Carrom is believed to have originated in India around a hundred years ago. No one really knows who invented it but it became very popular and is now one of the most widely played games throughout southern Asia.

The equipment used to play carrom consists of a board with four holes or pockets, nine white pieces and nine black pieces called the carrom-men, and a red or patterned piece is known as the queen. The pieces are made of wood. A striker is used to knock the carrom-men into the pockets. This is usually made of plastic but in the past would have been made from ivory or bone. To allow the pieces to glide around the table better and so speed up the game, many players first cover the board with boric acid.

Carrom is a game for two or four players. Players sit opposite each another and take turns trying to slide the carrom-men into the pockets at each corner using the striker. The object of the game is to clear all your carrom-men before your opponent. Before you pocket your last carrom-man, one player must pocket the queen and then pocket another carom-man directly after. If you fail to do this the queen is replaced on the table.

The first international carrom tournament took place in 1989 with India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Germany, Switzerland and Holland competing for a silver cup.

How to play Carrom