This is the classic board game of checkers, also known as English draughts. Play against the computer or share one screen with a friend. It is free, runs in your browser with no download or sign up, works on phones and computers, and keeps working offline once loaded.
Inspired by: English draughts, also called checkers.
How to play Checkers
- Choose Vs computer or 2 players. Amber moves first from the bottom of the board.
- Click or tap a piece, then click or tap a green dot to move it one square diagonally forward.
- To capture, jump diagonally over an enemy piece into the empty square behind it.
- If a capture is available you must take it. You can keep jumping in one turn if another capture follows.
- Reach the far row to become a king. Kings can move and capture both forward and backward.
- Win by capturing every enemy piece or leaving your opponent with no legal move.
Controls
- Keyboard: Arrow keys move the cursor, Space or Enter selects a piece or a square, and X cancels.
- Mouse: Click a piece, then click the square you want to move to.
- Touch screen: Tap a piece, then tap a highlighted square.
Tips to score higher
- Keep your back row as long as you can. It stops enemy pieces from becoming kings.
- Move in groups so every piece is protected from behind. A lone piece is easy to jump.
- Control the centre of the board. Pieces there have more ways to move.
- Use forced captures to your advantage. Sometimes you can offer one piece to win two.
- When you are ahead, trade pieces. A simpler board makes it easier to finish.
The story behind Checkers
Checkers has a very long history. A similar game called Alquerque was played in the Middle East and Europe many centuries ago, and the English version known as draughts took its modern form in Europe by the 1500s, played on a chessboard. In 1952 a program written by Arthur Samuel on an IBM computer learned to play checkers, one of the first examples of a machine that improved by playing. Many of us first met the game as a wooden board on a school desk or a living room floor, with bottle caps standing in for pieces. This version keeps those quick, friendly battles one tap away.
Questions players ask
Is this checkers game free?
Yes. It is free to play, with no sign up and no download.
Do I have to capture when I can?
Yes. In English draughts a capture is compulsory, and the game highlights pieces that must jump.
Can men capture backward?
No. Regular pieces only move and capture forward. Kings can go in all four diagonal directions.
Can I play against a friend on one device?
Yes. Choose 2 players and take turns on the same screen.
What if neither side can win?
If many moves pass with no capture and no regular piece moving, the game is called a draw.