1. Objective
Capture every opposing piece or leave your opponent with no legal move. A player who has no pieces or no available move loses.
Checkers Rules
Detailed rules and gameplay guidance for Checkers.
2. Board and setup
Checkers is played on the dark squares of an 8x8 board. Each side starts with twelve pieces arranged on the first three rows of dark squares nearest to that player.
3. Regular movement
A regular piece moves one diagonal step forward onto an empty dark square. Forward means toward the opponent’s starting side, and regular pieces cannot move backwards unless they are kings.
4. Captures and chains
Capture by jumping diagonally over an adjacent opposing piece onto the empty square immediately beyond it. When another capture is available from the landing square, the same piece continues jumping during the same turn.
5. Kings
A piece that reaches the farthest row becomes a king. Kings can move and capture diagonally in both directions. A piece that reaches the king row during a capture follows the game’s configured promotion rule for that turn.
6. Forced captures
Some tables require a capture whenever one is available, while others allow a player to choose a quiet move. The table setting shown before play determines which rule is active.
7. Draws
A draw can be agreed or reached after the configured no-capture move limit. Repeated positions and other table-specific draw conditions may also end a game without a winner.