Checkers rules: how to play American checkers (English draughts)
Checkers is a game for two players on an 8 x 8 board. Each player has 12 pieces. You move diagonally, jump over your opponent's pieces to take them, and try to leave them without a move.
In Britain the same game is called draughts. These are the standard tournament rules of the United States and the United Kingdom. Other countries play on a bigger board or with stronger kings. You'll find those games under Variants.
- Players
- 2
- Playing time
- 15-45 min
- Age
- 6+
- What you need
- A checkerboard (8 x 8) and 12 pieces per player in two colours
Updated: 2 November 2026
Aim of the game
You win by leaving your opponent without a move. Usually that means taking all their pieces. You can also win by blocking them so that none of their pieces can move.
All pieces move diagonally, so they always stay on the dark squares. Plain pieces move forward only. A piece that reaches the far row of the board becomes a king and can then move backwards too.
The board and the set-up
The board has 64 squares in two colours. You only ever play on the dark squares, so 32 squares are in use.
Place the board so that each player has a dark square in their near left-hand corner. Each player has 12 pieces of one colour. These plain pieces are called men.
- Each player puts their 12 men on the dark squares of the three rows nearest them.
- The two middle rows stay empty.
- The player with the darker pieces moves first. Then you take turns, one move each.
Tournament sets use red and white pieces, and red counts as the darker colour. Many home sets are red and black, and then black starts. If it isn't clear with your set, agree before you start.
Moving a man
A man moves one square diagonally forward, to the left or the right. The square must be empty. Men never move sideways or backwards.
On your turn you move one piece. You cannot pass. If you can jump, you must jump instead of making a plain move (see Jumping).
Jumping
You capture a piece by jumping over it. An opponent's piece must stand diagonally next to yours, with an empty square directly behind it. Your piece jumps over it and lands on the empty square. The piece you jumped comes off the board.
- A man jumps forward only, never backwards.
- You can jump a man or a king.
- You can never jump your own pieces.
- You cannot jump two pieces standing next to each other on the same diagonal, because there is no empty square between them.
Jumping is compulsory, which players call the forced jump rule. If any of your pieces can jump, you must jump this turn. A plain move is not allowed.
After a jump, look again. If the same piece can jump another piece from its new square, it must jump again. It can change direction between jumps. Keep going until it cannot jump any more. The whole sequence is called a multiple jump, and it counts as one move.
When you have a choice of jumps, you may pick any of them. You do not have to take the most pieces. Once you start a multiple jump, though, you must finish it.
For example, your man jumps an opposing man and lands on an empty square. Another opposing piece now stands diagonally in front of it, with an empty square behind. Your man must jump that piece too, in the same move.
A piece cannot be jumped twice in one move. The pieces you jump come off the board at the end of the move.
Kings
When a man reaches the far row of the board, called the king row, it is crowned and becomes a king. Your opponent crowns it by placing one of your captured men on top, so the king is two pieces high. You can also crown it yourself.
Reaching the king row ends your move. This applies even in the middle of a multiple jump. The new king cannot jump on until your next turn.
A king moves one square diagonally in any direction, forwards or backwards. It jumps like a man, but in either direction. In one multiple jump, a king can mix forward and backward jumps.
A king is a strong piece, but a man or another king can still jump it.
A king that is jumped comes off the board like any other piece. Nothing more happens when a king reaches either end of the board: it is already a king.
Winning and draws
You win when your opponent has no move on their turn. That happens when you have taken all their pieces or when all their remaining pieces are blocked. A player may also resign.
The game is a draw in these cases:
- Both players agree to a draw.
- The same position comes up for the third time, with the same player to move.
- For 40 moves by each player, no man has moved forward and no piece has been taken.
At home, the last rule rarely matters. When neither player can win, you usually just agree a draw. In tournaments, a player claims a draw by repetition or by the 40-move rule from the referee.
