← Back to catalogue
Published

checkers

vr.tr.checkers · thing-q1293

Let an agent explain checkers and its variants, relay rules, competitive organisation and computer results from public sources, and distinguish the variants from chess and other board games.

Thing Registry Activities and processes ACT.ACT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Understand What checkers is.

Rules

Rules.

Rules

Rules.

  1. What are the rules of English and international draughts, and how do they differ? definition
  2. Is the question about checkers, a specific variant or a related game? boundary

Variants

Variants.

Variants

Variants.

  1. What variants exist, from Turkish and Mongolian draughts to Lasca, Fanorona and Hexdame? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific variant? action
Play Playing.

Strategy

Strategy.

Strategy

Strategy.

  1. What basic strategies and openings help players improve? action
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Competition

Competition.

Competition

Competition.

  1. How are world championships and rankings organised? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the specific federation? action
Compute Computers.

Solved

Solving checkers.

Solved

Solved.

  1. How did Chinook and its successors solve English draughts, as researchers describe? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance

Engines

Engines.

Engines

Engines.

  1. What computer programs play draughts, and how do they rank? provenance
  2. Which entry fits game AI? action
Context History and culture.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did draughts develop from alquerque and medieval games? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the history of board games? action

Culture

Culture.

Culture

Culture.

  1. How does checkers feature in culture and education? provenance
  2. Which entry fits board game culture? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Activities and processes
Entry kind
thing
Plane
ACT
Domain
ACT.ACT
Other names and narrower kinds
Mongolian draughts, Turkish draughts, Lasca, Fanorona, Filipino dama, Hexdame, computer draughts, English draughts, Salta, Portugal draughts, Tanzanian draughts, Frisian-rules draughts

What it is Filled

A family of two-player abstract strategy board games played with flat pieces that capture by jumping, with board layouts and movement rules varying by variant, including diagonal movement in English and international draughts and orthogonal movement in Turkish draughts; variants include English draughts on 8x8, international draughts on 10x10, Russian, Turkish, Mongolian and Filipino draughts, with related games such as Lasca and Hexdame, while Fanorona is a distinct related game using approach and withdrawal captures; checkers is a mind sport with world championships, and English draughts was weakly solved by computer in 2007 as a draw.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain checkers and its variants, relay rules, competitive organisation and computer results from public sources, and distinguish the variants from chess and other board games.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Movement is diagonal or orthogonal depending on the variant.
  • Pieces capture by jumping.
  • The game has many variants.
  • English draughts is a computationally solved variant.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Use engine assistance in a human game or competition without disclosure.
  • Claim a variant's rules apply in a game played under different rules.
  • Help arrange a fixed result in a rated game.
  • Belittle players for losing to an engine.

Only with a human decision

  • Ruling on a disputed game or a sanction in a rated competition.

May

  • Explain the rules and variants of checkers and the differences between board sizes and capture rules.
  • Play, analyse or teach the game, stating which variant's rules are in use.
  • Report tournament results from the governing body's records.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Engine strength has changed what fairness means in board games; undisclosed help is cheating.
  • The game has strong regional traditions whose rules deserve equal respect.

Who is affected

  • Opponents
  • Tournament players
  • Clubs and teachers

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody owns the game; national and international draughts federations govern competition.

Master systems

  • Federation rating and tournament records

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q1188693 - registry parent class
  • Q573573 - registry parent class

related

  • mind sport - in registry terms
  • abstract strategy game - in registry terms
  • World Draughts Federation - for international draughts
  • chess - another board game

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.checkers
  • Wikidata: Q1293 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1293)

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

  • English draughts board: 8x8 squares - 12 pieces each
  • international draughts board: 10x10 squares - 20 pieces each
  • English draughts solved: 2007 year - draw with perfect play

Plane ACT: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Pieces move diagonally or orthogonally according to the variant and capture by jumping.
  • Variants include English, international, Russian, Turkish and Mongolian draughts and Filipino dama, while related games include Lasca and Hexdame.
  • Fanorona is a distinct related game with approach and withdrawal captures.
  • Chess uses varied pieces, Go uses stones on intersections, and backgammon uses dice.
  • A chequered board with round flat pieces in two colours.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain rules and variants
  • relay competitive organisation
  • relay computer analysis results
  • distinguish from other games

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Confusing variant rules
  • Stale championship information
  • Unsourced claims about solved status of variants

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • World Draughts Federation and national federation rules
  • Tournament regulations
  • No legal regulation of the game

Context of use required Filled

  • Recreation and competition.
  • English or American checkers
  • international draughts
  • Russian, Brazilian and Italian draughts
  • Turkish draughts with orthogonal movement
  • Mongolian draughts and Filipino dama
  • related games: Lasca, Fanorona, Hexdame

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q1293: checkers - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Checkers - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should international draughts and English draughts be separate primary entries?
  • How should federation rules be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming distinct games; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1293/spec.json