Canche

Canche is a term commonly used in games of Trivial Pursuit, a popular adult trivia board game. It is used to describe a situation where a player has answered a question incorrectly, but has still managed to move the game piece one space forward on the board.

The term "Canche" is an informalism derived from the French language, where the word "en canche" means "at liberty" or "free to move." In the context of Trivial Pursuit, a player who gains Canche privileges is effectively released from penalties or other obstacles that otherwise would have prevented their forward progress.

Essentially, when a player has Canche, they can move their game piece forward one space if their roll of the dice would otherwise take them to another space. This can lead to strategic gameplay, as players often place a premium on maintaining their forward momentum in the board.

One interesting note about the term "Canche" is that it is sometimes interpreted as a catch-all term for any incorrect answer that yields progress. Some games feature multiple rules governing which types of incorrect answers qualify, and when Canche privileges can be applied. While absolute consistency on the rules governing Canche is unlikely across different versions of the game, the spirit of the term is meant to maintain pace.

The 1981 version of Trivial Pursuit introduced the concept of Canche in combination with certain additional rules in order to ensure more variety in gameplay and some respective variability in the odds, the 20th-year anniversary edition of the game is one example of how the game has consistently carried this spirit throughout the years.