Variants
International draughts (100 squares)
This is the main tournament game of the World Draughts Federation, played widely in Europe and Africa. It is played on a 10 x 10 board. Each player has 20 men on the four rows nearest them. The main differences:
- White moves first.
- Men still move forward only, but they can jump backwards as well as forwards.
- A king moves any number of empty squares along a diagonal, like a bishop in chess. Players call it a flying king. It can jump a piece from a distance and land on any empty square beyond it.
- You must make the jump that takes the most pieces. A king counts as one piece. If two jumps take the same number, you choose.
- Jumped pieces stay on the board until the move ends. You cannot jump them again, but you may cross the same empty square twice.
- A man is crowned only if it ends its move on the far row. If it reaches the far row during a jump and has to jump on, it stays a man.
- Extra draw rules apply. The game is a draw after 25 moves each in which only kings move and nothing is taken. A short move limit applies when one side is down to a single king.
International rules on the 8 x 8 board
In Poland, Brazil and some other countries, people play the international rules on the ordinary 8 x 8 board. Each player sets up 12 men, exactly as in The board and the set-up. Then you play by the rules of international draughts: men jump backwards, kings move any distance and you must take the most pieces. White moves first, and the tournament draw limits differ.
Frequent questions
Do you have to jump in checkers?
Yes. If any of your pieces can jump, you must jump instead of making a plain move. If you have several jumps to choose from, you can pick any of them.
Can you jump backwards in checkers?
Only with a king. A plain man moves and jumps forward only. A king can jump forwards and backwards, even in the same turn. In international draughts, men can jump backwards too.
How does a king move in checkers?
One square diagonally in any direction, forwards or backwards. It jumps the same way as a man, in any of the four diagonal directions. Flying kings, which move any distance, belong to international draughts, not to checkers.
Can a piece become a king and keep jumping?
No. When a man reaches the king row, it is crowned and your move ends there. Even if the new king could jump another piece, it has to wait for your next turn.
What happens if you can't move in checkers?
You lose. A player who has no legal move on their turn loses the game. It does not matter how many pieces they still have on the board.
Can a game of checkers end in a draw?
Yes. Players can agree a draw at any time. It is also a draw when the same position comes up for the third time. In tournaments, 40 moves each with no man moved forward and nothing taken is a draw too.
Do you have to take the most pieces?
No, not in checkers. You can choose any jump you like, even one that takes fewer pieces. But once your piece starts jumping, it must take every piece it can along that path. In international draughts, taking the most pieces is compulsory.
Who goes first in checkers?
The player with the darker pieces. In tournaments the pieces are red and white, and red starts. With a red and black home set, black usually starts. After each game, swap colours.
How many pieces does each player have?
Twelve. They stand on the dark squares of the three rows nearest you. The two middle rows start empty.
What happens if you don't jump when you have to?
Under today's rules, that move is illegal. Take it back and make the jump. An old rule called huffing let the opponent remove the piece that failed to jump instead. Huffing is no longer part of the official rules, but some families still play it.
Can you jump more than one piece in a turn?
Yes. If your piece lands on a square from which it can jump again, it must keep jumping. It can change direction between jumps. Men always jump forward, and kings can jump both ways.
Can a plain piece jump a king?
Yes. A man can jump a king just like any other piece, as long as the jump goes forward.
Can you jump over your own pieces?
No. You only jump your opponent's pieces. You also cannot jump two pieces that stand next to each other on a diagonal. Each jump needs an empty square to land on.
What is the difference between checkers and draughts?
Checkers and English draughts are the same game with the same rules. Only the name differs: checkers in the United States, draughts in Britain. International draughts, sometimes called Polish draughts, is a different game on a 10 x 10 board. There, men also jump backwards and kings move any distance. Many Polish and Brazilian players use those rules on the 8 x 8 board (see Variants).
If you touch a piece, do you have to move it?
In tournaments, yes, if that piece can move. Say "I adjust" first if you only want to straighten it. At home, many players are more relaxed, so agree on it before you start.
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