Chaux-De-Fonds

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

LA, a town of Switzerland, in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is in the valley of the Jura, about 3,000 feet above sea-level. The town contains a Protestant church, a hospital, a college, and other institutions. Its chief industry is the manufacture of watches, scientific instruments, and articles in gold, silver, bronze, and enamel. Pop. about 40,000. CHAVANNES. See PUVIS DE CHA- VANNES. called DRAUGHTS), a game played by two persons on a board similar to that used in playing chess. Each player has a set of 12 pieces, consisting of small, round, flat disks, made of wood or ivory; one set being black and the other white. The pieces must all be placed on the same color on the board, in alternate fours in the first three rows before each player. The pieces must move only one square at a time, diagonally and forward. If an opponent's piece stands in the way, there is no retreat-the player must either advance or take his adversary's piece. A piece can only be taken, however, when there is a vacant space directly behind it; the attacking piece is lifted over and placed on this vacant square, while the piece leaped over is removed from the board. The object is either to take all the adversary's pieces, or to hem them in so that he cannot play. The game increases in interest toward the close, as those pieces that reach a vacant square on the adversary's king row become kings (or, as some style them, queens), that is, their power is doubled, and they can move backward or forward to all parts of the board. The game of checkers does not require so much science as chess, but it is a favorite recreation with a great number of people. In France it is called Les Dames, probably on account of its always having been very popular with ladies.