The best Checker Books I have ever found are by Robert Pike 1.Play Winning Checkers & 2.101 Checker Puzzles. These 2 books have improved my game 1000%.

Likely you won't although some of Millard Hopper's books make an attempt. Not sure what you really want; there are many possible moves and there is so much subtlety in checkers, which defies simple explanation.

As a beginner you are best off learning tactics, which is where the game is won or lost for the typical player. You need to know a little about openings but you'll be playing "go as you please" and you can stick to a fixed repertoire.

Checkers is a new world if you are a chess player. A single mistake may irrecoverably lead to a loss 20 moves later.

Take your time. You can't learn the game in one leap. Take it in stages. Master "Checkers for the Novice" and you'll beat almost any non-trained player. At the very beginning stage an explanation of every move would probably not be comprehensible.

I think the important thing is to just play the game, and study it, but not to get upset by what we don't understand yet.

I feel lost more often playing Checkers than when playing Go.
I can't say that I understand Go very well either.
I've been playing both games for a pretty long time, and I do improve slowly.

I still haven't found a book where every move is explained.

Agree 👍
Checkers is a mystery to me but I will improve... eventually...I hope.

I share your pain. In chess there seem to be a fair number of strategic ideas. Open files, bad bishop, backward pawn, center control, and these can help you form plans. If checkers has these I have not been able to find them or understand them. I think learning checkers can start out in a similar manner to learning chess. Before we understood the strategic ideas in chess we learned how to checkmate a king with winning material. In checkers you start with learning how to win with 2 kings vs 1 king. Then learning about "first position" and "bridges" seem helpful. It seems like many checker books want to avoid showing bad moves. But understanding why a move is bad is a big help! So I looked at some games where black was able to hold square 19 (where white makes the weakest reply to 11-15.) And tried to play both sides to see what made it difficult. Other than sharpening your tactics with constant puzzles and studies (which can be fun and beautiful) I am still having trouble with learning the rest of the game. I hope you have more luck and enjoy the journey.

Don't say you suck, because you don't.
It's just a very challenging game, even though it is very simple.
That's what is so beautiful about it.

Chess is easier. You attack a square or a piece with more firepower than your opponent can defend with and you win that square or piece. Checkers is confusing because it isn't like chess with direct attacking. I wish I could explain it but I suck at Checkers So i can't explain it.

There's some overlap between chess and checkers principles, particularly in terms of center control and watching for tactical opportunities. A beginner chess player would have a much harder time grasping those principles than a more experienced player like yourself. But I still prefer 1. e4.

Got it. Thanks for your help.

I'm using a phone. Usually downloads aren't an issue but none of the Pask books opens or downloads. It must be something in my end preventing it. I'll keep trying.

It's a PDF. You should be able to click on it and have it download to wherever you put your downloads, or depending on your setup your browser might just open it. I just checked and the link definitely works.

I clicked...it tried to open but nothing happened.

I was looking at that book on Amazon. I'll definitely have a look. Thanks

Go to my website, checkermaven.com and go to the Richard Pask page. Download a copy of Checkers for the Novice (the ebook is free). If you're at all serious about checkers start there.

Also, is there a Checkers book that explains each move instead of just columns of numbers?
The book I bought by Willie Ryan doesn't explain anything. It's just some games and puzzles.

I don't have one. Online I'm 1800 to 1900 depending on the website. I would guess 1500 otb?

What does that have to do with Checkers?

What's your OTB chess rating?

Hi, I've spent many years playing chess and now I want to develop some Checkers skill too.

Anyone who wants to play, please send an invite. (1 week per move/Loss of game if timed out)

Tips during the game would be appreciated or we can just play.

Thanks

Thanks for telling us.

Thanks for joining, Edward.

— Sat 30/12 2023

I signed up. I noticed other games in trouble there too.
What on earth is Reverse Backgammon?
Alice Chess I at least heard of.
— Fri 29/12/2023

The Jan 2024 — 3-day round robin — NO DIVISIONS Tournament

Is anyone else interested in signing up for Pool Checkers in this tournament?
We have two players already and need one more to reach the threshold.
Games start on New Year's Day, Mon 1/1 2024.
If you are interested, please consider joining.
It will be appreciated.

— Fri 29/12 2023

Thank you very much! Considering that interest in intellectual games has been declining recently, our children prefer video games, we can only hope for the best

It sounds like an interesting game with a clever design and elements of Reversi and Shogi.

Of course, it's now fundamentally a different game, which is fine, but I think comparing it with dominant variants of checkers (which admittedly was not what you asked) would not make sense.

And to your credit you didn't say, like many variant promoters do, that "this is better than plain old (i.e. 'boring') checkers" or "this is the 'modern' version of checkers" or anything of that nature.

Certainly there's something here for occasional variety play. Will it catch on? Time will tell.

Hello,
Being a chess composer and the author of more than a dozen chess variations, not long ago I proposed a rather interesting and, in my opinion, unique variation of checkers.
In short the rules are: The game is played according to the basic rules of Russian Checkers, with the only difference that you need to capture not only the opponent’s checkers, but also your own, while a checker making a capture changes its color immediately after the first jump. Moreover, if you capture your own checker, then it goes to your reserve and can subsequently be placed on the board.
More detailed rules here: https://www.chess.com/blog/Pokshtya/werewolf-checkers
You can give it a try against a bot on Dagazproject (no registration required): https://dagazproject.github.io/checkers/werewolf-checkers.htm

I received a lot of positive feedback from players of various levels, from simple checkers fans to masters of this game.
What do you think about this game of checkers?

Yes, I have seen even strong players use that trick on here to get an easy tournament win.

The Gold Token rule, taken from the 11 man ballot rules page, is:

"If at least one player accepts, the game is started"

This seems a bit unfair as the player with a strong side is likely to accept to the detriment of the player with the weak side!

In #14103296 one of us rejected the offered starting position while the other accepted it, and the game started with that position.
For a position to be rejected must both players reject it?