CHESS

HistoryThe history of chess spans over 1500 years. The earliest predecessor

of the game probably originated in India, before the 6th century AD; a minority of historians believe the game originated in China. From India, the game spread to Persia. When the Arabs conquered Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world and subsequently spread to Southern Europe. In Europe, chess evolved into roughly its current form in the 15th century. The "Romantic Era of Chess" was the predominant chess playing style down to the 1880s. It was characterized by swashbuckling attacks, clever combinations, brash piece sacrifices and dynamic games. Winning was secondary to winning with style. These games were focused more on artistic expression, rather than technical mastery or long-term planning. The Romantic era of play was followed by the Scientific, Hypermodern, and New Dynamism eras.

In the second half of the 19th century, modern chess tournament play began, and the first World Chess Championship was held in 1886. The 20th century saw great leaps forward in chess theory and the establishment of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Developments in the 21st century include use of computers for analysis, which originated in the 1970s with the first programmed chess games on the market. Online gaming appeared in the mid-1990s.

InventorThe person who invented chess is not known. Chess is one of the

oldest games in the world and it is assumed that the Origin of Chess is India and then spread over to the Arabian countries.

Mechanics At the beginning of the game the chessboard is laid out so that each

player has the white (or light) color square in the bottom right-hand side. The

chess pieces are then arranged the same way each time. The second row (or rank) is filled with pawns. The rooks go in the corners, then the knights next to them, followed by the bishops, and finally the queen, who always goes on her own matching color (white queen on white, black queen on black), and the king on the remaining square.The player with the white pieces always moves first. Therefore, players generally decide who will get to be white by chance or luck such as flipping a coin or having one player guess the color of the hidden pawn in the other player's hand. White then makes a move, followed by black, then white again, then black and so on until the end of the game.

ScoringPlayers are granted one point (1) for a win, a half (½) point for a draw,

and no points (0) for a loss toward their tournament score, unless otherwise stated by the tournament director beforehand. Full-point byes are received when a player is excluded from a round because of an extra player. Thus, in tournaments with an odd number of players, a different player will receive a full-point each round. A full-point bye is equal in points to a normal win. Half-point byes can be requested by a player who will be unavailable for a round. If accepted, the player will receive a half-point, as if they had drawn the game.[22] A player who wins by forfeit or default will also be granted one point. Players may use the following format to record the game score

Equipment Chess set usually means a board plus pieces. Some players say set to

mean just the pieces. Sets can be bought as a board together with pieces or assembled by combining a board with separate pieces.

The first clocks, used in the 19th century, were sandglasses, which kept track of each player's time on a different device. These were soon superseded by two connected analog clocks. One player's clock starts as soon as the other player has made a move and punched the clock.

SCRABBLEHistory

Scrabble has long been one of the most popular board games in the world, with multiple tournaments held around the globe. According to Time Magazine, about 150 million copies of the game have been sold, and you can

find a Scrabble set in a full third of homes in the United States. It's even spawned a wildly successful smartphone game known as Words With Friends, which pits players against each other in an online arena. You can find Scrabble in nearly 30 different languages and more than 120 countries.

The game was originally developed by a man named Alfred Mosher Butts, based on another game he had invented a few years prior. Scrabble as we know it came into being in the year 1938 – when Butts used a spreadsheet to manually calculate the frequency in which letters appeared in sources like the dictionary, The Saturday Evening Post and The New York Times, which he then referred to when figuring out how much they should be worth.

Scrabble hit it big in 1952 when Jack Straus, president of Macy's, played a game on vacation. When he returned home, he was surprised to learn that his store didn't carry it, and ordered a large volume. Within a year, Scrabble had taken off!

The game has even earned its own television show. The original Scrabble show ran from 1984 to 1990, with a second run in 1993. A new variation was launched in 2011. Although the rules of Scrabble Showdown are slightly different, they fundamentally retain the same practices that were put into place nearly 80 years ago.

