Checkers
Jump, capture, crown — by the rules your country plays.
- No moves yet
English checkers: 8 × 8, 12 men each, Black moves first. Men move and capture diagonally forward; kings move one square in any direction. Capturing is compulsory, but you may choose which capture to make, and a capture is always played to its end. A man reaching the far row is crowned and the move ends. A side with no move loses; three repetitions, one king each, or 40 moves each with no capture and no man moved is a draw.
Keyboard: the arrow keys move between the playing squares, Enter or Space picks up a piece and puts it down on a marked square (one landing square at a time in a capture of several pieces), Esc cancels.
The game in progress is saved in this browser for each set of rules, so it’s still here after a reload.
Nothing leaves your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you type, play or record here stays on your device: nothing is uploaded or saved on a server.
Example
Example: three captures on the board, and English rules let you pick the safe one
Mid-game against the computer, English rules, you play Black. Squares are numbered 1–32 as in the move list (Black started on 1–12, White on 21–32). Black men: 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12. White men: 15, 16, 23, 25, 28, 30, 31. Black to move.
- The status line says “You must capture”, and only the men on 11 and 12 can be picked up: a quiet move such as 5–9 is not offered while a capture exists.
- 11×18×27 and 12×19×26 each take two men, but White takes one back: after 11×18×27 the only reply is 31×24; after 12×19×26 White has 15×8, 30×23 or 31×22.
- 11×20 takes only the man on 16, and White then has no capture at all.
- Under English rules all three are legal and the choice is yours. Under Brazilian or international rules 11×20 would not be allowed: the capture that takes the most pieces is compulsory.
| Capture | Takes | White’s reply | Men after the exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11×18×27 | 15 and 23 | 31×24, forced | 5 against 5 |
| 12×19×26 | 16 and 23 | 15×8, 30×23 or 31×22 | 5 against 5 |
| 11×20 | 16 | no capture | 6 against 6 |
Playing 11×20 shows “Black 11×20” in the status line and 11×20 in the move list. Every option leaves the men level, but only 11×20 keeps White from taking anything back on the next move.
How it works
- Choose the rules — English 8 × 8 is the usual game here — and the computer’s level, or a friend.
- Move your men diagonally forward; jump over an opponent’s piece to capture it — capturing is compulsory.
- Reach the far row to crown a king; take all the opponent’s pieces or leave them without a move to win.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the rules of checkers?
- In English checkers each player has 12 men on the dark squares of an 8 × 8 board. Men move one square diagonally forward and capture by jumping over an opponent’s piece; several jumps can follow in one move. Capturing is compulsory. A man reaching the far row becomes a king and can move backward too.
- What do the other rule sets change?
- International draughts uses a 10 × 10 board with flying kings and the rule that you must capture the most pieces; Brazilian is the same on 8 × 8. Italian and Spanish have their own capture priorities, and Turkish dama is played on every square with straight, not diagonal, moves.
- Do I have to capture?
- Yes, in every rule set. In English checkers you may choose which capture; in the others you must take the sequence that captures the most pieces.
- How strong is the computer?
- Easy makes beginner mistakes; medium looks six moves ahead; hard searches deeper for about a second and plays a solid game.
- How are the squares numbered in the move list?
- The 32 dark squares are numbered 1 to 32 along the rows, starting top left with White at the bottom; Black’s men start on 1–12 and White’s on 21–32. 11–15 is a move, 11×18 a capture, and 11×18×27 a double jump through 18 to 27.
- Can I play White?
- Yes. Under “You play”, choose White: a new game starts and the computer, playing Black, moves first, since Black opens in English checkers. The board turns so that your side is at the bottom.
- Is anything sent anywhere?
- No. The computer plays in your browser.