Checkers rules: how to play checkers

Checkers is a classic two-player strategy game based on movement, captures and positioning. The rules are easy to learn, but making the best move requires planning ahead and understanding how your opponent can respond.

In this guide, you will learn how to play checkers, how to set up the board, how the pieces move, how captures and multiple jumps work, how a piece becomes a king and how a game of checkers is won.

The objective of checkers

The objective of checkers is to capture all of your opponent's pieces or leave them with no legal move.

The game is played between two players, who take turns moving their pieces across the board.

Capturing pieces is an important part of the game, but simply taking pieces is not always the best strategy. A good move can create a forced capture, protect an important piece or open a path towards the opposite side of the board.

The ultimate goal is to gain a position from which your opponent cannot continue playing.

The checkers board and starting position

Standard checkers is played on an 8×8 board containing 64 squares.

Only the 32 dark squares are used during the game. The light squares are not used for movement or captures.

Each player starts with 12 pieces, placed on the dark squares of the three rows closest to their side of the board.

The two central rows are initially empty.

The pieces are arranged opposite each other, leaving the centre of the board open for the first moves of the game.

How many pieces are there in checkers?

Each player begins with 12 pieces.

Unlike chess, checkers uses pieces of the same basic type at the beginning of the game. These pieces are often called men.

A man can later be promoted to a king by reaching the opponent's back row.

How the pieces move

Understanding how checkers pieces move is the foundation of the game.

Moving a regular piece

A regular checkers piece, or man, normally moves one square diagonally forwards onto an empty dark square.

A regular piece cannot move sideways, straight forwards or backwards during a normal move.

The direction of movement is always towards the opponent's side of the board.

How to capture in checkers

Capturing is done by jumping over an opponent's piece.

To make a capture:

1. An opponent's piece must be on a diagonally adjacent square.
2. The square immediately beyond that piece must be empty.
3. Your piece jumps over the opponent's piece.
4. The captured piece is removed from the board.

Captures are one of the most important tactical elements of checkers because a single jump can create another capture and lead to a longer sequence.

Mandatory captures in checkers

One of the most important rules to understand is the mandatory capture rule.

If a player has a legal capture available, that player must make a capture rather than choosing a normal move.

This means that you cannot simply move another piece to avoid an available jump.

The forced-capture rule has a major influence on checkers strategy. Players can deliberately position their pieces so that an opponent is forced to make a capture that leads to a disadvantageous position.

Multiple jumps and double jumps

A capture does not necessarily end a turn.

If the same piece can make another capture immediately after landing from its first jump, the player must continue the capture sequence.

This can result in:

• double jumps;
• triple jumps;
• longer multiple-capture sequences.

Multiple jumps are a central part of checkers tactics. A player may appear to be winning material with one capture, only to discover that the capturing piece can be forced into a position where it loses several pieces in return.

Planning several jumps ahead is therefore essential.

How a piece becomes a king

When a regular piece reaches the opponent's back row, it is promoted to a king.

This is one of the most important moments in a checkers game.

A king is more powerful than a regular piece because it can move and capture in both directions.

Reaching the king row can therefore dramatically change the balance of the game.

How kings move

A king can move diagonally forwards or backwards.

Kings can also capture in both directions.

This additional mobility makes kings particularly valuable in the later stages of a game, when there are fewer pieces on the board and movement becomes more open.

A king can still be captured by an opponent's piece.

The king row

The king row is the back row on the opponent's side of the board.

Reaching this row is what allows a regular piece to become a king.

Protecting your own path to the king row while preventing your opponent from reaching it is an important strategic objective.

How does a checkers game end?

A player wins when the opponent:

• has no pieces remaining or
• has pieces remaining but no legal move available.

The second situation occurs when the opponent's remaining pieces are completely blocked.

Unlike chess, where stalemate is a draw under standard rules, having no legal move in standard checkers results in a loss.

Strategy and tactics in checkers

Knowing the rules is only the beginning. Checkers is a game of positioning and tactical calculation.

Protect your pieces

Avoid leaving individual pieces exposed to forced captures whenever possible.

A piece that appears safe may become vulnerable after your opponent changes the position of another piece.

