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Twisted links are a generalization of virtual links. As virtual links correspond to abstract links on orientable surfaces, twisted links correspond to abstract links on (possibly non-orientable) surfaces. In this paper, we introduce the notion of the double covering of a twisted link. It is defined by considering the orientation double covering of an abstract link or alternatively by constructing a diagram called a double covering diagram. We also discuss links in thickened surfaces, their diagrams and their stable equivalence classes. Bourgoin’s twisted knot group is understood as the virtual knot group of the double covering.

Virtual knot theory is a generalization of knot theory which is based on Gauss chord diagrams and link diagrams on closed oriented surfaces. A twisted knot is a generalization of a virtual knot, which corresponds to a link diagram on a possibly non-orientable surface. In this paper, we discuss an invariant of twisted links which is obtained from the JKSS invariant of virtual links by use of double coverings. We also discuss some properties of double covering diagrams.

Checkerboard framings are an extension of checkerboard colorings for virtual links. According to checkerboard framings, in 2017, Dye obtained an independent invariant of virtual links: the cut point number. Checkerboard framings and cut points can be used as a tool to extend other classical invariants to virtual links. We prove that one of the conjectures in Dye’s paper is correct. Moreover, we analyze the connection and difference between checkerboard framing obtained from virtual link diagram by adapting cut points and twisted link diagram obtained from virtual link diagram by introducing bars. By adjusting the normalized arrow polynomial of virtual links, we generalize it to twisted links. We show that it is an invariant for twisted link. Finally, we figure out three characteristics of the normalized arrow polynomial of a checkerboard colorable twisted link, which is a tool of detecting checkerboard colorability of a twisted link. The latter two characteristics are the same as in the case of checkerboard colorable virtual link diagram.

Twisted knot theory, introduced by Bourgoin, is a generalization of virtual knot theory. It is well known that any virtual knot can be deformed into a trivial knot by a finite sequence of generalized Reidemeister moves and two forbidden moves $F1$ and $F2$. Similarly, we show that any twisted knot also can be deformed into a trivial knot or a trivial knot with a bar by a finite sequence of extended Reidemeister moves and three forbidden moves $T4$, $F1$ (or $F2$) and $F3$ (or $F4$).