A complete guide to the rules, controls, and winning strategies of the classic board game.
Click on one of your pieces, hold the mouse button, and drag it to the target square. Release to place. Valid moves are highlighted automatically.
Tap and hold your piece, then drag it diagonally to the desired square. Lift your finger to drop. The board scales to fit your screen.
No setup required. Open the game page and your 12 pieces are already in position. You play the light-coloured pieces and move first.
Master the fundamentals of checkers in six clear steps.
The game is played on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Each player starts with 12 pieces arranged on the three rows closest to them. Only the dark diagonal squares are used — pieces never move onto light squares.
Regular pieces move one square diagonally forward (toward the opponent's side). You can only move to an empty dark square. Pieces cannot move backward unless they are kings.
If an opponent's piece is on an adjacent diagonal square and the square beyond it is empty, you must jump over and capture it. Captured pieces are removed from the board. Captures are mandatory — if you can jump, you must.
If after capturing one piece your piece can immediately jump another, you must continue the sequence in the same turn. Multi-jump chains can capture several pieces at once and are a key part of strategy.
When a piece reaches the farthest row from you (the opponent's back row), it is "crowned" and becomes a king. Kings can move and capture both forward and backward, making them extremely powerful.
You win by capturing all of your opponent's pieces or by blocking them so they have no legal moves remaining. Play thoughtfully, control the center, and protect your back row until the right moment.
Elevate your game from beginner to master with these proven strategies.
Pieces in the center of the board have more movement options and can respond to threats on both sides. Avoid clustering your pieces along the edges.
Keep at least one piece on your back row as long as possible. This prevents the opponent from crowning kings early and gives you a defensive anchor.
Before moving, consider what your opponent's response will be. Look for traps — sometimes sacrificing a piece sets up a double or triple jump on the next turn.
If you have more pieces, trade one-for-one whenever possible. The relative advantage grows as the total number of pieces shrinks.
A king can move in any diagonal direction. Use this flexibility to threaten multiple captures and force your opponent into awkward defensive positions.
When few pieces remain, knowing standard endgame positions (like "the bridge" or "the dog-hole") can mean the difference between a win and a draw.