Checkers
Your turn
Tap one of your gold pieces, then tap where to move it.
How to play Checkers
Checkers (also called draughts) is played on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. You have 12 gold pieces at the bottom and the computer has 12 at the top. You move first. This version uses the standard American rules.
- Move diagonally forward one square at a time onto an empty dark square.
- Capture by jumping. If an opponent’s piece is diagonally next to yours with an empty square behind it, jump over it to remove it.
- Captures are compulsory. If you can jump, you must. If, after a jump, you can jump again with the same piece, you keep going in the same turn.
- Crown a king by reaching the far row. Kings move one square diagonally in any direction, forwards or backwards.
- Win by capturing all of the computer’s pieces, or by leaving it with no legal move.
To move, tap one of your pieces and then tap the square you want it to go to. Legal squares are highlighted, so you can’t make an illegal move by accident.
Quick tips to beat the computer
- Guard your back row. Pieces on your home row stop the computer from crowning kings. Move them last.
- Take the centre. Pieces in the middle of the board have more moves and are harder to trap than pieces on the edge.
- Look for forced jumps. Because capturing is compulsory, you can offer one piece to drag the computer into a position where you jump two back.
- Trade when you’re ahead. Swapping one piece for one piece makes a lead bigger in relative terms.
Want the full rules, opening ideas and how to win endgames with kings?
Read the Checkers guideCheckers FAQ
Is this Checkers game free?
Yes. You can play as many games as you like for free in your browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. There’s nothing to download and you don’t need an account.
Do I have to take a jump in Checkers?
Yes. Under the standard rules used here, if any of your pieces can capture, you must make a capture. If one jump leads straight into another, you must keep jumping with the same piece.
Can a king move backwards?
Yes. A king moves and captures one square diagonally in any direction. Ordinary pieces can only move and capture forwards.
How does a game of Checkers end in a draw?
Here, if both sides make 40 moves in a row with only kings moving and nothing captured, the game is declared a draw.
Which level should I start on?
Start on Easy to learn how jumps and kings work. Medium looks a few moves ahead and punishes loose pieces. Hard looks much further ahead and rarely blunders, so beating it takes real planning.