Students play board game during open mods

Freshman Evan Brown studies the board.

He deciphers his next move. If he goes one way, his opponent could take his piece, but if he moves a different piece, it opens up his back row, giving his opponent a free shot at being ‘crowned.’ Brown decides carefully, and takes his next move.

The board, alternating between red and black squares, holds 12 red pieces and 12 black pieces, divided up into three rows on opposite sides of the board, indicating the difference in teams. The objective of the game is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces by jumping over them diagonally to a free space on the other side.

Ever since the beginning of the year, Brown and many others have been going into the library to play on the three checkerboards placed in the middle of the rows of bookshelves during their open mods.

To some, it’s a thing to pass time during an open mod. To others, it’s a time to make friends and a “good mind game.”

But the overall goal of most of the players is beating undefeated junior Mohammed Sodal.

“He beat me in thirty seconds,” another adds.

“He played Scotty and got him with a triple jump and beat him in two minutes,” another said.

To Sodal, it’s all about strategy.

“[Most people I play, I] capitalize off their mistakes,” Sodal said. “Others, I just go all out taking pieces, they’re not going to be thinking if you just keep taking pieces. Think ahead. That’s the key.

While some don’t recommend playing on the board so they can “have it for themselves,” others advocate highly for playing checkers during an open mod.

“It gives you better knowledge of how to use strategy in different games,” Brown said. “It’s interesting, it passes time, and fun to play with other people.”