Checkers
The classic diagonal battle on an 8×8 board. Jump your opponent’s pieces, chain several captures in one turn and crown your pieces as kings when they reach the far side. Also known as draughts.
How to play Checkers
- Each player starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares. Dark moves first; players then alternate.
- A normal piece moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square.
- To capture, jump diagonally over an opponent’s piece onto the empty square just beyond it. If after landing you can jump again, you must keep going in the same turn.
- Captures are compulsory. If any capture is available you must take one, but you may choose which capture sequence to play.
- A piece that reaches the far row is crowned a king and may move and capture diagonally backward as well as forward. A piece that is crowned during a jump ends its turn there.
- You win when your opponent has no pieces left or cannot make a legal move. The game is a draw if the same position appears three times, or after 40 moves each with no capture and no ordinary piece moving.
Controls
- Tap a piece, then tap a highlighted square. For a multi-jump, tap each landing square in turn.
- With hints on, pieces that can move are outlined; when a capture is compulsory, only the capturing pieces light up.
- Undo takes back your move and the computer’s reply.
Tips
- Keep your back row filled for as long as you can — it stops your opponent from crowning.
- Pieces in the center control more squares than pieces on the edge.
- Use the forced-capture rule: offer one piece to pull an opponent into a position where you can jump two.
- When you are ahead, trade pieces. Fewer pieces on the board make your extra one count more.
FAQ
Do I have to capture?
Yes. In this standard 8×8 version, if a jump is available you must take it. When several captures are possible you may pick any of them — not necessarily the longest.
Can normal pieces capture backward?
No. Only kings move and jump backward. Normal pieces always move and capture toward the opponent’s side.