Board
Checkers
Jump, capture and crown kings. Classic 8x8 draughts with forced captures.
2 players
Checkers guide
American checkers on an 8×8 board: forced captures, multi-jumps and kings.
How to play Checkers
- Open an Online room and invite a friend, or use Quick Play to meet another player.
- Each side starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Red moves first.
- On your turn, move one piece diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
- Jump diagonally over an adjacent opponent piece onto the empty square behind it to capture it.
- Reach the far row to crown your piece a king. Capture every enemy piece, or leave your opponent without a legal move, to win.
Rules
- Captures are mandatory: if any jump is available you must take one.
- After a jump, the same piece must keep jumping while further captures are available (a multi-jump).
- Plain pieces move and capture forward only; kings move and capture both forwards and backwards.
- A piece that is crowned during a jump ends its turn there, even if more jumps look possible.
- The game is drawn if both players agree, or after 40 consecutive king moves with no capture.
Tips and strategy
- Keep your back row filled for as long as you can: it stops your opponent from crowning kings.
- Because captures are forced, you can offer a piece to drag an enemy piece into a double jump.
- Control the centre squares; pieces on the edges have only one direction to move.
- Move in pairs or groups so a lone piece is never left hanging for a free jump.
- Once you are ahead on material, trade pieces down: fewer pieces make your lead easier to convert.
Questions
Are captures mandatory in checkers?
Yes. These are American rules, so if a jump is available you must take it, and you must keep jumping with the same piece while more captures are possible.
How does a checker become a king?
Move a piece onto the far row of the board. It is crowned immediately and can then move and capture backwards as well as forwards.
Can a checkers game end in a draw?
Yes. Players can agree to a draw, and the game is also drawn after 40 consecutive king moves without a capture.
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