Curling is a team sport played on ice that resembles shuffleboard. Strategy is so important to this sport that it is sometimes called "chess on ice," notes "Sign Me Up!," author Stacy M. DeBroff. This strategic sport that originated in Scotland and Northern Europe has been around since the 1500s. More than 1.5 million people worldwide currently enjoy the sport.
Basic Strategy
Two four-player teams compete to see which can get its 42-lb. polished granite rocks closest to the center of a 12-foot-wide target painted on the ice. Players are allowed to knock the other team's rocks out of the way. Each player is responsible for delivering two stones, but all four players have a role on each delivery. One player releases the shot. The player called the skip calls the shot and determines whether sweeping is necessary. The other two players sweep the ice in front of the rock as it travels to polish the ice and manipulate the rock's direction and speed.
Take-out Strategy
Take-out strategy is a defensive style. The idea is to keep the circles where points are scored free of your opponents' rocks and to leave the front of this area open. This strategy calls for holding a lead or keeping the score close as the game progresses. Shots in this strategy are relatively simple because few rocks remain in play, or in the scoring area.
Draw Game Strategy
Draw game strategy is a more aggressive form of play. Shots are planned to score more than one point or to steal points from the opponent. Draw game strategy requires more finesse than take-out strategy. Maneuvers also are more risky and difficult. This type of strategy is more complicated than take-out strategy because more rocks are usually in play.
Considerations
Strategy will vary from game to game --- and may even change in the middle of a game --- in part because ice conditions are ever-changing. While it is important to start a game with a strategy in mind, it's also important to be flexible and willing to change your strategy as the game develops, notes USA Curling, the governing body for the sport in the United States. Whether your team shoots last also affects strategy. It is an advantage to be the team that throws the last rock. This is called the hammer. Having the advantage of the hammer generally allows you to use a more aggressive strategy.
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