Strategy Guides
Checkers Strategy: Rules and Tips to Beat Anyone
Forced captures turn checkers into a game of traps. Learn the American rules and the strategy that wins: back-row defence, shots and kings.
· 6 min read
Board
Checkers online
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, vs a bot, a friend or online.
What is Checkers?
Checkers, also called draughts, is a two-player board game where each side moves 12 pieces diagonally on an 8×8 board and captures by jumping over enemy pieces. On DD Games you play American rules free in your browser: against a bot (Easy, Medium, Hard or Auto), on one shared device, or online.
Checkers is played across the world under different names; in India and Britain it is usually called draughts. DD Games uses the American (English draughts) rules: men move forward only, captures are compulsory, and a piece that reaches the far row is crowned a king. The forced-capture rule is what makes it tactical, because you can offer a piece on purpose to pull an enemy piece into a double jump.
You can play the computer, a friend on the same device, or someone online. Against the bot you play Red from the bottom and choose Easy, Medium or Hard, or Auto, which adjusts the level to your recent results. You get three free hints per game, and undo tokens from the shop let you take a move back. Online games add draw offers and resigning, and a rematch swaps who moves first.
How to play Checkers
- Choose vs Bot, Same device for pass and play, or Online. For a friend, choose With friends and share the room code.
- Each side starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Red moves first in the first game, and the first move alternates in rematches.
- On your turn, move one piece diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
- Jump diagonally over an adjacent enemy 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 with no 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).
- Men move and capture forward only; kings move and capture both forwards and backwards, one square at a time.
- A piece that is crowned during a jump ends its turn there, even if more jumps look possible.
- You win by capturing all enemy pieces or by leaving your opponent without a legal move.
- The game is drawn after 40 moves in a row made by kings without a capture.
- Online, either player can offer a draw or resign; a draw needs both players to agree.
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 fewer ways 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.
- Stuck against the Hard bot? Use a free hint to see the move the engine would play.
Questions
Can I play checkers online with a friend?
Yes. Choose With friends to create a private room and share the room code, or tap Play online to be matched with another player. On one device, use Same device.
Can I play checkers against the computer?
Yes. vs Bot offers Easy, Medium and Hard, plus Auto, which moves the level up or down as you win or lose.
Are captures mandatory in checkers?
Yes. Under American rules, 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 at once and can then move and capture backwards as well as forwards.
Can a checkers game end in a draw?
Yes. Online players can agree to a draw, and any game is drawn after 40 moves in a row by kings without a capture.
Is checkers the same as draughts?
Yes. Draughts is the British and Indian name for the same family of games, and the version here is American checkers, also called English draughts.
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