Using the numbered board to encourage more game notations

[Patrick Parker]

well next tournament
my checkerboard will have porno on the white squares
and ill be sitting down the basic checkers ...no rule no problem

[Palomino]

It's interesting to see just how far off the beaten path ideas will go sometimes.

tommyc wrote:
....always seems we lose a lot of players, especially middle rank players. ..... What are we doing to help ourselves? ...... I propose we start the use of numbered boards in conjunction with the notation of games....this will lead to structure in learning the game and encourage new and inexperienced players to "talk" the language of draughts/checkers through numbers.

I say, good idea tommyc.

Alan Millhone wrote:
I am for anything that will encourage and keep beginners in our game. .....we certainly need to attract more players into our ranks and keep them!

I say, Who could disagree.

I think:
(1) The use of numbered boards by beginner/novice players in the MINORS division should be encouraged.

BTW: J_D_C_, fairly pointed out that most if not all draughts/checker literature uses numbers notation. Lets not make it more confusing for beginner/novice players by suggusting we use chess notations, and where can you even purchase a green/buff chessboard? (I'm sure someone, somewhere sells them.)

(2) The use of numbered boards by advanced/expert players in the MAJORS division should not be discouraged.

(3) If you don't know the numbers by now, you haven't "mastered the game" and are not ready to move up to the top level of the MASTERS division.

Regards, "Pal" Bucker

[Roberto L Ernest]

I have grown to be comfortable with unnumbered boards, but using a numbered board at a tournament might make for fewer recording mistakes in the heat of battle, especially for players in the Minors section. With a numbered board, though, one must be careful to get it pointing the right direction before the game begins. It is most confusing to see a game starting out 2218 1014 instead of 1115 2319!

Please, please, please don't start using Chess notation for recording games of Draughts. Jonathan Schaeffer's book "One jump ahead" is a truly great and enjoyable book, but the Chess notation he uses for all the games drives me way, way up the wall. Checkers notation is very suitable for Checker games. Our game is not horizontal and vertical like Chess. It is diagonal. Our notational system is an adaptation to that fact.

[ae_ted]

interesting discussion...not sure if it has any merit for checkers.
I have a numbered offical board...I bought it at a checker tourn. I use it at tourns and yes it is important to get it pointed right at start of game. I am reminded of a professional pool player i once knew when i was a youngster growing up in pool room. His son complained about a shot not going right because table was not level. Old professial remarked that a "good pool player could play on a washboard. So (although i like my numbered board and i dont know my board numbers and dont care to learn) I will play on any board and with any color that is set in front of me.

[matthewkooshad]

I like the idea of number board being allowed for play in Minors division. If someone is worthy of major/master division, then he/she most likely knows the numbers of the board like the back of his/her hand.

I agree with Ingo that rules need to be unified.

As for my experience, my first tournament was a struggle to keep up with the move history. This was something I wanted to do though, because Clayton suggested I do it such that I could review them later. One of the players gave me a piece of paper that had the board squares numbered to make it a little less thinking for me to do it, but I note that it was still difficult.

[Ingo_Zachos]

I was advocating the use of chess boards, because in most countries, like here in Germany, you get only chess boards, and in most game collection chess boards are also used with black & white pieces as draughts boards.
I found and met two local players here (found them on Yahoo) and they were unable to notate a game in numerical notation, although they were eager to do so, as they challenged me to "serious" matches with notation and clocks. But both asked me to use "chess notation", as they said this was easier to grasp and "was on the side of their boards at home".

If you want to target the group of those who know the rules and play regularly, but unorganized to become tournament players, u cannot ignore the fact that most material does not fit in to the "regular" pattern!

Even in the USA they sell more chess boards then checker boards.
Look how hard it is to get a regular set!

To allow black and white boards would only offer a chance to address those who do not even know that there r "regulation colours" or "numerical notation".

To allow "algebraic", ie. "chess" notation does not mean to compel anyone to use it(although I am a chess player I used the numerical notation against these players), but just to let it be an "official" alternative to the numerical notation.
In chess, they used descriptive notation in anglophone and spanish-speaking contries arranged in columns like in the checker literature almost until now, and in the rest of the world they used algebraic notation.
It did not spoil the developing of chess to allow both notations!
Quite the opposite!

It was just meant as a proposal to allow maximum poliferation of tournaments throughout the world.


Greetinx from sunny Dortmund, Germany


Ingo Zachos

[tommyc]

In reply to Alexz porno pics......If my opponent objected to the numbered board on the grounds that nos 1-32 turned him/her on sexually then i would have to re-think .

On the other hand if porno pics attracted more players to checkers then Alan would be over the moon and Alexz has hit on a winner without realising .!!??

Top o- the morning to yall....

tommyc

[tommyc]

Gene Lindsay declares he dont have a problem with an opponent excercising his right to a numbered board so that just leaves one disident voice in the wilderness(no not the 913 2318 1116) I meant our World Champion Alexz.......now who would have thought with all the talent he has that he would be the only objector??

My faith in humanity is sometimes seriously tested but then i think back to Mama saying son....they ll be days like these!!

tommyc.....

[matthewkooshad]

I wish stores like Walmart sold official colored sets. A nice change like this in goods available for consumers would probably increase number of players for the game.

[Patrick Parker]

large stores walmart target etc
few of them make store brand products like checker sets
if we could only get to the manufactorers