What does draughtboard mean?
A draughtboard is the square playing board used for the game of draughts, known in American English as checkers. It consists of sixty-four small squares in alternating light and dark colours, arranged eight by eight — the same layout used for chess, though the two games use it differently. The term is primarily British; Americans say 'checkerboard', reflecting the different name of the game itself. Beyond its literal sense, 'draughtboard' can describe any surface decorated with a similar alternating-square design, such as tiled floors or fabrics. The word carries a cosy, slightly nostalgic connotation in British usage, often associated with traditional pastimes played at home. It derives from 'draught', the older British spelling of 'draft' combined with 'board', and remains a useful term for anyone discussing board games or chequered patterns with awareness of transatlantic vocabulary differences.
A board marked with sixty-four alternating light and dark squares, used for playing draughts (checkers).
"She bought a handcrafted draughtboard with turned wooden pieces from the village craft fair."
Chiefly British; the usual American equivalent is 'checkerboard'.
A surface or decorative pattern consisting of alternating squares of contrasting colour, resembling a draughts board.
"The entrance hall featured a striking draughtboard floor of polished marble tiles."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple boards.
"The club stored a dozen draughtboards in the cupboard for tournament nights."
The same 64-square board that hosts checkers in America goes by a completely different name across the Atlantic — because the game itself is called draughts in Britain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of draughtboard
The word draughtboard combines 'draught' — the standard British spelling of what Americans write as 'draft' — with 'board'. 'Draught' traces back through Middle English to Old English 'dragan', meaning to draw or pull, ultimately from Proto-Germanic roots shared with modern 'draw' and 'drag'. The spelling with -augh- reflects Middle English orthographic conventions that survived in British English while American English simplified them to -af-. The compound arose because the board is the apparatus for the game called draughts, so named because pieces are drawn or moved across it.
How draughtboard is actually used
The word is chiefly British and somewhat traditional in register, often evoking a homely, old-fashioned image of a family board game. In American contexts, 'checkerboard' is the standard term, and even many younger British speakers now use 'chessboard' loosely or 'checkerboard' under American influence.
Easily confused with draughtboard
Checkerboard is simply the American English name for the same chequered board used for checkers, while draughtboard is the British term tied to the game of draughts.
Chequerboard refers more generally to any alternating-square pattern, while a draughtboard specifically serves as the playing board for the game of draughts.