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Play now — it's freeCheckers — known as draughts in the UK and as American checkers or English draughts everywhere else — is the classic two-player board game played on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Each side starts with 12 men; capture is compulsory, jump chains sweep across the board, and a man that reaches the far row is crowned a king.
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→ Full Checkers rules · Glossary
Two players face off on an 8×8 board; each commands 12 men placed on the dark squares of the three ranks nearest them. The darker pieces (Red) move first. The goal is to capture every enemy man or leave the opponent with no legal move. Capturing is compulsory, a chosen jump chain must be completed, and any man reaching the far row is crowned a king that moves and captures one square diagonally in any direction.
Every move stays on the dark squares, diagonally only:
| Piece | Count | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Man | 12 | One square diagonally forward; jumps forward only |
| King | — | One square diagonally in any of the four diagonal directions |
It is the classic two-player board game of the English-speaking world: on an 8×8 board each side starts with 12 men on the dark squares, capture is compulsory, and a man that reaches the far row becomes a king.
Each player has 12 pieces (24 in total), placed on the dark squares of the three ranks nearest each player. The darker pieces move first.
Yes — if any jump is available it must be taken. However, English draughts does not require the jump capturing the most pieces: you may choose any available capture, but the chain you start must be played to its end.
No. Men move and jump diagonally forward only. Only kings move and capture in all four diagonal directions — one square at a time.
A man that reaches the far row (the kings row) is crowned. If it arrives by a jump, the move ends right there; from the next turn the king moves and jumps one square diagonally in any direction.
No. In English draughts a king moves and captures exactly one square diagonally. Flying kings that slide any distance belong to international and Turkish draughts.
You win by capturing every enemy piece or leaving the opponent with no legal move. Games with no progress are drawn: king against king, 80 consecutive half-moves with no capture and no man move, or the same position occurring three times.
Yes — play free in your browser at checkers.yeeqia.com, no download and no sign-up required.
Yes, the site is mobile-first and runs in any modern browser on Android or iPhone, with a full English interface.