All About Chinese Checkers

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Hagai_Baig]Hagai Baig
Chinese checkers is a very popular board game that can be played by two to six people playing individually or by pairs. The game was said to have been originally based on a game called "Halma." Both games are distinctly similar except that there are some minor differences.
For one, Chinese checkers is placed on a hexagram-shaped board or a board that is shaped like a star. The game allows up to six people to join the game while the minimum number of players is two. The players are all allowed to have ten pieces of coloured marbles and unlike the game Halma, the distance between players is considerably a lot less.
There are other versions of Chinese checkers such as a children's version where only six pieces of marbles are allowed and there are versions which allow players to use about fifteen pieces of marbles.
The objective of the game simple: one must be the first to race his pieces across the star-shaped board into "home." Home is described as corner opposite of the hexagon's starting corner. The player is able to accomplish this by using single-step moves or moves that allows his marble pieces to "jump" over other pieces. He can also try blocking and capturing other pieces. One needs a great deal of tactics and quick decision making skills to highly succeed in this game.
Many people might think that this game originated from China because it is what its name implies. But many historians beg to disagree. They do not believe that the game is connected to China and that the game itself was believed to have originated from the West, specifically in Germany and was named "Stern-Halma." It was only given the name "Chinese checkers" to make the game appealing to the people as it sounds more exotic.
The game was patented and commercialized in Germany in the year 1892 and was called Stern-Halma. When it was introduced to the United States, it was called "Hop-ching Checkers" and a few years later it was called "Chinese Checkers."
The game became popular and many people have tried it out. Ever since, this has been among the most well-loved board games of all times. For those who love to play this game but do not have a star-shaped board or marbles, worry no more because there are now online versions of the game in various online gaming websites. You would definitely enjoy hours and hours of fun by playing Chinese checkers online.
Many people might think that this game originated from China because it is what its name implies. But many historians beg to disagree. They do not believe that the game is connected to China and that the game itself was believed to have originated from the West, specifically in Germany and was named "Stern-Halma". It was only given the name [http://www.chinesecheckers.biz]Chinese checkers to make the game appealing to the people as it sounds more exotic.
This article is written by Hagai baig.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?All-About-Chinese-Checkers&id=6583104] All About Chinese Checkers