Crokinole

Crokinole is an action board game similar to carroms?,[shove ha'penny]? or squails? in which players take turns shooting 12 checker-like pieces. Board dimensions vary with a playing surface approximately 27 inches in diameter. The arrangement is 3 concentric rings worth 5, 10, and 15 points as you move in from the outside. There is a shallow 20 point hole at the center. The inner 15 point ring is guarded with 8 small bumpers or posts. Players flick or fillip their pieces from a quadrant shaped outer ring, which in turn is surrounded by a gutter. Rules vary, nevertheless, you must shoot and hit or touch an enemy piece if present. If no opposing pieces are on the board, you must shoot for and land completely in the guarded center ring. Scoring occurs after all pieces have been played and is differential: opposing pieces in the same ring cancel.

The game is of uncertain origin. It is widely played in Canada, where it is also called Pichenotte. Many Americans own a set on the flip side of their Carom boards. The definitive book on the subject is The Crokinole Book (ISBN 091978383X (amazon.com, search) ) by Canadian historian Wayne Kelly.

See http://www.crokinole.com See http://www.pichenotte.com