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Epocware recently released 4 games for the Nokia 9210. These games were 15, Checkers, Reversi and Lines. There are review of all four in the reviews section.

Checkers

Epocware's Checkers joins Reversi as being one of the classy games for the 9210. Though not graphical like the forthcoming Totally Boarding, it is the same as its brother Reversi in being well implemented and one of those old addictive games! You have probably played Checkers before (with Aunt Mabel when she last came to visit?), well here's a chance to play on the 9210 in the spare moments of the day (or when you are bored e.g. very good when listening to a sister drone on about her day - and I know this to be true). In this review I take you quickly through the implementation and then talk a little about playing tips.

This is the view you get when you start the game. I won't explain how to play Checkers as I assume most people do. However if you unsure of just rusty take a look lower down this review where there's more information. In order to move your pieces around the board you first must first select one (this is done by moving the arrow keys around (which moves the orange box) and the selecting where it should go (as shown above). With the Nokia 9210's lack of touchscreen or mouse this is a very successful way of interfacing with the game and is surprisingly quick. The author deserves a great deal of credit for this because it is both clear and well thought out. Not something I can say about every program I've used.

As you would expect the normal new game control are present under the file menu and the preferences and rules come under the Tools menu. I would have liked to a Save Game option, but this is only release 1.0 after all.

In preferences you can set the level at which you want to play (ensuring game longevity as it will never be too easy or too hard). You can also control sound levels. What is even better in the Game Type control. Here you can choose either Checkers or Give Away - this means (and its not something Epocware have particularly highlighted) that you are getting two games for the price of one! I wont go into much detail on Give Away but suffice to say it is Checkers in Reverse (i.e. you have to Give Away your pieces - the moves are the same - including the forced takes rules).

The help files explains not only how to register, but how to play (although it could give a few more tips).

Epocware have produced another excellent game with Checkers and at only $10 to register (about £7.50) its excellent value. The implementation is good and if you really get into Checkers it will offer you hours of entertainment. The Nokia 9210 is a mobile device - you do not want games that are complex or takes hours - something like Checkers is ideally suited to it.

Read or Write your comments on the Game

Strategy Guide, What it is and tips on playing!

How is Checkers played?
On a board of 32 red and 32 black squares, each player places their 12 colored pieces on the black squares in the first three rows facing them. Each opponent takes turns moving one piece at a time, only on black squares and with some exceptions only forward and only one square at a time. The exception to “only forward” is that once you make it all the way to the other side you are crowned king and may move either direction on the board though still and always only on black squares. The exception to moving only one square at a time is that you may jump directly over one of your opponent’s pieces or several of them one at a time. Once you do this, the piece you have jumped is lost to your opponent and is removed from the board and kept on your side. You may not jump over your own pieces. You must jump over a piece directly adjacent to yours and onto an empty square directly next to the piece you have jumped. If you can make a jump you must do so.

The object of Checkers.
The object of Checkers is to be the last one with game pieces remaining on the board. It is therefore advantageous to jump as many of your opponents pieces as you can while preserving as many of your own as you can. It is also helpful to get as many kings as you can as they have more mobility, which is strategically helpful to you.

Tricks to winning.
Protecting your pieces by having another right behind it so it can�t be jumped is a good strategy. Luring your opponent into a position where you can jump two or three of their pieces while they jump one of yours is a good sacrificial strategy or trick you can use. Luring in pieces while you move a piece down toward becoming a king is a good move as well. There are endless strategies, which may be found in numerous books, and many are based on mathematical solutions.

History of Checkers - just to prove what I said about it being a good old game...

A forerunner of Checkers was Alquerque, the game that was played under different names and rules throughout the centuries. It was played in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs where it was called Zamma. Its boards were found cut into the roofing tiles of the temple at Kurna and dated back around 1400 B.C. When the Moors invaded Spain they brought "El quirkat" to Europe where it was referred to as Alquerque.

Alquerque was played on its own board until around 1100 the players started playing the game on chequered chessboard. The resulting game was called Ferses, later known as Fierges. Another modification of rules forced a player to capture an opponent's piece if possible was introduced about 1535, in France. The game with compulsion rule was named 'Jeu Force', in contrast to the old variant known as 'Le Jeu Plaisant de Dames" in those times. The rules of Jeu Force were almost the same as the modern variant of English-American checkers has. The first checkers manual was published at Valencia, Spain in 1547 by Antonia Torquemado.

See more at:

http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/draughts-rules.htm - Checkers Rules.

http://www.mcn.net/~jimloy/checkers.html - Lots and lots of information on strategy.

http://www.triplejump.net/ - more information and strategy and PC programs.