Usually, they are separated by color, but if you so choose, you can replace the sets of marbles with your own marbles.
The board comes with six sets of 10 marbles. All you really need is the game board and the marbles that come with it. It is actually quite easy to set up this game.
#PLAYING CHINESE CHECKERS HOW TO#
How to Play Chinese Checkers – Game Setup In fact, had they had their way, this game would now be known as “Hop Ching Checkers.” And after all that, the Chinese were among the last to actually play their namesake game when the Japanese introduced it to them. Bill and Jack Pressman came up with this name as part of their marketing plan for the game in 1928. The name “Chinese Checkers” came to be associated with this game in the United States, another country that is not China. Of course, as is the case in so many situations, marketing ended up playing a role in how this game is known. In 1892, it was created and given the name “Stern-Halma.” There was already an American game that went by the name of Halma that employed a square shaped board, and “Stern” is German for “star,” which not so coincidentally is the shape of the board used in this game. It was actually invented in Germany of all places. It did not originate in China or any other area on the Asian continent, for that matter. There is a chance that you may not have noticed this, but that’s a problem to be sorted out between you and your optometrist and has nothing to do with understanding this game.Īnother fun fact: Chinese checkers is not Chinese. If you’ve ever played both games, you’ve probably noticed that even though there are similarities between the two, the game boards and pieces are completely different. How to Play Chinese Checkers – History and Background of the Gameįun fact: Chinese checkers is not checkers. You may think that you know everything there is to know about this fantastical game, but there is so much more to Chinese checkers than meets the eye. Or, depending on how the game goes, you might actually end up losing even more marbles. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve lost your marbles, chances are you may actually be able to find them in a game of Chinese checkers.