Checkers is a classic two-player strategy game played on an 8×8 board. The goal is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces or block them so they have no legal moves remaining.

What you’ll need

• A checkers board (standard 8×8 board)
• 24 checkers pieces (12 per player)
• 2 players

Set up

• Place the board so that each player has a dark square in the lower-left corner.
• Each player places their 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows closest to them.
• The light-colored squares are not used during play.

Standard checkers starting position.

One player moves first. Players then alternate turns.

How pieces move

Regular pieces

• Move diagonally forward one square
• May only move on dark squares

Kings

• Move diagonally forward or backward
• Remain kings for the rest of the game

Capturing pieces

A capture is made by jumping diagonally over an opponent’s piece onto an empty dark square immediately beyond it.

• The jumped piece is removed from the board
• Regular pieces may capture diagonally forward only
• Kings may capture diagonally forward or backward

Captures are mandatory. If a capture is available, the player must take it.

Multiple captures

If, after making a capture, another capture is immediately available with the same piece, the player must continue jumping.

The player’s turn ends only when no further captures are possible.

Becoming a king

When a regular piece reaches the farthest row on the opponent’s side of the board, it is crowned a king.

• Stack a second piece on top to mark it as a king
• If a piece reaches the king row by capturing, the turn ends immediately

Ending the game

The game ends when:

• One player has no pieces remaining, or
• A player has no legal moves available

Winning the game

The player who captures all of their opponent’s pieces, or leaves them with no legal moves, wins.