Is checkers solved?

Quick answer: Yes, standard 8x8 checkers was weakly solved in 2007 by the Chinook team led by Jonathan Schaeffer, and the result is that a perfectly played game ends in a draw.

Checkers holds a special place in game history as one of the most complex games ever solved by computer.

What solved means

To weakly solve a game is to prove the result from the starting position assuming perfect play by both sides. For checkers that proven result is a draw.

The Chinook project

A team at the University of Alberta led by Jonathan Schaeffer built the Chinook program and, after nearly two decades of computation, announced the solution in 2007. It remains a landmark achievement in artificial intelligence.

What it means for players

The solution does not spoil the fun. No human can memorize the full result, so games between people are still a genuine contest of skill.

Ready to put it into practice?

Read more about the game

Related questions