Board Games
How to play Checkers
Capture all opposing pieces or leave your opponent without a legal move.
QUICK ANSWER
How do you play Checkers?
Players move one piece diagonally forward to an empty dark square. Jump over an adjacent opposing piece into an empty square to capture it. Continue jumping when another capture is available under the chosen rules. Reach the far row to crown a king, which may move forward or backward.
Jump to the step-by-step rules ↓EDITOR'S TABLE NOTES
Is Checkers a good fit for your group?
This game works especially well for two players who want a short abstract strategy game with simple movement and tactical captures. Before setting up, decide whether that matches the experience your group wants today.
Rules version covered here
This guide uses common American checkers on an 8×8 board. Captures are compulsory, multi-jumps continue in the same turn, and kings move both forward and backward.
QUICK VIDEO GUIDE
Learn Checkers in under a minute
About this video
This original mini lesson covers what you need, setup, normal play, the winning condition, and one beginner tip. Continue below for the complete written guide.
INTERACTIVE LEARN-TO-PLAY
Practice Checkers before the first round
Walk through the setup, try a sample turn, and get a quick answer when play stalls.
Place the board so each player has a dark square at the lower left.
Arrange twelve pieces per player on the dark squares of the nearest three rows.
Playable example turn
Step 1 of 4
Players move one piece diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
What should we do now?
Start with this action: Players move one piece diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
Scoring and winning
Reach the far row to crown a king, which may move forward or backward.
Common dispute to prevent
Moving onto light squares. Agree on any edition-specific variation before the first turn.
The objective
Your goal is to capture all opposing pieces or leave your opponent without a legal move. Before play begins, make sure every player can explain how the game ends and what determines the winner. That one check prevents many mid-game disagreements.
What you need
A checkers board and 24 pieces. Lay out every required item before teaching the rules. If pieces, cards, controllers, or play space are missing, resolve that before the practice turn.
How to set up
- Place the board so each player has a dark square at the lower left.
- Arrange twelve pieces per player on the dark squares of the nearest three rows.
Setup check: Ask one player who did not arrange the game to compare the table, field, or screen with these steps. A fresh look often catches an incorrect starting position.
How to play: step by step
- Players move one piece diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
- Jump over an adjacent opposing piece into an empty square to capture it.
- Continue jumping when another capture is available under the chosen rules.
- Reach the far row to crown a king, which may move forward or backward.
Example first round
Your piece is diagonally beside an opposing piece with an empty square beyond it. You must jump to that empty square and remove the opponent. If another capture is available from the landing square, continue jumping.
How scoring and winning work
- Win by capturing every opposing piece or leaving the opponent with no legal move.
- There is no standard point score for ordinary play.
- Tournament draw rules may apply after repetition or prolonged play without progress.
Useful variations
- Some regional draughts variants allow backward captures by uncrowned pieces.
- International draughts uses a larger board and different king movement.
- For beginners, play with fewer rows of pieces to practice forced jumps.
Beginner strategies
- Keep pieces connected so they protect one another.
- Think about where a jump will leave your piece.
Choose one of these ideas for the first game instead of trying to remember every strategy at once. Afterward, identify one decision that changed the result and one move you would test next time.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Moving onto light squares.
- Forgetting that captures may be required.
If an illegal move is discovered, pause and agree on the least disruptive correction. For casual play, consistency and a shared understanding matter more than reconstructing many turns.
Frequently asked questions
Can a regular piece move backward?
Usually no, except when a ruleset allows backward captures.
How does the game end?
A player wins by capturing all opposing pieces or blocking every legal move.
Related board games guides
Official instructions for your edition or the game publisher’s current documentation take priority over this summary. If you spot a factual error or an important edition difference, please tell us.
Report a correction →