Ambassador Games Classic Games Checkers

Checkers is one of the most ancient games in human history, with variations of the game dating back several millennia. It is the definition of a classic game, linking together completely different civilizations living in completely different types of societies over thousands of years. The endearing and sustained appeal of the game is truly remarkable. Boards have been found in Ur dating as far back as 3000 BC. The game was popular in ancient Egypt dating back to 1500 BC, with boards often found in burial chambers, while Queen Hatasu was known to frequently play. The game remained popular during the Roman empire. The game is also linked with the Arabic game known as Quirkat, which was played on a 5x5 board. This game was brought to Spain by the Moors, where it was called Alquerque. From there the game migrated into France in around the year 1100. Each piece was called a 'fers', the same name as used for the queen in a game of chess. Eventually the name was changed to 'dames' when that name was also adopted for the chess queen.