Despite its name, the Chinese Checkers is not a variation of checkers, nor did it originate in China or any part of Asia. The game was invented in Germany in 1892 under the name “Stern-Halma” as a variation of the older American game Halma. The “Stern” (German for star) refers to the board’s star shape (in contrast to the square board used in Halma). The name “Chinese Checkers” originated in the United States as a marketing scheme by the Pressman company in 1928.
