How to play Checkers
Force captures, build multi-jumps, and race your checkers to become kings.
- Board
- 8×8
- Pieces
- 12 per player
- First move
- Red
- Captures
- Mandatory
Objective and setup
Red and Black each start with 12 checkers on the dark squares. Capture every opposing piece or leave the opponent without a legal move.
Moving
A regular checker moves one diagonal square forward into an empty dark square. A king moves one diagonal square forward or backward. Reaching the far rank crowns a checker as a king.
Capturing
If any capture is available, an ordinary move is not legal. Jump an adjacent enemy into the empty square beyond it. Continue with the same checker while another jump is available. Crowning ends that jump sequence immediately. You may choose among available captures; there is no longest-capture requirement.
Winning
You win when the opponent has no pieces, has no legal move, or resigns. This is the short-king American/English style of checkers; kings do not fly across multiple squares.
Beginner strategy
- Scan the whole board for mandatory jumps before planning a move.
- Keep neighboring pieces connected so you can answer captures.
- Preserve back-rank defenders until the opponent's king route is clear.
- Calculate an entire forced jump chain, not only its first landing.
- Use sacrifices to pull an enemy onto a square that starts your multi-jump.