Read a Checkerboard

5 questions0m 0s

Learn the skill

A checkerboard has eight rows and eight columns. Light and dark squares alternate. Only the dark squares are playing spaces. Count a row carefully, then use equal groups to count the whole board.

Worked example

Each row has four dark squares. Two rows have 4 + 4 = 8 dark squares. Four rows have 16. Eight rows have 32. The light squares are still part of the board, but pieces do not land on them.

An eight-by-eight checkerboard from the red side. Red pieces occupy dark squares 1 to 12 at the bottom; white pieces occupy 21 to 32 at the top; 13 to 20 are empty. — The near-left square is dark. Count spaces separately from pieces.

Set Up the Board

The picture is viewed from the red side. Red starts on squares 1 through 12. White starts on squares 21 through 32. Squares 13 through 20 start empty. Red moves first, toward the far edge at the top of this picture. The printed numbers are learning aids, not extra playing spaces.

Question 1 How many squares, light and dark together, are on this 8-by-8 board? Answer

Question 2 How many of the squares are used for play? Answer

Question 3 How many red pieces are on the starting board? Answer

Question 4 How many red and white pieces are there altogether at the start? Answer

Question 5 How many dark squares start empty? Answer