Chapayev (game)
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Chapayev (Game) (Russian: игра в Чапаева), a game played on a checkerboard, is widespread throughout all the territory of the former USSR, a unique hybrid of checkers and billiards. The aim is to knock the opponent's pieces off the board. The game is named after the famous Russian Civil War hero, Vasily Chapayev.
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[edit] Equipment
A wooden checkerboard and checkers, 8 pieces of each colour. Pieces should be of small size (and should be less than the board cell, otherwise the game can be too easy and less captivating).
[edit] Rules
The game is played in several rounds. During the first round, White pieces are placed on row 1, and Black uses row 8. White opens the game. (To neutralise his advantage, pie rule can be used).
The 'movement' is done by "kicking", with the index finger, a piece of your own colour (in regional variations, another allowed rule is to put thumb and index finger on two pieces of own colour and quickly move them together towards centre, pushing an opponent's piece in the middle out of the board. This is sometimes called "scissor" move). If it pushes one or more enemy's pieces off the table and all pieces of your colour remain, you get an extra move. Otherwise, the opponent moves. The game continues until all the remaining pieces are of the same color and the player who plays this color wins the round. Then the next round starts, where the winning side's starting position is one row closer to the enemy. The winner starts the round. When the seventh round starts, the black and white rows will be next to each other.
For the eighth and the following rounds not only the winner moves forward one row, but the loser is forced to move backwards. When one of the players reaches the final row, his opponent has no place left for his pieces and therefore loses the whole game.
The game's rules differ in different regions. In many variants, the game is not finished yet: the next step is adding "second floor" to the winning side (the figure is called horse or tank).
If a piece is turned upside-down, it is called 'a traitor' and an opponent gets control of it.
[edit] Popularity
The game is known and popular among children everywhere in ex-USSR. There are annual competitions.
