Checkers

Checkers rules

• The board has 64 squares, and only the 32 dark ones are used. Each player starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows nearest them.
• Black moves first, then the players take turns. On this page Black’s pieces are inked black and the other side’s are red.
• An ordinary piece, called a man, moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty square.
• To capture, jump diagonally over an opposing piece that sits right next to yours, onto the empty square just beyond it. The jumped piece is removed. Men capture forward only.
• Capturing is compulsory. If you can jump, you must, though you may choose which capture to make when there is more than one.
• If, after a jump, the same piece can jump again, it must carry on in the same move. A chain of jumps can change direction, but it must be followed to the end.
• A man that reaches the far row is crowned and becomes a king. Crowning ends the move, even in the middle of a chain of jumps.
• Kings move one square diagonally, forwards or backwards, and capture by jumping in any of the four diagonal directions. They do not fly across the board as in some other versions of draughts.
• You win when your opponent cannot move, either because all their pieces have been taken or because every piece they have left is blocked.
• The game is a draw if the same position, with the same player to move, comes up for the third time, or if 40 moves go by on each side with no capture and no man moving. The page tracks both and ends the game for you.

How to play on this page

1. Open Setup and choose who you play against: Computer, Friend online, or 2 players, one device. Friend online gives you a link to send, and each of you plays on your own screen.
2. Against the computer, pick Easy, Medium or Hard, and decide whether to play Black and move first, or Red and move second. Your pieces are always at the bottom of the board.
3. Tap or click one of your pieces to pick it up. Rings show the squares it can move to. You can also drag the piece and drop it where you want it to go.
4. When a capture is available, every piece that can make one gets a dashed red ring, and the status line says you must capture. Bold red rings mark the landing squares, and a cross marks each piece about to be jumped.
5. For a chain of jumps, tap each landing square in turn, or drop the piece on the last square straight away. If there is only one way to go on, the whole chain is played for you.
6. The last move stays highlighted, and the count beside each player shows how many pieces they have taken. The small numbers on the squares are the standard square numbers used to write moves down.
7. Undo takes back your last move, together with the computer’s reply. Your settings, score and the game in progress are saved in this browser.

Tips for winning

• Keep your back row filled as long as you can. While those squares are occupied, your opponent cannot crown a king there.
• Move your pieces up together. A piece with friends behind it cannot be jumped, while a lone runner is easy to pick off.
• Look for shots: since captures are compulsory, you can give up one piece to force your opponent into a jump that leaves two or three of theirs open to you.
• Before every move, check what your opponent would be forced to take. The same rule that helps you can drag your pieces out of position.
• Take the center early. Pieces in the middle of the board have more choices than pieces on the edges.
• When you are ahead, trade pieces. Two against one is easier to win than eleven against ten.
• In the ending, use your kings together to drive the last pieces to the edge. A lone king that reaches a double corner, where two dark squares sit side by side in the corner, is very hard to catch, so get there first when you are behind.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to download anything or sign up?

No. The game runs in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone. There is nothing to install and no account to create.

Is checkers the same game as draughts?

Yes. Checkers is the usual name in North America, and draughts is the name in Britain and many other countries. This page plays the standard 8 by 8 version, also known as English draughts. International draughts uses a bigger 10 by 10 board, lets men capture backwards and lets kings fly across the board.

Do I have to capture if I can?

Yes. A capture is never optional. If several captures are possible, you choose which one to make, and you don’t have to pick the one that takes the most pieces. Once you start a chain of jumps, though, you must finish it.

Can a man capture backwards?

No. Men move and capture forward only. Kings move one square at a time in any of the four diagonal directions, and can capture by jumping in all four as well.

What happens when a man reaches the far row during a chain of jumps?

It is crowned, and the move ends there. Even if the new king could jump again, it has to wait until your next turn.

How can a game end in a draw?

Two ways. If the same position comes up for the third time with the same player to move, or if 40 moves pass on each side with no capture and no man moving, the game is drawn. The page spots both and ends the game for you.

Who moves first?

Black always moves first. Against the computer you can choose to play Black or Red, so you can practice both sides.

How strong is the computer?

Easy plays casually and sometimes makes random moves, which makes it a good place to learn. Medium looks a few moves ahead and rarely leaves a piece hanging. Hard thinks for about a second and a half per move, sees many moves ahead, and will make you pay for small mistakes.

Will my score be saved?

Yes. Your settings, your score and the game in progress are saved in this browser, so they will still be here when you come back. They are not sent anywhere, and clearing your browser data removes them.