Checkers, called draughts in the UK, is a two-player board game where you move pieces diagonally and capture by jumping over your opponent's pieces. You win when your opponent has no pieces left or cannot make a legal move. The rules below are for the standard English and American version, played on an 8 × 8 board.

Setup

  • Each player has 12 pieces, placed on the dark squares of the three rows nearest to them.
  • The board is turned so each player has a dark square in the bottom-left corner.
  • In English and American checkers the darker pieces move first.

How do checkers pieces move?

  1. A normal piece (a man) moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square.
  2. To capture, jump diagonally over an enemy piece that is next to you, landing on the empty square directly behind it. The jumped piece is removed.
  3. If, after a jump, another jump is possible, you must keep jumping with the same piece in the same turn. This is a multi-jump.
  4. Capturing is compulsory. If you can jump, you must, although you may choose which capture to make when there are several.

Kings

When a man reaches the far row, it is crowned and becomes a king, usually shown by stacking a second piece on top. A king moves and captures one square diagonally in any direction, forward or backward. If a man reaches the far row in the middle of a multi-jump, the turn ends there.

How does a game of checkers end?

  • You win if your opponent has no pieces left, or has pieces but no legal move.
  • The game is a draw if both players agree or if neither side can make progress.
Variant Board Pieces each Men capture backward? Kings move
English / American 8 × 8 12 No One square
Russian (shashki) 8 × 8 12 Yes Any distance ("flying")
International 10 × 10 20 Yes Any distance ("flying")
Turkish 8 × 8 16 Pieces move straight, not diagonally Any distance

In Russian draughts, white moves first, and a man that reaches the last row during a capture becomes a king immediately and continues capturing as a king. International draughts on the 10 × 10 board follows the official rules of the World Draughts Federation (FMJD), where white also moves first.

Beginner tips

  1. Keep your back row for as long as you can. It stops your opponent from crowning kings.
  2. Move toward the center. Pieces on the edge have only one diagonal to move along.
  3. Use the compulsory capture rule. Offering one piece can force your opponent into a jump that sets up a double jump for you.
  4. Trade when you are ahead. With more pieces, every even trade brings you closer to winning.
  5. Get a king, then use it. A king's ability to move backward makes it worth far more than a man.

Where to practice

Master Checkers is a simple version of the classic game. English Checkers and Russian Checkers both offer play against the computer, online or with a friend on the same screen, which makes it easy to try both rule sets.

Frequently asked questions

Is checkers the same game as draughts?

Yes. Checkers is the American name and draughts is the British name for the same game, played with 12 pieces each on an 8 × 8 board. Draughts is also the family name for related versions, such as Russian draughts and international draughts, which use different rules for captures and kings.

Do you have to jump in checkers?

Yes. In standard English and American checkers, capturing is compulsory: if you can jump an opponent's piece, you must. When several captures are possible you may choose which one to make, but once you start a multi-jump you must keep jumping with the same piece until no jump is left.

Can a regular checkers piece move backward?

Not in English and American checkers. A regular piece, called a man, moves and captures only diagonally forward until it reaches the far row and becomes a king. Kings can then move backward. In Russian and international draughts, men may also capture backward, although they still move forward.

Who moves first in checkers?

In English and American checkers, the player with the darker pieces moves first. Russian draughts and international draughts reverse this, so the player with the white or lighter pieces makes the first move. Checking which version a game follows avoids confusion when you start a new match.

How many pieces does each player have in checkers?

Each player starts with 12 pieces in English, American and Russian checkers, placed on the dark squares of the three rows nearest to them. International draughts uses a larger 10 × 10 board with 20 pieces each, and Turkish draughts gives each player 16 pieces on an 8 × 8 board.