does red go first in checkers?

Answer 1

Yes... fire before smoke, (red before black!).

Answer 2

Black is supposed to move first in checkers. It's the opposite from Chess, where White moves first.

Also, the game of checkers is played on the dark squares, not the light squares.

Diagrams in books will show checker games played on white squares, but this is for visibility only. In checker diagrams shown in books, the white and black squares on the board are reversed (i.e. books will show a black square in the lower right hand corner, but that square should always be white).

Both players should start the game with a "double" corner (i.e. two men) to EACH player's right, and a single corner man to each player's left.

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And sincity, please don't look down your nose at someone just because they ask a question about something you think is too simple to waste your time on. Perhaps the asker is teaching the game to kids, and just wanted clarification on this particular rule. We don't know.

Checkers IS a thinking game. I've found that the reason many people believe it's not a thinking game is because they only think they understand the rules, but they really don't...most people, for example, don't realize that capturing is mandatory in checkers, not optional, so part of the strategy is to force your opponent to take your man at a time when such a capture will weaken their position. I'm not accusing you of not knowing the rules, but most people who dismiss checkers as a "kids" game usually do so because they don't truly know the rules. Checkers is one of those games for which people have a tendency to improvise their own rules as they go along.

Calling checkers a "kids" game which requires no thinkng is like saying I could be a great poker player if I'm dealt the right cards, since poker is "all luck". (I see in your profile you deal poker in Vegas, that's why I used that as an example). However, even though poker isn't a "sport" (despite what ESPN thinks), I wouldn't want to try my "luck" against a poker champion, because I know there's more to it than just being dealt the right cards, especially in the long run.

btw, why waste your time on Poker? Why not play a true "thinking" game, like Bridge? Bridge involves far more strategy than poker! We could even say that "Checkers is to Chess as Poker is to Bridge" :-)

Answer 3

Why play checkers, chess is a better game. Checkers is for kids, play chess, it's a thinking game. But i do believe it's smoke before fire so black goes first.

Answer 4

Red goes first. But I play that if the person had one the last game then they would have to go second.

Answer 5

I've always played where black goes first because you see the smoke before there is a fire. But I think it depends on who you are playing with.

Happy Playing!

Answer 6

one person would hold a black and a red checker in their left and right hand...the opponet would pick one and that would be their color

red always went first..

Answer 7

when i was a kid, we always changed it up. we'd usually start it out with red going first.
it's basically like chess. black goes second.
but it's usally house rules or the person with the winning streak goes second to give the next player a chance.

Answer 8

It doesn't matter which goes first. House rules goes. Just enjoy the game.

Answer 9

i have always played that you alternate but i think red is supposed to go first

Answer 10

Always