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Checkers

Jump, capture and crown kings on the classic board.

You (Red)12 left
Moves0Streak0
Computer12 left

You (Red) to move.

Tap a piece, then a green dot. Multi-jumps continue one hop at a time. Keyboard: arrows, Enter, U to undo.

How to play Checkers

Goal

Capture or block all of your opponent's pieces.

  1. 1Pieces move one square diagonally forward onto dark squares.
  2. 2Jump over an enemy piece to capture it. Keep jumping if you can.
  3. 3When a capture is available you must take it (you can turn this off on Easy).
  4. 4Reach the far row to crown a king, which moves forward and backward.
  5. 5You win when your opponent has no pieces or no legal moves.

On a computer

Click a piece, then a green dot. Arrow keys and Enter also work, U undoes.

On a phone

Tap a piece, then tap a green dot to move.

Play Checkers free online against the computer or a friend. Classic American draughts with forced captures, multi-jumps, kings and three difficulty levels.

Checkers tips and strategy

  • Keep your back row filled as long as you can. It stops the other side from crowning kings cheaply.
  • Control the center squares. Pieces in the middle have more options and are harder to trap.
  • Move pieces in pairs or groups. A lone piece is easy to jump, while a supported one is not.
  • Look for forced capture tricks: offer one piece so that your opponent must jump into a spot where you take two.
  • When you are ahead in material, trade pieces. Every even trade makes your lead more decisive.
  • Get a king early in the endgame. Kings can chase down stragglers and defend from behind.

About Checkers

Checkers, also called draughts, is a two player strategy game played on the dark squares of an eight by eight board. Each side starts with twelve pieces. Pieces move diagonally forward one square at a time and capture by jumping over an enemy piece into the empty square behind it. If another jump is available after landing, the same piece keeps going, so one move can clear several pieces at once.

Our version follows standard American rules. Captures are compulsory, men capture only forward, and a piece that reaches the far row is crowned a king that can move and capture in both directions. A crowning move ends the turn. If a player has no pieces left or cannot make a legal move, they lose. Long games with no captures and only king moves end in a draw.

Play the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, or pass the device back and forth with a friend. Easy makes human style mistakes and lets you turn forced captures off while you learn. Hard searches many moves ahead and punishes loose pieces, so beating it takes real planning. Unfinished games save automatically.

Checkers FAQ

Do you have to jump in checkers?

Yes, under standard American rules a capture is mandatory whenever one is available. On Easy in our game you can switch this rule off.

Can a regular piece capture backward?

No. Uncrowned pieces move and capture only forward. Kings can move and capture in both directions.

What happens when a piece reaches the last row?

It is crowned a king, shown with a gold crown. The move ends there, even if more jumps would have been possible.

Is checkers the same as draughts?

Yes. Draughts is the common British name. Our game uses the American and English rules on an eight by eight board.

Can I undo a move?

Yes. Against the computer, Undo takes back your last move and the computer's reply.

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