Checkers
Jump your way across the board and clear it out.
How to play
Capture all of your opponent’s pieces — or leave them with no legal move.
How a turn works
- Move one of your pieces diagonally forward to an empty square — plain pieces never move or jump backward.
- If an enemy piece sits beside yours with an empty square just beyond, jump it instead: that capture is mandatory.
- Keep jumping with the same piece while more captures are open to it — one turn can take several pieces.
- Reach the far row and your piece is crowned a king, free to move and jump in every diagonal direction from then on.
- Pass the turn. If your opponent is ever left with no legal move, you win; if 40 moves pass with no capture, the game is a draw.
Key rules
- Capturing is mandatory whenever a jump exists — if any of your pieces can jump, no simple move is allowed that turn.
- A piece keeps jumping with the same piece while another capture remains available to it, and the whole chain counts as one turn.
- A piece that is crowned stops its turn immediately, even if another jump would still be available — plan around losing that jump.
- You lose when it is your turn and you have no legal move, not only when your last piece is captured.
- 40 moves without a capture ends the game as a draw.
Glossary
- Jump
- A capture: leap over an adjacent enemy piece into the empty square directly beyond it, and remove the piece you jumped.
- King
- A piece crowned after reaching the far row; it moves and jumps diagonally in all four directions, backward included.
Click or tap a piece, then a highlighted square to move or jump. When a capture is mandatory, the pieces that can jump are outlined. Arrow keys navigate; Enter selects.
Full Checkers rules and questions →
Questions
Are captures mandatory in checkers?
Yes — capturing is mandatory whenever it’s available, and a piece that captures must keep jumping with the same piece while another capture is open to it.
How does a checker become a king?
Move a piece to the far row on your opponent’s side and it’s crowned a king, which can then move and capture diagonally in every direction, including backward.
How long does a game of checkers take?
About 15-20 minutes for a casual game; it can end sooner if one side runs out of legal moves, or draw after 40 moves without a capture.
How do I play checkers online with a friend?
Choose Play with a friend, copy the invite link and send it; your friend opens it and the game starts, with no account or app. You can also share the link straight to WhatsApp, pick an optional clock first, or choose Find opponent to be matched with another player. Your seat is saved in this browser if you reload.
Can I play checkers against the computer?
Yes — choose Play against computer and pick Easy, Normal or Hard. A short guided tutorial walks through stepping, mandatory jumps and kings if you are new to the game. Computer games stay on your device.
Strategy guide
Checkers Strategy: How to Win More Games — How to win at checkers: keep your back row, control the centre, use mandatory captures to set traps, and convert an extra king in the endgame.