Think about the next capture

Because captures are mandatory, every move should be evaluated not only for its immediate result but also for the captures it may create.

Before moving, ask:

• Can my opponent capture this piece?
• Will my move create a forced capture?
• What happens after the first jump?
• Can the opponent reach the king row?
• Can I create a multiple-jump sequence?

Control the centre

The centre of the board gives pieces more opportunities to move and capture.

Keeping your pieces connected and maintaining useful movement options can make it harder for your opponent to create forced sequences.

Protect the king row

Allowing an opponent's piece to reach the king row can significantly change the game.

Keeping control of the back row can therefore be an important defensive strategy, especially during the early and middle stages of the game.

Think several moves ahead

Checkers is not simply about choosing the next available capture.

Strong play requires you to calculate possible sequences and anticipate the position that will remain after several moves.

A seemingly good capture may actually lead to the loss of the capturing piece, while a quiet-looking move can create a powerful tactical threat.

Checkers and draughts variants

The word checkers is used differently around the world, and several related games are played under the name checkers or draughts.

Some of the best-known variants include:

• American checkers
• English draughts
• International draughts
• Italian draughts
• Russian draughts
• Brazilian draughts

These variants can differ in important ways, including board size, movement rules, capture rules and the way kings operate.

For this reason, rules from one variant should not automatically be applied to another.

Checkers vs draughts

The terms checkers and draughts are often used to describe the same family of games.

“Checkers” is the most common term in American English, while “draughts” is widely used in British English and in several other countries.

The exact rules depend on the variant being played.

When searching online, you may therefore find both phrases checkers rules and draughts rules referring to closely related but not always identical games.

Frequently asked questions about checkers rules

How do you play checkers?

Checkers is played by two players who move their pieces diagonally across an 8×8 board. Players capture opposing pieces by jumping over them. Captures are mandatory in the standard ruleset, and pieces reaching the opponent's back row become kings.

How many pieces do you start with in checkers?

Each player starts with 12 pieces placed on the dark squares of the three rows closest to them.

What squares are used in checkers?

Only the 32 dark squares of the 8×8 board are used for movement and captures.

Do you have to jump in checkers?

Yes. In the standard checkers ruleset, captures are mandatory. If you have a legal capture available, you must make one.

Can you choose not to capture in checkers?

No, not when a capture is available under the standard rules. You cannot choose a normal non-capturing move instead.

Can you make multiple jumps in checkers?

Yes. If the same piece can make another capture immediately after a jump, it must continue the sequence until no further capture is available.

What is a double jump in checkers?

A double jump occurs when the same piece makes two captures during one turn. Longer multiple-capture sequences are also possible.

Can regular checkers pieces move backwards?

No. Regular pieces move diagonally forwards during normal moves. Once a piece becomes a king, it can move diagonally forwards and backwards.

Can regular pieces capture backwards?

The answer depends on the variant of checkers being played. Different checkers and draughts rulesets use different capture rules, so the rules of the specific game should always be checked.

How do you get a king in checkers?

A piece becomes a king when it reaches the opponent's back row, also known as the king row.

Can a king move backwards in checkers?

Yes. A king can move and capture diagonally in both directions.

Can a king be captured in checkers?

Yes. A king is not immune from capture and can be captured by an opponent's piece when the appropriate jump is available.

What happens when a piece reaches the king row?

The piece is promoted to a king. From that point, it has greater movement and can move diagonally backwards as well as forwards.

How do you win at checkers?

You win by capturing all of your opponent's pieces or by leaving them with no legal move.

Is there a stalemate in checkers?

Under the standard checkers ruleset, there is no chess-style stalemate. If a player has no legal move, that player loses.

Is checkers the same as draughts?

They belong to the same family of games, but different versions can have different rules. “Checkers” is more common in American English, while “draughts” is commonly used in British English.

What is the difference between checkers and chess?

Checkers and chess are both two-player strategy games, but their rules are very different. Checkers uses diagonal movement, mandatory captures and king promotion, while chess uses six different types of pieces and has a different objective based on checkmate.

Now that you know the basic checkers rules, you can put your knowledge into practice.

Play checkers online free on GiochiPiù, plan your moves, look for forced captures and try to reach the king row before your opponent does.