Checkers

The goal of Checkers, or "Draughts", is to remove all your opponent's pieces from the board. Use your mouse to move your pieces around the board. Your pieces can only move forward one tile diagonally (they always stay on the brown tiles).

To capture an opponent's piece and remove it from the board, you need to "jump" over their piece with one of yours. If after jumping, your piece could make another jump, it is allowed to make additional jumps. If one of your pieces gets to the opposite side of the board (your opponent's back row), it will turn into a King. Kings can move and jump diagonally in any direction. They can even combine jumps forward and backward on the same turn!

You win by removing all of your opponent's pieces from the board, or if your opponent can't make a move.

Checkers Tips & Strategies

Don’t hug the sides. Rookie players sometimes rely on the sides of the board for safety, since pieces on the sides cannot be jumped. However, it’s best to advance your pieces towards the center. It may seem like you’re more vulnerable to attacks from this position, but ultimately, claiming the center will give you more mobility.

Save the last row for later. The back row of checkers on either side is called the “home row.” It’s best to keep this row in reserves until you need the pieces most. Keeping your home row occupied will prevent your opponent from making Kings and gives you an opportunity to jump and capture any opposing pieces that come too close.

Focus on the endgame. At the start of the game, you should put all your focus on moving as many pieces as you can to the other side of the board to build a team of Kings. In Checkers, the player with more kinged pieces on the table is the one most likely to win the match, so it’s best to start early!

Set up a blockade. Your opponent loses when you capture all of their pieces or if they can no longer make any moves. It may be a bit tricky, but as you move your pieces across the board, look for opportunities to create a wall around your opponent’s checkers. Blocking the enemy will automatically hand you the victory. 

Make a trade. If you’re ahead in the game, it may be beneficial to sacrifice or trade some of your pieces if it means obtaining more opposing pieces and advancing further across the board. 

What You Learn From Playing Checkers 

Playing Checkers teaches basic spatial awareness and boosts problem solving skills and memory recall.