Inventor

Alfred Mosher Butts was an American architect, famous for inventing the board game Scrabble in 1938. Born: April 13, 1899, Poughkeepsie, New York, United StatesDied: April 4, 1993, Rhinebeck, New York, United StatesEducation: University of Pennsylvania

Mechanics

#1The first player combines two or more of his or her letters to form a word and places it on the board to read either across or down with one letter on the center square. Diagonal words are not allowed.#2Complete your turn by counting and announcing your score for that turn. Then draw as many new letters as you played; always keep seven letters on your rack, as long as there are enough tiles left in the bag.#3

Play passes to the left. The second player, and then each in turn, adds one or more letters to those already played to form new words. All letters played on a turn must be placed in one row across or down the board, to form at least one complete word. If, at the same time, they touch others letters in adjacent rows, those must also form complete words, crossword fashion, with all such letters. The player gets full credit for all words formed or modified on his or her turn.#4New words may be formed by:Adding one or more letters to a word or letters already on the board.Placing a word at right angles to a word already on the board. The new word must use one of the letters already on the board or must add a letter to it. (See Turns 2, 3 and 4 below.)Placing a complete word parallel to a word already played so that adjacent letters also form complete words. (See Turn 5 in the Scoring Examples section below.)#5No tile may be shifted or replaced after it has been played and scored.#6Blanks: The two blank tiles may be used as any letters. When playing a blank, you must state which letter it represents. It remains that letter for the rest of the game.#7You may use a turn to exchange all, some, or none of the letters. To do this, place your discarded letter(s) facedown. Draw the same number of letters from the pool, then mix your discarded letter(s) into the pool. This ends your turn.#8Any play may be challenged before the next player starts a turn. If the play challenged is unacceptable, the challenged player takes back his or her tiles and loses that turn. If the play challenged is acceptable, the challenger loses his or her next turn. Consult the dictionary for challenges only. All words made in one play are challenged simultaneously. If any word is unacceptable, then the entire play is unacceptable. Only one turn is lost on any challenge.#9The game ends when all letters have been drawn and one player uses his or her last letter; or when all possible plays have been made.Scoring#1Use a score pad or piece of paper to keep a tally of each player's score, entering it after each turn. The score value of each letter is indicated by a number at the bottom of the tile. The score value of a blank is zero.#2The score for each turn is the sum of the letter values in each word(s) formed or modified on that turn, plus the additional points obtained from placing letters on Premium Squares.#3Premium Letter Squares: A light blue square doubles the score of a letter placed on it; a dark blue square triples the letter score.#4

Premium Word Squares: The score for an entire word is doubled when one of its letters is placed on a pink square: it is tripled when one of its letters is placed on a red square. Include premiums for double or triple letter values, if any, before doubling or tripling the word score. If a word is formed that covers two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then re-doubled (4 times the letter count), or tripled and then re-tripled (9 times the letter count). NOTE: the center square is a pink square, which doubles the score for the first word.#5Letter and word premiums count only on the turn in which they are played. On later turns, letters already played on premium squares count at face value.#6When a blank tile is played on a pink or red square, the value of the word is doubled or tripled, even though the blank itself has no score value.#7When two or more words are formed in the same play, each is scored. The common letter is counted (with full premium value, if any) for each word. (See Turns 3, 4 and 5 in the Scoring Examples section.)#8BINGO! If you play seven tiles on a turn, it's a Bingo. You score a premium of 50 points after totaling your score for the turn.#9Unplayed Letters: When the game ends, each player's score is reduced by the sum of his or her unplayed letters. In addition, if a player has used all of his or her letters, the sum of the other players' unplayed letters is added to that player's score.#10The player with the highest final score wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the highest score before adding or deducting unplayed letters wins.

GAME OF THE GENERALHistory

The Game of the Generals, also called Salpakan and simply The Generals, is an educational wargame invented in the Philippines by Sofronio H. Pasola, Jr. in 1970. It can be played within twenty to thirty minutes. It is designed for two players and requires the use of logic. The games simulates armies at war trying to outflank and outmaneuver each other. As in actual warfare, the game allows only one side's plan to succeed. Certain strategies and tactics, however, allow both sides the chances of securing a better idea of the other's plans as the game progresses. 

In 1980, Ideal released The Generals Electronic Strategy Game. The rules and piece ranks are the same as above, except that the "Spies" are "Agents", and an "electronic arbiter" "determines" which piece wins in a confrontation; neither player sees his opponent's pieces. The plastic pieces have selected notches on their bases, which depress certain indentations in the "electronic arbiter's" twin slots. The lights flash and a short musical phrase plays before a light labeled "battle winner" is illuminated. The losing piece is removed from the board, while the winning piece is place back on the board. If the flag is placed in the "electronic arbiter", it plays "Taps" after the initial musical phrase. 

