Checkers
Strategy, Board Game, 2 Player · Updated
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Checkers is one of the most played board games in the world, and the rules fit on a napkin: move diagonally, jump to capture, reach the far side to become a king. This version uses standard American rules and runs in your browser against the computer or a friend, on a phone, a tablet or a computer.
How to play
Each side starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. On your turn, move one piece diagonally forward to an empty dark square. If an opponent’s piece is diagonally next to yours with an empty square behind it, you jump over it and remove it from the board.
- Captures are compulsory. If a jump is available, you have to take it.
- After a jump, if the same piece can jump again, it must keep going.
- A piece that reaches the far row becomes a king and can then move backwards too.
- You win when your opponent has no pieces left or no legal move.
With a mouse or a touch screen, tap one of your highlighted pieces and then one of the marked squares. During a double jump, tap each landing square in turn. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move a highlight over the board, Enter picks a piece and then its square, and Escape cancels. N starts the next round and M switches the music.
New to the game? The full checkers rules cover setup, forced jumps, kings, draws and beginner strategy step by step.
How to win
- Guard the back row. While your home row is filled, the other side cannot crown a king.
- Stay connected. Pieces that move in pairs protect each other, because a piece with a friend behind it cannot be jumped.
- Use forced captures. Because a capture must be taken, you can offer one piece to drag an opponent into a double jump of your own.
- Get a king first. A king attacks from behind, where men cannot answer. In the endgame, an extra king usually decides the game.
Three computer levels and two players
Easy picks random legal moves. Medium looks a few moves ahead with a little randomness, so it plays sensibly but leaves chances. Hard searches much deeper and keeps calculating through exchanges, so it rarely falls for a simple trap. Choose 2 Players to share the screen with a friend. Your choice of opponent and level is remembered on this device.
Who it is for
A game of checkers takes five to fifteen minutes, which makes it a good break from work or a game to play with a child at the kitchen table. For more turn-based games against the computer, try Dots and Boxes or Mancala.
How to get a high score
- Keep your back row filled for as long as you can. It stops your opponent from crowning a king.
- Move your pieces in pairs. A piece with a friend behind it cannot be jumped from the front.
- Captures are forced, so you can use them. Offer one piece to pull an opponent's piece into a spot where you take two back.
- Control the centre. Pieces in the middle have more ways to move and are harder to trap.
- Once you have a king, use it to attack pieces from behind, where men cannot defend.
Questions
Which checkers rules does this game use?
Standard American checkers, also called English draughts. The board is 8×8, each side starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares, and men move one square diagonally forward. Kings move one square diagonally in any direction.
Do I have to capture?
Yes. If you can jump an opponent's piece, you must. If one jump leads to another, you keep jumping with the same piece until no more jumps are possible. When there is more than one way to capture, you may choose which one.
How do I get a king?
Move a piece all the way to the far row. It is crowned and can then move and capture backwards as well as forwards. A piece that is crowned in the middle of a jump stops there for that turn.
How do I win?
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or block them so they have no legal move on their turn. If 40 moves pass for each side with no capture and no regular piece moving, the game is a draw.
Can I play against a friend?
Yes. Choose 2 Players and take turns on the same screen. Blue plays from the bottom and Orange from the top. The first move switches sides every round.
How strong is the computer?
Easy picks random legal moves. Medium looks a few moves ahead with some randomness. Hard searches much deeper, keeps calculating through exchanges, and is a real test for experienced players.
