Checkerboard Bingo Pattern: Rules, Odds & Tips

Which squares make the checkerboard?

Start in a corner and mark every other square, row by row:

• Rows 1, 3 and 5: the B, N and O squares (with the free space in row 3)
• Rows 2 and 4: the I and G squares

13 squares, 12 numbers. By column, you need 3 from B, 2 from I, 2 from N (N1 and N5, since the center is free), 2 from G and 3 from O.

The pattern contains several smaller ones: the letter X (all nine X squares are on the checkerboard) and four corners.

Checkerboard odds by call

Exact single-card figures:

Half of single cards finish by call 72. In a room, our simulation puts the first checkerboard at about call 55 with 50 cards and call 46 with 500 cards. Since the pattern looks the same however you turn it, there’s no crazy version.

Checkerboard vs. letter X

Every square of the letter X is part of the checkerboard, which then adds N1, B3, O3 and N5. Those four extra numbers stretch the game noticeably: with 500 cards in play, the first X usually comes around call 36 and the first checkerboard around call 46.

Tips for players

• Learn the rhythm. Every marked square is diagonal to its neighbors, never side by side. That makes it easy to spot a missed square.
• The X is your head start. If you’ve played the letter X on the same card, you only need four more numbers: N1, B3, O3 and N5.
• B and O need three each. The outer columns contribute the most.

Tips for callers and hosts

The checkerboard is a clever mid-to-late game for regulars who like something different. It suits family game nights and senior centers, where the checkers connection gets a smile. At 12 numbers, give it a medium-to-large prize.

Checking a claim is quick if you read the numbers row by row: three, two, three (with the free space), two, three.

Variations

• Inverse checkerboard: the other 12 squares, 12 numbers with no free space help.
• X then checkerboard: play the letter X, then continue on the same card to the full checkerboard.