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How to play checkers: a beginner's guide
Checkers is a game of diagonal steps and jumps. You move your pieces toward the far side of the board, capture your opponent's by hopping over them, and win by leaving them with nothing to move.
This guide follows American checkers (English draughts), the rules most people mean by "checkers". Other countries play different versions; see the variants guide.
What you need
- A board of 64 squares, alternating light and dark. Only the 32 dark squares are used.
- 12 pieces for each player, one set light and one set dark (often red and black, or white and black).
- Two players, sitting on opposite sides.
Turn the board so that a dark square sits at each player's lower-left corner. Details are in the board and pieces guide.
1. Set up the pieces
Each player puts their 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows nearest to them. The two middle rows stay empty. In the official rules the player with the dark pieces moves first and the players then alternate; at home, agree who starts before you begin.
2. Move a piece
An ordinary piece, called a man, moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square. Men never move sideways or backward. You must move on your turn; passing is not allowed.
3. Jump to capture
If an enemy piece is diagonally next to your man and the square directly behind it is empty, you jump over it to that square and remove the jumped piece from the board.
- Jumping is compulsory. If you can capture, you must. If you have a choice of captures, you may pick any of them.
- Keep going. If after landing you can jump again, you must continue in the same turn. A single turn can take several pieces.
- Men jump forward only. A jump moves your man two squares diagonally.
4. Become a king
When a man reaches the far row (the opponent's back row) it is crowned: another piece of the same colour is stacked on top. In American checkers, a man that is crowned by a jump stops there, and its turn ends.
A king moves and jumps one square diagonally in any direction, backward as well as forward. That freedom makes kings very powerful, so getting one first is usually worth some effort.
5. Win the game
You win when your opponent cannot move on their turn. That happens when every one of their pieces has been captured, or when what remains is blocked in. If neither side can make progress, the players agree a draw. With perfect play from the starting position the game is a draw, so draws are common between strong players.
A sample turn
Imagine your man stands on a dark square and an enemy man sits on the diagonal square just in front of it, with an empty square behind that. You must jump: your man lands on the empty square and the enemy man is removed. Now look around from the new square. If there is another enemy man diagonally next to you with an empty square behind it, your turn is not over, and you must jump again. Only when no further jump is possible does the turn pass. If you had no jump at all, you would simply slide any one man forward one step instead.
Common beginner mistakes
- Moving a piece backward. Only kings may do that.
- Forgetting that a capture is compulsory, and leaving a piece where it must be taken.
- Racing a lone man up the edge, where it can be blocked and wasted.
- Emptying the back row early, which lets the opponent crown a king.
Your first game: five tips
- Keep your back-row pieces at home for as long as you can; they stop the enemy from getting kings.
- Move in pairs so that a piece is always backed up and cannot be jumped.
- Take the centre of the board.
- Before every move, look for the jumps your opponent will be forced to make. Forced jumps can be used against you, and by you.
- Trade pieces when you are ahead, and avoid trades when you are behind.
For the full strategy, read checkers strategy and tips. To try your first game against a friend, play checkers online for free.
Frequently asked questions
How many players does checkers need?
Two. One plays the light pieces and the other the dark pieces. There is no team version of the standard game.
Can a man move backward in checkers?
In American checkers, no: men move and jump only forward. Only kings can move backward. In Russian and International draughts, men may also capture backward.
Do you have to jump in checkers?
Yes. In the standard rules, a capture is compulsory. If more than one capture is available you may choose which one, but you must make one, and you must continue jumping with the same piece while you can.