Unlike the original version of the game, if a player's flag reaches the back row in The Generals Electronic Strategy Game, that player wins, even if an opposing piece occupies an adjacent square on the back row. 

Unlike the somewhat similar game of Stratego, Generals does not have any bombs, nor miners to defuse them, nor scouts to zip several spaces across the board in one move. Nor does Generals have any immovable pieces (both the flag and the bombs in Stratego are stationary). In addition, unlike Stratego, which features two "lakes" in the middle of the board, all the squares on the board are accessible. Also, each player has two Agents, while in Stratego, he only has one Spy.

Inventor Sofronio H. Pasola, Jr

Mechanics and RulesThe objective of the game is to eliminate or capture the flag of one's opponent, or to maneuver one's flag to the other end of the board.

Pieces are not required to be placed in a definite pattern 

Players place their pieces according to their strategy 

But players are only allowed to place their pieces on the first 3 rows of their side of the board 

Pieces should face their owners so it can't be seen by the opponent 

Players decide who goes first then they take turns alternately

Equipment Game board- 9x8 squares. Shaded squares are allotted for the pieces

in their initial position. Pieces- 21 pieces. For moves and ranks.

WORD FACTORYHistory

Boggle or Word factory is a word game designed by Alan Turoff in 1972 and trademarked by Parker Brothers and Hasbro. The game is played using a 4x4 grid of lettered dice, in which players attempt to find words in sequences of adjacent letters."

In the Philippines, a similar game which was first distributed in 1978 and is still in circulation up to the present is the game "Word Factory." The game was first patented in the Philippines, and is currently being manufactured and distributed to selected retailers by the Philippines-based game manufacturer, 13 P.M. Enterprises. Word Factory was a variation on the version of Boggle as it existed in 1978, using a 5x5 grid instead of a 4x4 one, and using plastic dice instead of wooden ones. At present, the game is being marketed to other countries, targeting mostly migrant Filipino families.

In a nutshell, 1978 when "Word Factory" game was first distributed in the

Philippines not long after the "Boggle" game relaunched and redesigned their marketing sell in 1976 since its birth in 1972. However, the "Word Factory" as one of the Boggle game variants has no record yet on Wikipedia as we speak.

Rules and MechanicsThe game begins by shaking a covered tray of 16 cubic dice, each with

a different letter printed on each of its sides. The dice settle into a 4×4 tray so that only the top letter of each cube is visible. After they have settled into the grid, a three-minute sand timer is started and all players simultaneously begin the main phase of play.[3]

Each player searches for words that can be constructed from the letters of sequentially adjacent cubes, where "adjacent" cubes are those horizontally, vertically, and diagonally neighboring. Words must be at least three letters long, may include singular and plural (or other derived forms) separately, but may not use the same letter cube more than once per word. Each player records all the words he or she finds by writing on a private sheet of paper. After three minutes have elapsed, all players must immediately stop writing and the game enters the scoring phase.In the scoring phase, each player reads off his or her list of discovered words. If two or more players wrote the same word, it is removed from all players' lists. Any player may challenge the validity of a word, in which case a previously nominateddictionary is used to verify or refute it. For all words remaining after duplicates have been eliminated, points are awarded based on the length of the word. The winner is the player whose point total is highest, with any ties typically broken by count of long words.One cube is printed with "Qu." This is because Q is nearly always followed by U in English words (see exceptions), and if there were a Q in Boggle, it would be challenging to use if a U did not, by chance, appear next to it. For the purposes of scoring Qu counts as two letters: squid would score two points (for a five-letter word) despite being formed from a chain of only four cubes.The North American National Scrabble Association publishes the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD), which is also suitable for Boggle.[4] This dictionary includes all variant forms of words up to eight letters in length. A

puzzle book entitled 100 Boggle Puzzles (Improve Your Game) offering 100 game positions was published in the UK in 2003 but is no longer in print.Different versions of Boggle have varying distributions of letters. For example, a more modern version in the UK has easier letters, such as only one K, but an older version (with a yellow box, from 1986) has two Ks and a generally more awkward letter distribution.Using the sixteen cubes in a standard Boggle set, the list of longest words that can be formed includes inconsequentially, quadricentennials, and sesquicentennials, all seventeen-letter words made possible by q and u appearing on the same face of one cube.[2]

Words within words are also allowed, for example: master, the two separate words being mast and aster. Neither the cubes nor the board may be touched while the timer is running.

