alquerque

noun

al·​quer·​que al-ˈkər-kē 

: an ancient board game regarded as a precursor to checkers in which two players each having twelve pieces begin play with their pieces arranged on a board five spaces wide and five spaces deep with one open space in the middle

Draughts were invented about 1100, probably in the south of France, by using backgammon pieces on a chessboard with the moves of alquerque.

—R. C. Bell, Board and Table Game Antiques, 2008

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish, borrowed from Arabic al "the" + qirq, a board game

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

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