Checkers
In Checkers you play draughts on an 8 by 8 board. Forced captures are highlighted so you always know which piece must move. Free, no sign-up.
Checkers is the traditional diagonal jumping game, played against the computer. You are the red pieces at the bottom, the black pieces at the top are your opponent. Jump an opposing piece to take it, and take every piece you can.
about 19.5 KB
Works offline after the first visit. No install, no sign-up.
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How to play Checkers
The rules in brief
Pieces move one square diagonally forward, always onto the darker squares. Jump over an adjacent opposing piece to capture it, landing on the empty square directly beyond. Reach the far row and your piece becomes a king.
You must take when you can, and the game shows you which piece
If a capture is available, only capturing moves are allowed. Every piece that can capture is shaded amber, so you never have to work out why a piece refuses to move — that shading is the whole point of it being there.
Multiple jumps continue until they stop
After a jump, if the same piece can jump again it must, and it stays selected while it does. The turn only passes once that piece has no further jumps available.
Kings move in all four diagonal directions
A king can move or jump backwards as well as forwards. In this version a king still captures one piece at a time — it does not sweep across the board taking several pieces in a single move.
How the game ends
You lose if all your pieces are gone, and also if you have pieces left but no legal move at all. Being completely blocked counts as a loss, which is the most common way a game of draughts actually finishes.
The opponent cannot cheat
The computer chooses from exactly the same list of legal moves that your pieces are checked against, so it can never play a move you would not have been allowed.
Checkers Tips and Strategy
Make your opponent move
Captures are compulsory, so whenever a capture exists no one is allowed to play a quiet move. Positioning a piece where the other side has no capture available is how you keep control of the tempo.
Trade when you are ahead
Every capture you take is a piece the other side never gets back, and a side with more material can afford to give some up. When you are behind, avoid trades and use your men as fixed blockers instead.
Kings win the endgame
A king here steps one square in any diagonal direction, so reaching the far row is not an instant win but it does make the piece far harder to pin down. Push a man through early while your opponent is busy making choices.
Checkers — Frequently Asked Questions
Why will a piece not move when I tap it?
Because another piece of yours can capture, and captures are compulsory. Every piece that is allowed to move right now is shaded amber — tap an amber piece to see its moves.
Can I stop halfway through a multiple jump?
No. Once a piece starts jumping it must keep going while jumps remain available, and it stays selected until it cannot jump any further.
Can a king take several pieces at once?
No. In this version a king jumps one piece per move like any other piece, though it can jump in any diagonal direction.
Does it need installing or an account?
No. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer and works offline after the first visit.
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