DOMINOHistory

The precise details of the invention and origin of dominoes are subject to much conjecture, but by whoever and wherever they were first developed they have since become one of the most hugely popular and versatile gaming implements ever devised by man, played by kings, presidents and commoners alike, all over the world.

The invention of dominoes is most often attributed to the Chinese in the 12th-century.  But some attribute their origins to Egypt and Asia from a much earlier time in history.  Probably the earliest known domino set was found in the ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamen's tomb in Thebes.  Tutankhamen reigned in Egypt's 18th dynasty, around 1355 BC, and the set discovered is now on display in an Egyptian museum in Cairo.  The earliest known Chinese set of dominoes has been dated to 1120 AD.  Of course, it is possible that dominoes, like ordinary dice, were developed independently by a number of different cultures all around the world at various different times in mankind's history.

Chinese history relates a number of different accounts of dominoes' invention, so are probably all legend and none can be taken as a definitive and true version of their origin.  According to some Chinese accounts an heroic soldier called Hung Ming (181 - 234 AD) invented them to help keep

his soldiers awake during night watches when encamped before battle.  Others state that Keung T'ai Kung invented them in the 12th-century.  A Chinese historical account called the Chu sz Yam ("Investigations on the Traditions of All Things") states they were invented by a nobleman who then presented them to the Chinese Emperor Hui Tsung whose son Kao Tsung (1127 - 1160 AD) subsequently had them circulated abroad.  None of these accounts can be considered a credible version of dominoes' origin.

Dominoes didn't appear in the West until the early 18th-century when they were first noted in Italy.  It has been suggested that they arrived in Italy via trading routes from the Far East, but no one knows this for sure.  They subsequently spread all over Europe, then to England, and from there to the Americas. They arrived in the UK late in the 18th-century, possibly imported by French prisoners of war, and rapidly became a very popular game in traditional inns and drinking taverns at that time.

The word "domino" is thought to be derived from the contrasting black spots on a white background which is reminiscent of a kind of black hood worn by Christian priests in Europe which was traditionally also called a "domino".  The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word "dominus", which means "lord" or "master".

Dominoes bear an unmistakeable relationship to standard ordinary spotted dice, and it is thought that whoever invented them took their inspiration from the spotted dice that certainly preceded them.  The resemblance between dominoes and dice is in the unmistakeable spotted values found on both gaming implements with dominoes bearing all the possible combinations of two spotted dice.  The numbering of clay tiles was used by the Babylonians in their business accounting, and they could possibly have been the forerunners of dominoes.  It doesn't take much imagination to see dice used in games being crossed with accounting tiles used for business, to produce dominoes.

Today, dominoes, in one form or another, are played all over the world but are most popular in South American countries and the Caribbean where they are considered to be the national game of many nations.

InventorAccording to a tradition current among the Chinese laborers in the

United States, dominoes were invented by Hung Ming,1 a hero of that popular romance, the Sám Kwok chi,2 for the amusement of his soldiers to keep them awake during the watches of the night in their camp before the enemy.

Rules and MechanicsThere are a variety of types of domino sets in use all over the world

and a great number of games that can be played with them.  Following are the rules for the two most commonly played games in the West - the "standard" or "block" game and the "draw" game.  The instructions describe the games played with the standard or "double-six" domino set comprising 28 tiles, but the games can be played with a double-nine or a double-twelve set.  A few variations are given at the bottom of the page.  In England these games tend to be played in pubs by four players as two sets of partners sitting opposite each other.  Following is the game All Fives and variations - this Dominoes game is very popular in the USA.

The Start

The dominoes are ritually shuffled face down in circles with the flat of the hand - producing a sound that has been familiar down the centuries.   Each player draws 6 dominoes and places them so that the other players can't see their value.  The traditional English pub method of doing this is face down in two rows of three so that all six can be picked up with both hands, looked at and returned leaving the other hand free for the equally important business of drinking a pint.  Beginners can just place them on their edge in a row facing them.  Remaining dominoes are termed "sleeping" tiles. 

