Checkers

About Checkers

Checkers, called draughts in Britain, is played on the dark squares of an 8 by 8 board. Each side starts with twelve men that step diagonally forward and capture by jumping. Captures are compulsory, a jumping piece must keep jumping while it can, and a man that reaches the far row is crowned king and may move backward too. These are the American rules, also known as English draughts. Play the computer at three levels, pass the device to a friend, or open a private room online.

How to play Checkers

1. Each player has twelve men on the dark squares of the three rows nearest them. Dark moves first.
2. On your turn, step one piece diagonally forward onto an empty dark square, or jump: hop over an opponent’s piece next to yours onto the empty square beyond, and remove it.
3. Capturing is compulsory. If any of your pieces can jump, you must jump, and a jumping piece keeps jumping while it can. Where the jumps branch, you choose.
4. A man that reaches the far row is crowned king and stops there, even mid-jump. Kings move and jump one square diagonally in any direction.
5. You win when your opponent has no pieces left or no legal move. A position repeated three times, 40 moves each without a capture or a man move, or an accepted offer is a draw.