Mark Henrig made checkerboards and checkers for this occasion. He kept the The Mule Barn atmosphere & motif of old pop bottle caps for checkers!

Tournament Rules and Prizes (copied from Pop Top Checkers site)  www.poptopcheckers.com

Official Tournament Rules:  

1. Mailing or hand-delivering a check or cash to:
   
   Mule Barn Mercantile
   121 S. Broome St.
   #14 Suite A
   Waxhaw, NC
   
   or
    
2. Paying online at https://www.poptopcheckers.com/register/

A limited number of 32 contestants are allow to play in this tournament, and registration will close when 32 players have registered.

Description:  The tournament consists of one day, of Unrestricted Opening Move Checkers, known as GAYP (GO-AS-You-Please). This variation of checkers allows Red to start the game by moving any man on the front row forward one square.  White’s reply move is the same way, alternating turns until the end of the game. We will play by American Checkers or “Straight Checkers” rules, which are explained below.

Contestants are paired by the Swiss-System which is a non-eliminating tournament that features a fixed number of rounds of competition, with fewer rounds where the individual player does not play all the other competitors. Competitors meet one-on-one in each round and are paired using a set of rules designed to ensure that each competitor plays opponents with a similar running score, but does not play the same opponent more than once. The winner is the competitor with the highest aggregate points earned in all rounds. With an even number of participants, all competitors play in each round.  If the number of participants is odd from an unfilled field or a withdrawal this requires a “bye”.

We play 5 rounds of 1.5 hours which allows two games per round of 45 minutes. A tournament referee or assistant will determine if a time clock set 20 min + 3 sec per side per game is necessary to keep the tournament on schedule. The Pop Top Checkers Tournament Director will furnish the playing table, chairs, checkerboard, & checkers. Time clocks, game recorder sheets, and pens will be available for the player pairs the tournament referee feels needs them. We will supply these things.

Rules: These rules are condensed from an extensive outline of rules compiled by WCDF (World Checkers Draughts Federation). They organize the World Qualifier and The World Checker Championship.  WCDF Checker / Draughts "English" - American Checkers - Straight Checkers Rules:  Pop Top, NCCA, and ACF (the governing body for American Checkers in the USA) all comply by these rules.

The board is placed so that the bottom corner square on the left-hand (known as the single corner) is a dark square (green), we play in the darker green squares. The men (or pieces) number twelve for each side and must be Red and White in color. The board is set up so the 12 men are placed on the first 12 playing squares on opposite sides of the board.

At the start of the game, one player places a Red and White checker each in their hidden hands and offer opponent to choose, they play that color. Red moves first, with each player alternately playing Red on their next game.

The object of the game in order to win, you must block your opponent’s forces so that they cannot move, or you must capture all of them. The player making the last move wins.  Checkers is a “drawish” game, meaning when both players play optimally, the game will almost always end in a draw, and a draw is declared when both parties agree and no advantage exists for either side.

Movement of the men at the start of a game, all the pieces are single men and move or jump diagonally forward only from one green square to the adjoining green square. You never rest upon or cross a light yellow square.

Upon reaching your opponent’s king row (the final row on the opposite side) your checker is “crowned” by turning it upside-down, and it is then called a “king.”  This ends your move and it is then your opponent’s turn to play. It doesn’t matter if you can jump in and out of the king’s row, you pause for kingdom. If there is another man to be captured out of the king row, it cannot be captured until your next play.  A king can move or jump either forward or backward, as the limits of the board permit.

Jumping is mandatory, a man must “jump” an opponent’s man in the next square if the square beyond is vacant. When a man is jumped, he is “captured” and removed from the board. You may not jump your own men. Only one man may be jumped at a time, but any number may be jumped in a series of jumps during one turn.  Remember you have a choice of jumping direction and number of captures; you don’t necessarily have to take the most men if it gives you a disadvantage.

Touch and Move, once a game has commenced, a player must move any playable piece touched, unless player makes known in advance that the intent is to arrange a piece.

Any player may request the tournament referee to judge or make the final decision on situations or problems during a game, particularly if a repeat position or moves occurs as “see-saw draw” but can’t agree on a draw, touch piece, etc. The first offence may be a warning and the second offence would be forfeit that game.  The referee or assistant may be called to reset the clock and start their second game after settling a dispute.  

Recording games and using time clocks will be managed by the tournament referee with proven experienced tournament players.

Tournament participation is limited to 32 players, age 16 and above.

Entry fee is $25 per player.