The first person to play is that person holding the double-six, or failing that the double-five and so on.  The tile played must be the double tile that permitted the player to take the first turn. If none of the players hold a double, then the tiles are reshuffled and re-drawn.

 

The Play

Each player must in turn then play a tile onto the table positioning it so that it touches either end of the domino chain which thus gradually increases in length.  A player may only play a tile which has upon it a number showing at one end of the domino chain or the other.  If a player plays a domino with the result that both ends of the chain show the same number (normally a number which is useful to the player and distasteful to the opponents), that player is said to have "stitched up" the ends.

The way that the tiles are placed provides a small part of the entertainment.   Each tile being placed must be positioned so that the two matching ends are adjacent.  Unless, the tile is a double, the tile can be placed square in any one of the three directions as long as the two matching sides are touching

fully.  Doubles are always placed cross-ways across the end of the chain.  A tile played to a double must also be placed accordingly - perpendicular to the double touching at its middle.  The shape of the domino chain develops snake-line at random according to the whims of the players and the limitations of the playing surface. 

If a player can lay a domino, then it must be played. Otherwise the player "knocks", or raps the table and play passes to the next player.  The opposing players will, of course, make mental note of the numbers currently available on the table and try to ensure that they are available in future too..... 

The End

Normally play stops when one player "chips out" (plays his last domino) although some versions require both partners to chip out.  If it reaches a point at which no player can proceed, the winners are the partners whose combined sum of all spots on their remaining dominoes is the least.

For scoring, some pubs would play a point per game.  A more interesting method, that might be scored using a cribbage board, has the winners score the sum of all spots on the losers remaining tiles.  In a game which doesn't result in anyone chipping out, the winners would receive the difference between the winners total spots and the losers total spots. A game can be played to 100 points, say, or on a cribbage board, 121 points.

Variations

Games can also be played in the same way with two players (start with 8 tiles), three players (start with 6 tiles), five players (start with 5 tiles) or with four players without partnership. 

The same game can be played with a double-twelve set (91 tiles) or a double-nine set (55 tiles) domino sets.  With a double-twelve set, four players would pick 12 tiles each and with a double-nine set, nine tiles would be taken at the start.

 

The Draw Game

Really no more than a variant of the Block game, the Draw Game is more popular in many parts of the world.  Players take less dominoes initially but a player who cannot place a domino must pick a sleeping domino to add to their set.   When the sleeping dominoes run out, players simply pass their turn when they cannot go.  For this variation, two players would start with 7 dominoes, three players with 5 tiles, four players with 4 tiles and five players with 3 tiles.

The difference between the two games is that in the Draw Game, players know that all the tiles will end up in play - this enables them to better deduce what tiles other players might be holding. With the Block game, since a few tiles remain sleeping and unknown throughout the game, a larger element of uncertainty reigns.

 

Cross Dominoes

An extension to the Draw game, this variation gives players more options and also takes up less table space!

The game is played in exactly the same way as the Draw game but with a different start. After the first doublet is played, the next four tiles played must be played against that doublet so as to form a cross. So for this first doublet only, dominoes are played adjacent to all four sides of the tile. Players may have to take sleeping tiles before this is accomplished but as soon as the cross is complete, play continues as in the draw game. Thus from that point on, each turn has four dominoes available to be played against instead of two.

 

Double Nine Cross Dominoes

This variation is suitable for Double Nine sets. Two or three players start with seven tiles each, four or more players start with five tiles each. Play starts as per Cross dominoes with the second to fifth tiles played forming a cross around the initial doublet. Thereafter play continues as per the Draw game but whenever a doublet is laid down, two new chains can start from it. Therefore, the number of available chains becomes much larger than for previous games.

The same game starting with the same number of tiles per person should be possible with Double Twelve sets, too.

 

All Fives

Also known as "Muggins" and "The Five Game", All Fives is played with a double six set of dominoes by two to four players.  The dominoes are shuffled face down and each player takes five dominoes (regardless of the number of players).   The player with the highest doublet plays first and turns proceed in a clockwise direction.  Scoring happens during and at the end of each game so it is important to keep track constantly - a cribbage board is an ideal scoring tool.

