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Checkers (draughts) is one of the oldest and best-loved board games in the world. Play against the computer or a friend, and choose classic rules for kids or the international rules.
📜 Checkers rules in brief
What you need
A board of 8x8 squares (the same board as chess) and 12 pieces per player: dark for one player and light for the other.
Setting up
You play only on the dark squares. Each player puts 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows closest to them. The two middle rows stay empty.
Who starts
Dark moves first, then you take turns.
How to move
On your turn, move one piece one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square.
Capturing
If an opponent piece is right next to yours diagonally and the square behind it is empty, jump over it and remove it from the board.
If you can jump again after landing, keep jumping in the same turn (a chain capture).
If you can capture, you must capture.
Kings
A piece that reaches the last row on the opponent side becomes a king (shown with a crown). A king moves and captures diagonally both forward and backward.
Who wins
You win by capturing all the opponent pieces or by blocking them so they have no move.
If neither player can make progress, the game is a draw.
International rules - the differences
Ordinary pieces can also capture backward (but only move forward).
The king "flies": it moves and captures along the whole diagonal.
You must choose the capture that takes the most pieces.
Tips for beginners
- Keep your back row at home as long as you can, so the opponent is slow to get a king.
- Move your pieces forward together, so they protect each other.
- Before you move, check whether your opponent can jump you next turn.
Questions and answers
Do you have to capture in checkers?
In the official rules, yes: when you can capture, you must. Some house versions play without it, so agree on the rules before you start.
Can an ordinary piece capture backward?
In classic (English) checkers, no, only a king can. In international checkers, yes.
What age can children learn checkers?
From about age 5. At the Easy level the computer plays gently.
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