What are the rules of Checkers?

Checkers is played on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Each player starts with 12 pieces. Normal pieces move diagonally forward one square. If a piece reaches the far row it becomes a king and can move diagonally in both directions. Captures are made by jumping over an adjacent opponent piece to a vacant square beyond. Captures are mandatory, and multi-jump chains must be completed. The player who captures all opponent pieces or leaves them with no legal moves wins.

Are captures forced in this version?

Yes. If you can capture, you must. If multiple captures are available, you may choose which one to make. Multi-jump sequences must be completed once started.

What AI difficulty levels are available?

Three levels: Easy (random moves with slight preference for captures), Medium (minimax search 4 plies deep), and Hard (minimax search 8 plies deep with advanced evaluation). You can also play 2-player on the same device.

Can I play against another person?

Yes. Choose the 'vs Human' mode to play pass-and-play on the same device. Both players take turns on the same screen.

What is a king in Checkers?

When a piece reaches the last row on the opponent's side, it becomes a king. Kings can move and capture diagonally in both directions (forward and backward), making them much more powerful.

Play Checkers Online

Classic Checkers (Draughts) with 3 AI difficulty levels or pass‑and‑play vs a friend. Forced captures, multi‑jumps & kings.

Forced Jumps On

Red

Black

Wins

Red's turn — tap a piece to move

What Is Checkers?

Checkers (known as Draughts in many countries) is one of the world’s oldest and most popular board games. Archaeological evidence suggests a form of checkers was played in the ancient city of Ur around 3000 BCE. The modern 8×8 version with forced captures became standard in Europe by the 16th century.

The game is played on the dark squares of a standard chess/checkerboard. Each player begins with 12 pieces. The goal is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces or block them so they have no legal moves.

Rules

Setup: Red and Black each place 12 pieces on the dark squares of their three closest rows. Red moves first.
Movement: Regular pieces move diagonally forward one square to an empty dark square.
Capturing: Jump over an adjacent enemy piece diagonally to a vacant square beyond. The jumped piece is removed. Captures are mandatory.
Multi-jumps: If after a capture the same piece can jump again, it must continue jumping until no more captures are available.
Kings: When a piece reaches the opponent’s back row, it becomes a king (marked with a crown). Kings can move and capture diagonally in both directions.
Winning: You win by capturing all enemy pieces or leaving your opponent with no legal moves.
Draw: If neither side can win (e.g. repeated positions), the game is a draw.

Strategy Tips

1. Control the Centre

Pieces in the centre of the board have more mobility and control more squares. Avoid pushing all your pieces to the edges where their options are limited.

2. Keep Your Back Row

Don’t rush to move your back-row pieces. They act as a wall preventing your opponent from kinging. Move them only when you gain a clear advantage.

3. Trade When Ahead

If you have more pieces, exchange pieces when possible. A material advantage grows larger in relative terms as pieces come off the board.

4. Create Kings Early

Kings are extremely powerful. Look for opportunities to push a piece to the back row, especially when your opponent’s defence is thin on one side.

5. Set Up Multi-Jumps

Sacrifice one piece to set up a double or triple jump. Trading one piece for two or three is almost always worth it.

AI Difficulty Levels

Easy: Makes random legal moves with a slight preference for captures. Great for beginners.
Medium: Uses minimax search (4 plies deep) with positional evaluation. A fair challenge for casual players.
Hard: Deep minimax search (8 plies) with alpha-beta pruning and advanced evaluation (material, kings, positioning, mobility). Tough even for experienced players.

Checkers vs Chess

Simpler rules: Checkers has one piece type (plus kings), making it easier to learn than chess with its six distinct pieces.
Forced captures: Unlike chess, you must take a capture if one is available. This creates a unique tactical dynamic.
Solved game: In 2007, researchers at the University of Alberta proved that perfect play by both sides results in a draw — making Checkers the most complex game ever solved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pieces move diagonally forward on dark squares. Capture by jumping over enemy pieces. Captures are mandatory. Reaching the back row makes a king that moves in both directions. Win by capturing all opponent pieces or leaving them with no moves.

Yes. If a capture is available, you must take it. If multiple captures are possible, you choose which one. Multi-jump chains must be completed.

Easy (random moves), Medium (4-ply minimax search), and Hard (8-ply minimax with alpha-beta pruning).

Yes. Select “vs Human” mode for pass-and-play on the same device.

When a piece reaches the far row it becomes a king, marked with a crown. Kings can move and capture diagonally in both directions.

More Puzzle & Strategy Games

If you enjoy Checkers, try these other free games on our site:

Reversi

Classic Othello — flip opponent discs by trapping them between yours.

Gomoku

Five in a row on a 15×15 board — play against 3 AI levels.