The first player lays down any tile and play continues as in the Block Game with each player laying down a tile so that the tile it connects with matches in number.   Players additionally attempt to lay down tiles so that the sum of the numbers at either end of the chain add up to 5 or a multiple of 5 because any such play adds that amount to the score of the player.  Doublets are laid down across the direction of the chain as in the Block game and for the purposes totaling both ends count as the total of all spots on the doublet.  So, for instance, if there is a 3 at one end of the chain and a 6 at the other, a player could play the double 6 which would be useful because the ends would add up to 3 + 6 + 6 = 15, a multiple of five.  If there is a double five at one end and a blank at the other, a player could play the double blank so that the ends add up to 10.

Should a player lay down a tile so that the ends add up to a multiple of five and fail to declare it, any player can shout "Muggins!" as soon as the next tile is laid and claim the score instead.  While there are three or more sleeping tiles left in the middle of the table, when a player cannot play, that player takes a sleeping tile instead.  Once there are only two sleeping tiles remaining, a player who cannot play merely passes for that turn.

The game ends as soon as a player has no more tiles left or alternatively when none of the players can play a tile.  The winner is the player who has no tiles left or, if no player managed to go out, the players add up the spots on their remaining dominoes and the winner is the player with the smallest total.  Each loser subtracts the winner's spot total (which is zero if the winner went out) from their spot total, rounds the result to the nearest multiple of five and adds this quantity to the score of the winner.   For example, if the winner has a spot total of 3, and the losers have respectively spot totals of 11, 6 and 5, the total awarded to the winner is calculated as follows:

Loser 1 subtracts the winner's spot total of 3 from 11 = 8 and rounds this to the nearest multiple of 5 which is 10.

Loser 2 subtracts the winner's spot total of 3 from 6 = 3 and rounds this to the nearest multiple of 5 which is 5. 

Loser 3 subtracts the winner's spot total of 3 from 5 = 2 and rounds this to the nearest multiple of 5 which is 0. So the winner gains 15 extra points.

The first player to reach a score of 100 wins the match.

 

All Fives and Threes

This game is played in the same way as All Fives except that multiples of three now also count for points.  So during the game, if a player lays down a tile such that the ends add up to 6, that players scores 6 points for the multiple of 3.  A total of 10 scores 10 points for a multiple of five and a total of 15 scores 15 points (a multiple of five and three).  At the end of the game,

the winner is simply awarded the points from the losers remaining tiles or their differences on a point for point basis.

Scoring In blocking games, scoring happens at the end of the game. After a player has emptied his hand, thereby winning the game for their team, the score consists of the total pip count of the losing teams' hands. In some rules, the pip count of the remaining stock is added. If a game is blocked because no player can move, the winner is often determined by adding the pips in players' hands.[9]

In scoring games, each individual can potentially add to the score. For example, in Bergen, players score 2 points whenever they cause a configuration in which both open ends have the same value and 3 points if additionally one open end is formed by a double.[12][13] In Muggins, players score by ensuring the total pip count of the open ends is a multiple of a certain number. In variants of Muggins, the line of play may branch due to spinners.In British public houses and social clubs, a scoring version of "5s-and-3s" is used. The game is normally played in pairs (two against two) and is played as a series of "ends". In each "end", the objective is for players to attach a domino from their hand to one end of those already played so that the sum of the end dominoes is divisible by 5 or 3. One point is scored for each time 5 or 3 can be divided into the sum of the two dominoes i.e. four at one end and 5 at the other makes 9, which is divisible by 3 three times, resulting in 3 points. Double 5 at one end and 5 at the other makes 15 which is divisible by 3 five times (5 points) and divisible by 5 three times (3 points) for a total of 8 points.An "end" stops when one of the players is out, i.e., has played all of his dominoes. In the event no player is able to empty his hand, then the player with the lowest domino left in hand is deemed to be 'out' and scores one point. A game consists of any number of "ends" with points scored in the "ends" accumulating towards a total. The game ends when one of the pairs'

total score exceeds a set number of points. A running total score is often is kept on a cribbage board. 5s-and-3s is played in a number of competitive leagues in the British Isles.

