Checkers: Rules and How to Play
Checkers is a board game for 2 players that takes about 10 minutes. Pieces step diagonally forward and capture by jumping; take all of your opponent's pieces to win. Free. In-browser. No account.
Setup
- Two players. You need an 8×8 board and twelve pieces each.
- Only the dark squares are used. Put one piece on every dark square of the three ranks nearest you.
- Whoever sat down first plays Black and moves first; the other plays Red. Players then alternate, one move each.
How to play
- An ordinary piece steps one square diagonally forward onto an empty square. It never moves sideways, straight ahead, or backwards.
- If an enemy piece sits on the square diagonally ahead and the square directly beyond it is empty, you jump over that piece and take it off the board.
- If a capture is available you must make one (a house rule can switch this off). When several captures are available, you may choose any of them.
- If the same piece can jump again from where it landed, it does: your turn continues while the jumps continue, and passes only when no further jump is possible.
- A jump sequence, once begun, cannot be stopped halfway. The house rule about taking applies only to the start of a turn.
- A piece that reaches the far rank is crowned a king and is marked. A king steps one square in any of the four diagonal directions and jumps in all four.
- Being crowned ends the turn. Even if another jump is there, the new king waits until your next turn.
- You may not pass. On your turn you must move.
Winning and scoring
- Take every one of your opponent's pieces and you win.
- You also win if your opponent has no legal move at all, and either player may resign.
- If the same position appears three times, the game is a draw.
- If forty moves pass, counting both players, with no capture and no move by an ordinary piece, the game is a draw. It ends endgames where kings only circle each other.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capture is forced | When a capture is available, you have to take it. Switch it off to allow any legal move instead. | On | Yes |
| Show legal squares | Mark the squares a selected piece can reach, and the enemy pieces that can be taken. | On | Yes |
| Swap who starts | Swap Black and Red after each game. | On | Yes |
| Move limit | Draw the game once this many moves have been played. For tables that want to cut a long game short. | None | Yes |
Terms
- King
- A piece that has reached the far rank. It moves and jumps in all four diagonal directions and is marked with a crown.
- Multiple jump
- Capturing several pieces in one turn with the same piece. The turn continues while the jumps do.
- Forced capture
- The rule that you must take when a capture is available. It is on by default and can be switched off as a house rule.
- Quiet move
- A move with no capture and no ordinary piece moved. Forty of them in a row make the game a draw.
FAQ
Can I decline a capture?
Not by default: when a capture is available, only capturing moves are legal. Switch off the Capture is forced house rule and any legal move becomes available again.
If two captures are available, must I take the bigger one?
No. Either one is fine. We have not added the rule that you must take the longest jump.
Do I have to keep jumping?
Yes. Once a jump sequence has begun it runs until no further jump is possible.
Can an ordinary piece jump backwards?
No — only the two directions diagonally forward. Jumping backwards is for kings.
Can I keep jumping after being crowned?
No. Reaching the far rank crowns the piece and ends the turn. The new king jumps from your next turn onwards.
What if I cannot move?
You lose, even with pieces still on the board. Being blocked in completely counts the same as being taken.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-14 · Run by Qdan, Inc.