How to play
How to play Checkers
Checkers (Draughts) is a two-player game played on the dark squares of a board. You win by capturing or blocking all of your opponent’s pieces.
The rules
Moving and capturing
Pieces move diagonally forward one square to an empty dark square. You capture by jumping diagonally over an adjacent enemy piece to the empty square just beyond it; the jumped piece is removed.
Forced capture and multi-jumps
If a capture is available you must take it. If, after a jump, the same piece can jump again, it must continue — a multi-jump — capturing several pieces in one turn.
Kings
When a piece reaches the far row it becomes a king (crowned). Kings can move and capture both forward and backward, which makes them much stronger.
Variants
Variants change the board size and rules — for example whether men can capture backward, or how flying kings move. Each variant’s specifics are shown on its page; the core idea (move diagonally, capture by jumping, forced captures) stays the same.