Checkers

The Ultimate Guide to Checkers (Draughts)

Checkers — also called Draughts — is one of the oldest and most widely played board games in human history. Archaeological evidence dates the game back more than 5,000 years to the ancient city of Ur in modern-day Iraq. A similar game called Alquerque was played across the Mediterranean for millennia before the modern 8×8 board version emerged in 12th-century France, where it was known as Fierges and later Jeu de Dames.

Today, checkers is enjoyed by millions of players worldwide — from casual family games to fiercely competitive tournaments governed by the World Draughts Federation (FMJD) and the American Checker Federation (ACF). Its elegant blend of simple rules and deep strategy has earned it a permanent place alongside chess and backgammon as one of the great classic board games.

How to Play Checkers — Complete Rules

Board Setup

Checkers is played on an 8×8 board with alternating dark and light squares. Only the 32 dark squares are used. Each player begins with 12 pieces (also called men or checkers) arranged on the three rows closest to their side of the board. The player with red (or black) pieces traditionally moves first, though conventions vary by region.

Basic Movement

• Regular pieces move diagonally forward one square at a time to an adjacent empty dark square.
• Pieces can only move to unoccupied squares.
• Regular pieces cannot move backward — only forward toward the opponent's side.

Capturing (Jumping)

• To capture an opponent's piece, your piece jumps diagonally over it to the empty square immediately beyond.
• Captures are mandatory. If you can jump, you must jump. This is one of the most important rules in checkers.
• Multiple jumps: If after a capture your piece lands on a square from which another jump is possible, you must continue jumping in the same turn. Chain captures (double jumps, triple jumps, etc.) can remove multiple opponent pieces at once.
• Captured pieces are immediately removed from the board.

Becoming a King

When a regular piece reaches the last row on the opponent's side of the board (the "king row"), it is crowned and becomes a King. A king is typically indicated by stacking a second piece on top or, in digital play, displaying a crown symbol (♛).

• Kings can move diagonally forward and backward.
• Kings can also jump forward and backward, making them far more powerful than regular pieces.
• In standard American/British checkers, kings still move only one square at a time (unlike International Draughts, where "flying kings" can move multiple squares).

Winning the Game

You win a game of checkers by:

• Capturing all of your opponent's pieces, or
• Blocking all of your opponent's pieces so they have no legal moves (a stalemate for the blocked player counts as a loss).

Checkers Game Specifications

Checkers Strategy — Tips to Win More Games

1. Control the Center

Pieces in the center of the board have more mobility and control more squares. Resist the temptation to hug the edges. Center control limits your opponent's options and maximizes your own.

2. Advance as a Group

Moving your pieces together in a connected formation is safer than sending a single piece forward alone. Isolated pieces are easier to capture. Keep your pieces supporting one another in a "wall" or "bridge" formation.

3. Protect Your Back Row

Your back row is your last line of defense against kings. Don't move your back-row pieces too early. Keeping them in place forces your opponent to work harder to crown their pieces.

4. Race to King

Getting a king provides a huge advantage — kings can move in all four diagonal directions. Look for opportunities to safely advance a piece to the king row, especially when you can do so without leaving your position exposed.

5. Trade When Ahead

If you have more pieces than your opponent, trade pieces whenever possible. A 6-to-4 advantage is good; a 3-to-1 advantage is often winning. Trading simplifies the board and magnifies your material advantage.

6. Force Favorable Jumps

Because captures are mandatory, you can set up sacrifice plays — deliberately offering a piece to force your opponent into a position where you can capture two or more of their pieces in return. This is one of the hallmarks of advanced checkers play.

7. Watch the Tempo

Tempo refers to whose turn it is in a critical moment. In many endgames, having the right tempo (moving second in a key exchange) determines the winner. Study common endgame positions to understand tempo advantages.

Checkers Variants Around the World

Glossary of Checkers Terms

• Man — A regular (non-king) checker piece.
• King — A piece that has been crowned by reaching the opponent's back row; can move in all diagonal directions.
• Crown / King Row — The last row on each player's side of the board.
• Jump — A capture move where you leap over an opponent's piece diagonally.
• Double Jump — A chain capture of two pieces in a single turn.
• Forced Capture — The mandatory-jump rule: if a capture is available, you must take it.
• Flying King — In International Draughts, a king that can move multiple squares diagonally in one move (not used in standard American checkers).
• Bridge — A defensive formation where two pieces protect each other by occupying adjacent diagonal squares.
• Shot / Sacrifice — Deliberately giving up a piece to set up a larger multi-jump capture.
• Tempo — The turn advantage in a critical position; the player with better tempo often controls the endgame.
• Huff — An obsolete rule where a player who fails to make a mandatory capture forfeits the piece (no longer used in modern play).

Frequently Asked Questions About Checkers

Can you jump backwards in checkers?

Regular pieces cannot jump backwards in standard American/British checkers — they can only move and jump diagonally forward. However, kings can jump both forward and backward. In some variants like International Draughts; regular pieces can also capture backwards.

Are jumps mandatory in checkers?

Yes. In virtually all official checkers rule sets, captures are mandatory. If you have a jump available on your turn, you must take it. If multiple jumps are available, you may choose which one to make (in American checkers, you are not required to take the jump that captures the most pieces).

What is a double jump in checkers?

A double jump occurs when your piece captures one opponent piece and lands on a square from which another capture is available. You must continue jumping and may capture two, three, or even more pieces in a single turn. Double and triple jumps are one of the most exciting parts of the game.

What happens when a piece reaches the other side?

When a regular piece reaches the king row (your opponent's back row), it is crowned a king. Kings gain the ability to move and jump diagonally in any direction — forward and backward — making them significantly more powerful.

How many pieces are in checkers?

Standard 8×8 checkers uses 24 pieces total — 12 per player. Each player's 12 pieces are placed on the dark squares of the three rows closest to that player at the start of the game.

Is checkers a solved game?

Yes. In 2007, a team at the University of Alberta led by Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer proved that perfect play by both sides results in a draw. Their program, Chinook, analyzed approximately 5 × 10²⁰ positions to reach this conclusion, making checkers the most complex game ever solved at that time.

What is the difference between checkers and draughts?

"Checkers" and "draughts" refer to the same family of games. "Checkers" is the term used primarily in North America, while "draughts" is the standard term in the United Kingdom, Australia, and much of Europe. International Draughts (10×10 board) is a specific variant played competitively worldwide.

How old is checkers?

The oldest known checkers-like game dates to approximately 3000 BCE in Ur (modern Iraq). The game evolved through the Egyptian game Alquerque and was adapted onto the 8×8 chessboard in 12th-century France, producing the modern game we play today — making checkers over 5,000 years old.

What are flying kings?

Flying kings are a rule used in International Draughts and several other variants where a king can move any number of squares diagonally in a single move (similar to a bishop in chess). Standard American/British checkers does not use flying kings — kings move only one square at a time.

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