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Classic 8x8 checkers with official American rules: forced jumps, multi jumps and kings. Beat the computer at three levels or invite a friend.
How to play checkers: the American rules
Checkers, also called draughts, is a two player strategy game played on the dark squares of an 8x8 board, with a dark square in each player's bottom left corner. Capture all of your opponent's pieces or leave them with no legal move. These are the official American checkers rules.
Setup
Each side places 12 men on the dark squares of the three rows nearest to them. Black always moves first, then the players take turns.
Moving
A man moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square. Men never move backward until they become kings.
Jumping
Capture by jumping over an enemy piece next to you onto the empty square behind it. The jumped piece is removed from the board.
Kings
A man that reaches the far row is crowned king. Kings move and jump diagonally forward and backward, one square at a time.
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Forced captures and multi jumps
In American checkers a jump is never optional. If any of your pieces can capture, you must capture, even if it walks into a trap. When two or more jumps are available you may pick any of them; you do not have to take the one that captures the most pieces.
If the same piece can jump again, it must keep going. This multi jump ends only when no further capture is possible. Here the pieces that must jump glow gold, landing squares show a gold ring, and after each hop only the next landings are shown, so you pick your path step by step.
One special case: if a man reaches the far row during a multi jump, it is crowned and its move ends at once, even if a king could jump further.
How a game is won or drawn
You win when your opponent has no pieces left or none of them can move. A player may also resign.
A game is drawn in three cases, all detected for you:
40 move rule. Forty moves by each side pass without a capture or a man moving.
Threefold repetition. The same position appears three times with the same player to move.
Agreement. In an online game either player can offer a draw, and the other player accepts or declines it.
Checkers strategy tips to win more games
Keep your back row
Men on your back row stop the other side from getting kings. Keep two of them home as long as you can, usually the squares that form a bridge, and move them only late in the game.
Control the centre
Pieces in the middle of the board have more moves and support each other. Pieces on the edge are safe from capture but can only go one way, so they do less work.
Trade when ahead
If you are a piece up, swap pieces one for one. Every even trade makes your extra piece count for more, and endings with few pieces are much easier to win.
Use the double corner
The two dark squares in the corner on your right form the double corner. A lone king hiding there is hard to trap, so it is the best place to defend when you are behind.
Think about forced jumps
Because captures are forced, you can offer one piece to drag an enemy piece onto a square where you jump two back. Always check what your opponent is forced to do next.
Play checkers against the computer
The computer thinks in a background thread, so the board never freezes, and it only ever plays legal moves. Pick the level that fits you and move up when you start winning.
| Level | Plays like |
|---|---|
| Easy | Looks a little ahead and sometimes blunders |
| Medium | Solid club player, spots most tactics |
| Hard | Thinks about a second and a half, rarely loses a piece |
Undo takes back your move and the computer reply, and your record is saved for each level.
Play 2 player checkers with a friend
Want to play checkers online with a friend? Create a private room and send the code or the invite link. The host decides who plays Black, and in every rematch the colors swap so both players get the first move.
Every move is checked by the host, so nobody can cheat. You can offer a draw or resign, and if a player closes the tab the other player is told right away.
Checkers FAQ
Can I play checkers online for free here?
Yes. This checkers game is completely free and runs in your browser on any phone, tablet or computer. There is no download, no account and no sign up. Choose vs Computer or Play a friend and the board is ready in a second.
What are the rules of American checkers?
Each player starts with 12 men on the dark squares of an 8x8 board and Black moves first. Men move one square diagonally forward and capture by jumping over an enemy piece to the empty square behind it. A man that reaches the far row becomes a king and can then move and jump backward too. You win when your opponent has no pieces left or cannot make a move.
Do I have to jump in checkers?
Yes. In American checkers a capture is forced: if you can jump, you must. When several jumps are possible you may choose which one to make, but you must finish the whole multi jump with the piece you started with. This game shows you which pieces must jump, so you never break the rule by accident.
How do kings work in checkers?
A man that ends its move on the far row is crowned and gets a gold crown. A king moves one square diagonally in any direction, forward or backward, and can capture backward as well. If a man reaches the far row in the middle of a multi jump, the move ends there and the new king waits until the next turn to move again.
When is a game of checkers a draw?
A game is drawn when the same position appears three times with the same player to move, when 40 moves by each side pass without a capture or a man moving, or when both players agree. In an online game you can offer a draw and your friend can accept or decline it.
How do I play checkers against the computer?
Choose vs Computer, pick Easy, Medium or Hard and decide whether you play Black, which moves first, Red or a random color. The computer thinks in the background so the page never freezes. Undo takes back your last move and the computer reply, and your record for each level is saved on your device.
How do I play 2 player checkers with a friend online?
Choose Play a friend and tap Create a room. Share the room code or the invite link. Your friend opens it on their own device, enters a name and joins. The host chooses who plays Black and starts the game. Moves appear on both screens at once, and colors swap in every rematch.
Is checkers the same as draughts?
Checkers is the American name for English draughts, played on an 8x8 board with forced captures and short moving kings. Other versions such as international draughts use a 10x10 board and flying kings that move any distance. This game follows the American checkers rules used in official tournaments.
More board games to play online
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