Lot #563. Vintage Harlesden Series Wooden Draughts

Vintage Harlesden Series Wooden Draughts

Offered here is a complete set of thirty (30) Vintage Harlesden Series Wooden Draughts or Backgammon stones. The Boxwood and Black-stained checkers are turned on both faces. The pieces measure 1-1/2″ in diameter by 3/8″ thick. These Vintage Checkers date to the early 1930s. The game pieces and cardboard storage box are in very good condition. There is no checkerboard included.

The manufacturer is Harlesden, a prolific Games Manufacturer operating from around 1930 to 1950. They produced games like Ludo, Greyhound Racing, Tiddley Winks, Lotto, Queen Mary Steaming Round G.B., Round the Coast, Crown and Anchor, Olympic Games, among others.

Checkers or Draughts is a group of strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent pieces. Draughts developed from alquerque. The name derives from the verb to draw or to move.

The most popular forms are English Draughts, also called American Checkers, employs 12 stones and is played on an 8×8 checkerboard; Russian Draughts, also played on an 8×8. Continental Draughts (Also known as Polish Checkers) utilizes 20 stones and is played on a 10×10 board. There are many other variants played on an 8×8 board. Canadian checkers is played on a 12×12 board.

For a more detailed discourse on the history and rules for Draughts or Checkers, check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draughts and http://www.usacheckers.com/