BADMINTONHistory

In the 5th century BC, the people in china then played a game calledti jian zi. A direct translation from this word 'ti jian zi' is kicking the shuttle. As the name suggest, the objective of the game is to keep the shuttle from hitting the ground without using hand. Whether this sport has anything to do with the History of Badminton is up for debate. It was however the first game that uses a Shuttle.

About five centuries later, a game named Battledore and Shuttlecock was played in china, Japan, India and Greece. This is a game where you use the Battledore (a paddle) to hit the Shuttlecock back and forth. By the 16th century, it has become a popular game among children in England. In Europe this game was known as jeu de volant to them. In the 1860s, a game named Poona was played in India. This game is much like the Battledore and Shuttlecock but with an added net. The British army learned this game in India and took the equipments back to England during the 1870s.

In 1873, the Duke of Beaufort held a lawn party in his country place, Badminton. A game of Poona was played on that day and became popular among the British society's elite. The new party sport became known as "the Badminton game". In 1877, the Bath Badminton Club was formed and developed the first official set of rules.

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) was formed in 1934 with 9 founding members.

- England- Ireland- Scotland- Wales- Denmark- Holland- Canada- New Zealand- France

Since then, major international tournaments like the Thomas Cup (Men) and Uber Cup (Women) were held. Badminton was officially granted Olympic status in the 1992 Barcelona Games. From 9 founding members, IBF now have over 150 member countries. The future of Badminton looks bright indeed.

TERMINOLOGIES

Basic strokesThere are many strokes in badminton; below is a list of basic strokes, which is divided into strokes played from the forecourt, midcourt, and rearcourt (the forecourt is the part of the court near the net, the rearcourt is the part of the court farthest away from the net, and the midcourt is the area in between them).This list does not include every possible stroke, but only the strokes that are commonly played from that part of the court. The descriptions also assume that the players are of a very high standard and are making sensible choices of strokes

Serve The serve begins a rally. Serves are subject to several service laws that limit the attacking potential for service. The overall effect of these laws is that the server must hit in an upwards direction; "tennis serves" are prohibited.

Low serveThe low serve travels into the receiver's forecourt, to fall on or just behind his short service line. Low serves must travel as close to the net tape as possible, or they will be attacked fiercely. In doubles, the straight low serve is the most frequently used service variation.

High serveThe high serve is hit very high, so that the shuttle falls vertically at the back of the receiver's service court. The high serve is never used in doubles, but is common in singles.Flick serveAlthough the flick serve is hit upwards, the trajectory is much shallower than the high serve.Drive serveDrive serves are hit flat to the back of the receiver's service court. The drive serve is almost never used in elite games, because it relies on the receiver being unprepared. If the receiver reacts well, then the drive serve will be severely punished.NetshotA netshot is played into the opponent's forecourt, as close to the net as possible.

Net killA net kill is an attempt to win the rally outright. A net kill is the most aggressive stroke in badminton: the opponent has little or no chance of returning the shuttle. Net kills are played steeply downwards with pace into the opponent's forecourt or midcourt.Long killThe long kill is a net kill that is not so steep and therefore travels towards the rearcourt. A long kill is only used if a steeper kill cannot be played. It is similar to a net drive, but much more aggressive. The long kill can be played when returning a poor low serve.Net drive, net push, net liftThese strokes are all the same as their midcourt counterparts, which are described below.

DriveA drive is played when the shuttle is near net height, at the side of the player's body. Drives pass with pace into the opponent's midcourt or rearcourt. Although drives are played with pace, very high shuttle speed is not desirable because the shuttle will go out at the back. The trajectory of a drive is approximately flat.

Half-court driveA drive played from in front of the body, usually hitting the shuttle from nearer the net than an ordinary drive.

PushA push is played from the same situation as a drive, but played softly into the opponent's forecourt or front midcourt.

Half-court pushA push played from in front of the body, usually hitting the shuttle from nearer the net than an ordinary push.

LiftA lift is played upwards to the back of the opponent's court. Midcourt lifts are most commonly played in response to a smash or well-placed push.Defensive liftA lift that is hit very high, so that the player gains time for recovery to a good base position. Defensive lifts, because of the flight characteristics of a shuttlecock, force the opponent to hit from the extreme back of the court.Attacking liftA lift that is hit more shallowly, so that the opponent is forced to move very quickly to prevent the shuttle from travelling behind him. Attacking lifts, because of the flight characteristics of a shuttlecock, may be intercepted slightly earlier than defensive lifts.

