Crokinole

Image from an in-development computer version of Crokinole

 
Another image from the same in-development computer version of Crokinole

Crokinole is an action board game similar to carrom, shove ha'penny or squails with elements of shuffleboard and curling reduced to table-top size. Players take turns shooting 12 checker-like pieces across the board surface. The pieces have concave faces to reduce sliding friction and often have a central hole. They may also be ring shaped and formed of wood or plastic.

Board dimensions vary with a playing surface typically of polished wood or laminate 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. The outer edge of the board is raised a bit to keep errant shots from flying out, and while often is square or round, it is the distinct eight-sided octagonal board that is most associated with the game nowdays.

Players flick or fillip their pieces (or in some cases use small cue sticks, like those that would be used for Pool and Billiards) 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, or the shot disc is 'fouled' and removed from the board. Many (but not all) rules also state that if no opposing pieces are on the board, you must shoot for and land completely in the guarded center 15-point ring. This is often called the 'no hiding' rule, since it prevents players from placing their first shots where their opponent must traverse completely though the guarded centre ring to hit them and avoid fouling. Scoring occurs after all pieces have been played and is differential: opposing pieces in the same ring cancel. Play continues until a predetermined score is reached.

The game is of uncertain origin, however the first authenticated board was made by a Mennonite sign painter in Ontario in 1875, and the game has remained particularly popular among Canadian Mennonites. It was patented in 1880. It is also called Pichenotte.

The flip side of Carrom-brand game boards is a Crokinole board.

The world championship is held every year in Tavistock, Ontario, Canada.


Bibliography
"The Crokinole Book" by Wayne Kelly, ISBN 091978383X 
"Sports and games in Canadian children's books" by Irene Elizabeth Aubrey; National Library of Canada; ISBN 0662517636 
"Board and table games from many civilizations" by R. C. Bell, Dover Publications, N.Y.,1979; ISBN 0486238555