Hi Alex, hi all, good Idea but bad method I watch to TV, Eurosport and other Sport TV and what?: Chess, Poker, Bridge, Go, Backgammon! etc. and checkers?? No!!! Question is Why??? Will be publicity, will be TV, will be sponsors, will be money Greetings from Prague Igor
Chess is not necessarily the same the world over. The Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Thais & Indians all have their own national variants of this game. Western Chess is simply the recognized international form of the game, much like International Draughts, which is the recognized international form of Checkers.
As for the status of Checkers, it will never equal that of Chess. I say this even though I much prefer the former and rarely play the latter. Status is simply a perception that we silly human beings have of things.
I am much more concerned about the popularity of our game beyond the Internet. I want Draughts to enjoy more respect & popularity. It wouldn't bother me that Chess is considered the premier board game in the US or elsewhere if our game were respected & played as a fine alternative.
Along the lakefront at North Avenue Beach here in Chicago, there are a large number of Checker boards imbedded in cement tables for people to use. I have seen many, many Chess games played there, even a game of Pente once, but almost never have I seen a game of Draughts at this location.
I have gone to North Avenue Beach and set up my Checker pieces many times, but only once did I ever find someone who was interested in playing me. It is this lack of interest in our game that really disturbs me.
R L Ernest (papaTrex) -- Chicago IL -- Tue 21/11/2006 8,15am
Very well said, Roberto, but in history was diferently. From 15th to midle 19.th century was draughts/checkers same popular board game in Europe and maybe in World. Why not back this age epoch? Greetings, Igor p.s. in how much old movie played checkers? answer is many movie
local clubs would be a good way to get interest in our game if i saw a local club playing checkers in a park it would be much more interesting......but how do we get people in a group that has that much interest in our game.....how do we make our game interesting? alot of online players say money would make them want to attend tournaments....maybe money is an answer to create interest but do we really want people who are only interested in money? i am not connecting this with gayp match prize conversation... we just need more people to attend tournaments if we have a national tournament where 500 people show up....thats more impressive than 50-60 and the money will be there with 500 people
"The end of the age of Giants - professionals stalking the land, closely guarded by their patrons and backers, looking for prey - coinced with two trends, which appeared on the scene virtually simultaneously and were to become almost inextricably intertwined. I mean the rise of Amateurism and the forming of National Organisations for the promoting of the game.
In the simulated virtuous indignation that is an essential ingredient of Amateurism, it was easy to portray the professional players as sharks thriving off the innocents; playing for stakes was denounced as a pernicious vice; the backers and patrons went into the shadows and with one or two exceptions faded from the picture."
