Checkers
Play Checkers — also known as draughts — free in your browser against a smart computer on three difficulty levels, or a friend in 2-player mode. Mandatory captures, multi-jumps, and crowned Kings, all enforced for you. No download, no signup.
How to Play Checkers
- 1Tap one of your highlighted pieces to select it.
- 2Tap a marked square to move there diagonally.
- 3Jump over an opponent to capture — captures are mandatory.
- 4Reach the far row to crown a King that moves both ways.
The Rules in Full
Checkers is played on the 32 dark squares of an 8×8 board. Each side begins with twelve men on the three rows closest to them. Ordinary men move one square diagonally forward to an empty dark square. To capture, you jump diagonally over an adjacent opposing piece and land on the empty square directly beyond it, removing the jumped piece. If, after landing, the same piece can jump again, it must — a chain of jumps in a single turn is one of the most satisfying (and decisive) moments in the game.
Captures are compulsory: whenever a jump is available you have to take it. A man that reaches the opponent's back row is promoted to a King, gaining the ability to move and jump backward as well as forward. You win by capturing all of your opponent's pieces, or by leaving them with no legal move on their turn.
Playing the Computer
The computer opponent comes in three strengths. Easy makes fast, sometimes random choices and forgives mistakes, making it ideal when you are learning. Medium looks a few moves ahead and will trade pieces sensibly. Hard searches many moves deep using minimax with alpha-beta pruning; it prizes kings, controls the centre, and will exploit any piece you leave undefended. If Hard feels tough, that is the point — beating it means you are playing genuinely strong checkers.
Winning Strategy Tips
Control the centre
Central pieces have more moves and captures available. Push toward the middle rather than the edges.
Guard your back row
Keeping your back row intact denies the opponent easy kings. Break it only when you must.
Trade when ahead
If you have more pieces, swapping evenly simplifies the game and makes your material edge decisive.
Race for kings
Kings move both ways and are worth far more than men. Advance a runner when the path is safe.
Set up multi-jumps
Because captures are forced, you can bait the opponent into a jump that opens a bigger chain for you.
Don't rush forward
Advanced lone men are easy targets. Move pieces in supporting pairs so they can't be picked off.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Checkers?
Checkers is played on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Each player starts with 12 pieces and moves them diagonally forward one square at a time. You capture an opponent’s piece by jumping over it into the empty square beyond, and you win by capturing all of the opponent’s pieces or leaving them with no legal move. When one of your pieces reaches the far row it is crowned a King, which can move and capture both forward and backward.
Are captures mandatory?
Yes. In standard checkers, if a capture is available you must take it — you cannot choose to make an ordinary move instead. If a capture leads to another capture with the same piece, you must continue jumping until no more captures are possible. Our game enforces this automatically: only legal capturing moves are offered when a jump exists, and multi-jumps are completed for you when you pick the destination.
Can I play against the computer?
Yes. The default mode is you versus the computer with Easy, Medium, and Hard levels. Easy makes quick, sometimes random decisions and is good for beginners. Medium looks a few moves ahead. Hard uses a deeper minimax search with alpha-beta pruning, so it plans well ahead, values kings, and punishes loose play. You can also switch to 2 Players to play a friend on the same device.
How does a piece become a King?
When one of your men reaches the farthest row from where it started — the opponent’s back row — it is immediately crowned a King, shown with a crown symbol. Kings are far more powerful because they can move and capture diagonally in any direction, not just forward. Note that if a man reaches the back row during a jump, it is crowned and its turn ends there, even if more jumps might otherwise have been possible.
What is the difference between checkers and draughts?
They are the same family of game — “checkers” is the American name and “draughts” the British one. This version uses the standard American/English rules played on an 8×8 board with men capturing forward only and mandatory jumps. International draughts is a different variant played on a 10×10 board with flying kings; that is not what is implemented here.
Is it free and private?
Completely free, with no signup and no ads interrupting play. The entire game — including the computer opponent — runs in your browser, so no moves are uploaded anywhere and it keeps working offline once loaded.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. The board scales to your screen and you play by tapping a piece and then a highlighted square. Everything is touch-friendly, so you can play on a phone or tablet just as easily as on a desktop.
Want to sharpen your game? Read our guide on how to win at Checkers.