Last Updated on January 7, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco
When you are playing a game of Checkers, you are probably having far too much fun to think about any possible drawbacks and disadvantages involved. If this is the case, perhaps you should stop and think about how playing Checkers affects your life. Is playing Checkers actually adding value to your life or not? The question begs to be answered; Does Checkers has any drawbacks? You will have to decide for yourself.
These are drawbacks and disadvantages of Checkers. What you need to know is that Checkers:
- Takes time to practice and play.
- Can become an obsession.
- Sparks competitive behavior.
- Deters you from learning Chess.
- Might not be viable a career path.
- Games can be frustrating.
- Has been solved.
- Can make you anti-social.
- Is not interesting to modern kids.
- Is not great for physical fitness.
When you read through the abovementioned disadvantages and drawbacks of Checkers, what do you think and feel? Are you still as excited about playing Checkers, knowing the drawbacks and advantages attached? Read on to a closer look at how Checkers poses any sort of disadvantage to players.
The Disadvantages and Drawbacks of Playing Checkers
Below are 10 drawbacks and disadvantages of playing Checkers unpacked.
1. Checkers takes time to play.
Yup, it is true. Checkers can thieve you of your time. It is not particularly a terrible way to spend your time – after all, it is a great mental workout – but if you have things to do and places to go, you can expect playing Checkers to get in the way of that. Most people who don’t play Checkers are surprised to discover that a Checkers game can take several hours, and because it needs your full attention in order to win, you might find it hard to multitask and complete other important tasks while playing.
Do you ever find yourself ignoring the kids while you play Checkers? Are you shirking responsibilities because of Checkers? That could be a disadvantage in your life.
2. It can become an obsession.
I do not know about you, but I am pretty obsessed with playing board games, especially Checkers. At every family gathering, and even when friends come over, I am committed to trying to get at least one game of Checkers in. Why? I mostly behave in this way because I have somewhat become obsessed or even addicted to Checkers. It is because it is a fun and entertaining game that absolutely anyone can get involved in, and I struggle to understand why they don’t.
Once the Checkers bug has bitten, expect to become quite obsessed with it. You might even find yourself downing a checkers mobile app to your phone!
3. Sparks competitive behavior.
If you have a competitive nature, you can expect playing Checkers to exacerbate your competitive behavior. If you absolutely must win in every game you play, you could end up disappointed or even quite angry. If you are prone to sulking, temper tantrums, or mood swings due to competitiveness, playing Checkers is not going to help. Playing Checkers could result in a fight. This puts your relationships/friendships at risk and can cast you in a bad light.
At least you can always say “Checkers made me do it” when tempers have cooled down.
4. Deters you from learning Chess.
You are probably wondering what on earth playing Checkers has to do with Chess. Here is the thing about Checkers…some people believe that it is the precursor to Chess. That is why certain parents teach their kids Checkers when they are very young, so that they will be more attuned to learning Chess when they are old enough. Kids can learn Checkers from around the age of 4 years as they have enough patience at this stage. On the other hand, kids usually only learn Chess from the age of 6 years because the rules and actions of play can be more complex.
Because Checkers is fun and relatively easier than Chess, people might get stuck on Checkers and simply never bother to learn Chess. If the ultimate goal for you (or for your children) is to play Chess, playing Checkers may create a stumbling block and delay the process.
5. Might not be a viable career path.
Gamblers turn their games into career paths; can you do the same with Checkers? Sadly, you might have a hard time. Many people can turn sports and games into a career, but there is little to no evidence to support that you could turn your love of Checkers into an actual lucrative career. If you Google search “career as a Checkers player”, you will not find much. As a result, it’s obvious that Checkers is just not a viable career path. Sorry Checkers enthusiasts!
6. Games can be frustrating.
Have you ever played a board game and become utterly and inexplicably frustrated? It happens to me often. Let me explain…If two Checkers players play perfectly, the game could end in a draw instead of a win. In fact, draws are somewhat common, and if you are competitive, this could leave you feeling somewhat frustrated. It happens to me quite often.
7. Has been solved.
That probably sounds a bit strange to you. How can the game of Checkers be solved? What does that mean? Several years ago, the game of Checkers was actually solved.
In 2007, the internet was awash with articles about a checkers’ algorithm created by Jonathan Schaeffer, a computer scientist at the University of Alberta in Canada. They stated that he had created a computer program that dismantled the billions (billions) of possible moves and came up with sequences of moves that, if played perfectly, will always end up on a draw. That takes some excitement out of the entire process of playing the game, doesn’t it?
8. Can make you anti-social.
Checkers can cause your socializing to take a dip. When playing Checkers obsessively, you will probably want to stay at home and play a game instead of going out, seeing other humans, and interacting.
Another way that Checkers can make you anti-social is via mobile apps. If you are addicted to Checkers and you have a mobile app on your phone, chances are that you will be interacting with your phone permanently and not paying too much attention to the people around you. Have you ever watched someone completely engrossed in their phone and ignoring someone they are spending time with? You probably thought they were stuck scrolling social media, but what if they are actually just playing Checkers?
9. Is not interesting to modern kids.
If you are addicted to Checkers and you are hoping to get the kids on board, you might have a difficult time. You could try hauling out the old Checkers board and expecting your kids to show interest in it, but you will certainly have your work cut out for you. Modern children are more interested in playing console games or interacting with their screens, and even if you think that Checkers mobile apps might be helpful, you first need to get your child interested in it so that they will actually play it.
10. Is not great for physical fitness.
If you spend all of your free time challenging your family, friends, or your partner to games of Checkers, chances are that your time for fitness and self-care is going to go out of the window. When you don’t look after yourself, it can start to show in unpleasant ways. If you find that you have a growing waistline and your obsession for Checkers persists, you might need to push the Checkers board away, get up out of that chair and get outside to do a bit of exercise.
Be careful that Checkers does not replace the things you need to do in order to live a healthy lifestyle.
Are these Checkers Drawbacks Too Much for You?
For some, these drawbacks and disadvantages are a deal-breaker when considering playing Checkers on a regular basis. For others, it is not really a problem at all. How are you affected? Do you think these Checkers disadvantages are too much for you? You decide!
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who enjoy sharing their knowledge about their favorite games with others!
JC Franco
JC Franco serves as a New York-based editor for Gamesver. His interest for board games centers around chess, a pursuit he began in elementary school at the age of 9. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, JC brings a blend of business acumen and creative insight to his role. Beyond his editorial endeavors, he is a certified USPTA professional, imparting his knowledge in tennis to enthusiasts across the New York City Metropolitan area.