Winter Olympics: what is curling? How chess on ice works, where it came from, and why there

The natural reaction of the general public to watching the Olympic sport of curling is usually one of confusion and amusement, as they watch athletes slowly slide across the ice while frantically sweeping in front of a stone.

Of course, first glances can be deceiving, and curling is much more complex and tense than many would imagine, with the sport sometimes referred to as “chess on ice” because of the amount of strategy involved.

With curling set to be the first event on show at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, the Post breaks down how it all works.

How does curling work?

Right, first of all, the basics.

Each team takes turns sliding a polished granite stone towards the centre of a target – or the “house”, which is composed of four concentric circles, and is placed on both ends of an ice sheet over 45 metres long with a maximum of 5 metres in width.

Points are awarded to the team that places their stones closest to the centre of the house, which can also be referred to as the button.

One point is given for the stone closest to the button, while additional points are awarded for each stone nearer to the centre than the opposing team.

Curlers deliver their stones by pushing themselves off a small starting block known as a hack.

The stones will curl in different directions when they move across the ice, which is where the sport got its name. Athletes can also apply rotations to control the path that the stones will take.

Both teams take alternate turns delivering a set of eight stones to the house.

Points are calculated at the end of each round with most competitions being played over 10 rounds.

Team composition

The number of people on a curling team depends on the discipline, with traditional events requiring four people, while mixed doubles teams only need one man and one woman.

Each team has a team captain – known as a skip – who handles the team’s strategy, often by shouting instructions from the house. When the skip is delivering a stone, the vice-skip takes over.

Athletes in each team have an order in which they deliver their stones. They are the lead, second, third and fourth respectively.

What’s with all the sweeping?

Curling is played on an ice sheet sprinkled with water droplets creating “pebbled ice”, which reduces friction between the stone and ice.

Using specially designed brushes, the sweeping warms the surface of the ice allowing the stone to better glide across. If done well, the distance that a stone will travel could be extended by 2 to 3 metres, in addition to having a straighter trajectory.

Curlers also wear special shoes to navigate the ice, with one shoe gripping the ice and another for sliding across. This allows athletes to slide with the stone on delivery or while sweeping.

Where did it originate from?

The exact origins of the sport are unclear, but the first written evidence of a similar game being played dates back to the year 1540 in Scotland.

The first recognised curling clubs were also from Scotland, with the sport being exported abroad in the 19th century as Scottish people moved overseas.

Making its debut at the first Winter Olympics in 1924, curling was kept as a demonstration sport at the 1932, 1988 and 1992 Games. It was only added to the Olympic programme at the 1998 Nagano games.

Originally played on frozen lochs and ponds, competitions have now moved indoors, where the condition of rinks can be kept consistent.

Which countries should I watch out for?

Canada is one of the most successful countries in the event, with six golds among its total of 11 Olympic medals. Canadian curlers have also won multiple world championships in different curling disciplines.

Sweden is another curling powerhouse, with three gold medals among its total of eight. The Scandinavian country is currently ranked No 1 in the men’s and women’s game by the World Curling Federation.

Norway is another country to watch, but for a completely different reason, with their team having gained international fame for their brightly-coloured trousers at previous Olympic Games.

The outfits have remained popular with fans despite the team announcing their break-up in 2019.