Draughts: The origin of the game
THERE is not one story on the origins of the board game we know as draughts. According to one such story, it had its origins as checkers, which in Spanish is called damas, a term that also refers to women.
By Kalungi Kabuye
THERE is not one story on the origins of the board game we know as draughts. According to one such story, it had its origins as checkers, which in Spanish is called damas, a term that also refers to women.
It is thus said, that was because checkers was intended, at least by the colonial Spaniards, to be a simple version of chess that was easy enough for women to play.
Some scholars believe that its origins go back thousands of years, with a form of the game, Alquerque, found in Egypt, dating as early as 600BC.
It is reported that Alquerque boards can be seen carved into the stone slabs which form the roof of the great temple at Kurna, Egypt, which was built in 1400BC, more than 4,000 years ago.
The game is also mentioned, under the name Quirkat, in the Arabic work Kitab-al Aghani, the author of which died in 976AD. Quirkat was first brought to Europe by the Moors during their invasion of Spain.
It was recorded as Alquerque (Spanish form of El-Quirkat) in the Alfonso X Manuscript, which was written between 1251 and 1282 at the command of Alfonso X, King of Leon and Castile. Sometime around 1100, possibly in the South of France, somebody decided to play Alquerque on a Chess board instead of the standard Alquerque board.
The game was played with 12 pieces on each side and was called Fierges or Ferses at first, although this changed to Dames later. When it got to England, it became known as draughts and when it was taken to America, it became checkers.
In Spain and Italy it is known as ‘dama,’ ‘warcaby’ in Poland, and as ‘das damenspiel’ in Germany.
Don’t miss the Sunday Vision for the rules of the game and an insert of a draughts board
THERE is not one story on the origins of the board game we know as draughts. According to one such story, it had its origins as checkers, which in Spanish is called damas, a term that also refers to women.
It is thus said, that was because checkers was intended, at least by the colonial Spaniards, to be a simple version of chess that was easy enough for women to play.
Some scholars believe that its origins go back thousands of years, with a form of the game, Alquerque, found in Egypt, dating as early as 600BC.
It is reported that Alquerque boards can be seen carved into the stone slabs which form the roof of the great temple at Kurna, Egypt, which was built in 1400BC, more than 4,000 years ago.
The game is also mentioned, under the name Quirkat, in the Arabic work Kitab-al Aghani, the author of which died in 976AD. Quirkat was first brought to Europe by the Moors during their invasion of Spain.
It was recorded as Alquerque (Spanish form of El-Quirkat) in the Alfonso X Manuscript, which was written between 1251 and 1282 at the command of Alfonso X, King of Leon and Castile. Sometime around 1100, possibly in the South of France, somebody decided to play Alquerque on a Chess board instead of the standard Alquerque board.
The game was played with 12 pieces on each side and was called Fierges or Ferses at first, although this changed to Dames later. When it got to England, it became known as draughts and when it was taken to America, it became checkers.
In Spain and Italy it is known as ‘dama,’ ‘warcaby’ in Poland, and as ‘das damenspiel’ in Germany.
Don’t miss the Sunday Vision for the rules of the game and an insert of a draughts board