Sorry, no, the Chinese did not invent chinese checkers.
Its first form hit the gaming scene sometime during the 1880s.
It was invented in Victorian England, not China, and was called halma.
Not long after, the Germans rearranged the shape of the halma board into a star and sold it as Stern-Halma.
A few years later it was imported into the U.S. under the exotic name Chinese checkers.
While exploring the roots of Chinese Checkers, we unravel not just a game’s evolution but a chapter in the broader story behind checkers, shedding light on its diverse cultural connections and historical development.
