination square.

With more advanced levels, the computer may take some time to make its move.  To force the computer to stop thinking and make the best move it has found so far, select the Move Now option from the Game menu.

Invalid Moves

If you click on a piece for which there are no valid moves, Checkers will not let you make this move.  For example, if you select a piece that cannot move forward diagonally to an adjacent dark square, or if you click on a piece when you have the opportunity to capture one of your opponent’s pieces using another of your pieces.

Move List

A scrollable Move List displays a list of all the moves made in the current game on the left-hand side of the screen.  Each move is identified by a number, a black or white piece and a grid reference that refers to the Checkers board.

Winning a Game

The game ends when all of your opponent’s pieces have been captured or when one player is unable to move.  See Game Rules section above.

At the end of a game, a Game Over message appears, stating which colour has won.

Reviewing a Game

The Video buttons in the Toolbar allow you to review the current game.  Click the Take Back button to undo a single move (or series of moves) and the Replay button to redo a single move (or series of moves).  The Go to Start button takes you back to the start of the game and the Go to End button takes you to the end of the current game.

Alternatively, you can use the Take Back, Replay, Go to Start and Go to End options in the Game menu (or their respective keyboard shortcuts).

Saving a Game

To save a game so that you can continue playing it later, select the Save option from the File menu.  Alternatively, you can click on the Save button on the far left of the Toolbar.  The Save As dialog opens.

Simply enter a filename so that you can identify the game when you come to load it again at a later date.  It is, however, also possible to change the directory where the games are stored and overwrite any existing saved games.

To save an existing game under a different name while a game is in progress, use the Save As option on the File menu.  Note also that you will be asked if you want to save your game whenever you exit a game or start a new game while another game is still in progress.

Exiting a Game

To exit a game, select the Exit option from the File menu or click on the Close button (marked with an X) in the top right-hand corner of the program.

Opening a Saved Game

To re-open a saved game, select the Load option from the File menu or click on the Load button on the Toolbar.  Select the game you wish to resume playing in the Open dialog.

Settings

Game Settings

The Game Settings dialog allows you to change the animation speed of the pieces on the board.  Slide the bar to the left for a slower animation speed and to the right for a faster animation speed.

Sound Settings

In the Sound Settings dialog you can choose a Background Music option and switch the Sound Effects on or off.  Highlight your chosen background music and click OK.  For sound effects, tick the Game SFX box.  You can also change the sound levels, by moving the Volume bars to the left to reduce the volume level or to the right to increase it.  On installation of the games, you have the option of whether you wish to install the music or whether you would like it to run directly from the CD.

Display Settings & Toolbar

Toolbar

To display the toolbar at the top of the screen, select the Toolbar option from the View menu.

A tool tip displays the name of the toolbar button when you roll using the mouse pointer over a button.  From left to right, the toolbar buttons are as follows:

•	New  - to start a new game

•	Load - to load a saved game

•	Save - to save a game

•	Go to Start - to go to the start of the current game

•	Take Back - to undo a move

•	Replay - to replay a move

•	Go to End - to go to the end of the current game

•	Hint - to ask the computer to suggest a move

Status Bar

To display the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen, select the Status Bar option from the View menu.  This displays information about the current game, such as the number of pieces per player at the bottom of the game window.

Screen Size

To change the screen size, select the Screen Size option from the View menu and choose a window size from the pre-determined settings.

About Purple Software and Contact Details

Purple Software is the world's leading developer of entertainment and lifestyle applications based on artificial intelligence that amuse, stimulate and challenge the mind. For more information or support, contact us by:

Phone:	+44 (0) 1494 750 300	( Hours: 09.00 – 17.30 GMT )

Fax:	+44 (0) 1494 750 301

Email:	info@purplesoft.com 	( General enquiries )

support@purplesoft.com	( Technical support )

Web:	www.purplesoftware.com

Address:	Purple Software Limited

Purple House

Corporation Street

High Wycombe, Bucks

HP13 6TQ

United Kingdom