Clear

A clear travels high and to the back of the opponent's rearcourt.

Defensive clearA clear that is hit very high, so that the player gains time for recovery to a good base position. Defensive clears, because of the flight characteristics of a shuttlecock, force the opponent to hit from the extreme back of the court.

Attacking clearA clear that is hit more shallowly, so that the opponent is forced to move very quickly to prevent the shuttle from travelling behind him. Attacking clears, because of the flight characteristics of a shuttlecock, may be intercepted slightly earlier than defensive clears.

SmashA smash is a powerful stroke, played so that the shuttle travels steeply downwards at great speed into the opponent's midcourt.Jump smashA smash where the player jumps for height. The aim of a jump smash is to hit the smash at a steeper angle. Jump smashes are most common in men's doubles.

DropshotA dropshot is played downwards into the opponent's forecourt. Dropshots must be disguised as smashes or clears, so that the opponent cannot anticipate the dropshot.

Equipment

RacketThe badminton racket is one of the most important tools a player has in the game. Badminton rackets are much lighter than most other sports rackets because they are made from materials such as carbon fiber or lighter metals such as aluminum. Parts of the racket include the head, throat, shaft and handle with a maximum length of 27.77 inches and a width of 9 inches. It Strings that are stretched across the opening of the racket in a checkerboard pattern, which acts as the hitting surface. Badminton rackets can vary widely in cost depending on whether they are purchased as part of a basic backyard set or as more expensive professional models.

ShuttlecockThe badminton shuttlecock, also referred to as a shuttle or birdie, acts similarly to a ball in other racket sports. However, the design of the birdie creates more drag as it is propelled through the air due to its feathered shape. The shuttlecock is made up of a cone shape with a hard cork at its tip. Shuttlecocks can be made from a variety of materials -- more expensive models are actually made from feathers, and less expensive models are made from plastic feathers. The shuttle has 16 feathers attached to the base and the length of the feathers range between 2.44 and 2.75 inches.

NetA mesh net divides the badminton court into two sides. A badminton net is placed lower than a volleyball net at five feet and one inch high on the sides and five feet high in the center. The length may vary depending on whether doubles or singles are playing, with singles reaching 17 feet and doubles reaching 22 feet. The net is 30 inches wide with a 3-inch white tape doubled over the top.

FacilitiesThe badminton court should be 44 feet long by 22 feet wide if playing doubles, and 44 feet long by 17 feet wide for singles. If the facility is indoors, there needs to be enough height for the shuttlecock to be able to float across the net without hitting the ceiling. This height will vary depending on the strength of the players.

ScoringScoring System

o A match consists of the best of 3 games of 21 points.o Every time there is a serve – there is a point scored.o The side winning a rally adds a point to its score.o At 20 all, the side which gains a 2 point lead first, wins that game.o At 29 all, the side scoring the 30th point, wins that game.o The side winning a game serves first in the next game.

Interval and Change of Ends

o When the leading score reaches 11 points, players have a 60 second interval.

o A 2 minute interval between each game is allowed.o In the third game, players change ends when the leading score

reaches 11 points.

Singles

o At the beginning of the game (0-0) and when the server’s score is even, the server serves from the right service court. When the server’s score is odd, the server serves from the left service court.

o If the server wins a rally, the server scores a point and then serves again from the alternate service court.

o If the receiver wins a rally, the receiver scores a point and becomes the new server. They serve from the appropriate service court – left if their score is odd, and right if it is even.

Doubles

o A side has only one ‘service’.o The service passes consecutively to the players as shown in the

diagram.o At the beginning of the game and when the score is even, the server

serves from the right service court. When it is odd, the server serves from the left court.

o If the serving side wins a rally, the serving side scores a point and the same server serves again from the alternate service court.

o If the receiving side wins a rally, the receiving side scores a point. The receiving side becomes the new serving side.

o The players do not change their respective service courts until they win a point when their side is serving.

If players commit an error in the service court, the error is corrected when the mistake is discovered.