Checkers Red Pieces – All the Facts of Checkers Pieces

The subject of checkers pieces seems to be fairly straightforward. After all what else is there to it other than using the typical black and white checkers pieces that you normally see in toy store checkers sets everywhere? Well there is actually a bit more to it than that, and the fact of the matter is that the official regulation colors are actually white and red checkers pieces.

Checkers Pieces Material

Furthermore, while the checkers pieces that you have played with most often are probably made out of plastic or a similar material, the officially approved checkers pieces are made out of a significantly heftier material. While the American Checker Federation has stopped short of actually specifying the proper material for checkers pieces, they are generally expected to be made out of a smooth material, and they should have no designs, grooves, embellishments, or markings whatsoever. The thickness of the individual checkers pieces is left up to the players as well, although checkers pieces are in almost all cases expected to be wider than they are thick. The diameter of these pieces has to be 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 ".

Checkers Pieces Playing Surface

When using the officially approved white and red checkers pieces instead of the familiar red and black checkers pieces, one thing that you will notice is that it is a lot easier to make out the checkers pieces against the playing surface. This distinction is all the more obvious when you consider that the officially approved playing surface or checker board is actually made up of green and white squares instead of the more common red and black or black and white playing surface.

In addition to having green and white squares, the checker board has to measure 2" on each of its four sides, for a total playing area of 16" on each side. The checkers pieces are meant to be played on the green squares of the checker board.

Checkers as You Want

While these colors are the officially approved specifications as decreed by the American Checker Federation, you are certainly free to play with black and white checkers pieces–or even black and red checkers pieces–on the more common black and red checker board if that is all you have available to you, particularly if you are only playing the game in a casual setting. They are certainly a lot easier to come across than the regulation checker board and checkers pieces, which can be quite expensive and hard to find.