Video Checkers
1980 video game for the Atari 2600

Video Checkers is a 1980 strategy video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for the Atari 2600. It is a simulation of the strategy board game checkers where the player is tasked with eliminating or obstructing the movement of all their opponents pieces. Alongside traditional gameplay, either against a computer or human opponent, there is a "Give Away Checkers" ruleset where the goal is to reach a losing state.
Gameplay
Video Checkers is a strategy video game which simulates the game of checkers. The game is played against two players on an 8x8 tile board with twelve pieces per side. A player's goal is to make the opposing side unable to make a valid move, which is accomplished by either blocking all of their opponents moves or capturing each of their pieces. In addition to the standard rules, there is also "Give Away Checkers" which reverses the previous losing condition to be the win condition. Both variants can be played against a computer opponent of nine varying levels of difficulty, while two-person multiplayer is only possible in traditional play.
Development
Video Checkers was developed by Carol Shaw at Atari.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Video Checkers” as 1980 video game for the Atari 2600. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as 1980 video game for the Atari 2600. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q62506960. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1980.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Video Checkers”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Video Checkers primary sources, Video Checkers archive and Video research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Video Checkers”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Video Checkers” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.