How to Play Checkers: Rules, Setup and Kings
Checkers is played on an 8×8 board by two players with 12 pieces each, set out on the dark squares of the three rows nearest each player. Pieces move one square diagonally forward, and you capture by jumping over an enemy piece onto the empty square behind it. If you can jump, you must. Reach the far side and your piece becomes a king that can also move backwards. You win when your opponent has no pieces left or can't move.
What you need
Checkers (called draughts in Britain) uses the same board as chess: 64 squares in 8 rows of 8, alternating dark and light. Only the 32 dark squares are ever used. Each player has 12 flat, round pieces in their own colour, so there are 24 pieces in all. Sets in the US are often red and black; on GameLake you play the green lily pads and Hop the frog plays the dark wood discs, and the pieces stand on the water squares.
A normal piece is called a man (or just a "checker"). A man that reaches the far side becomes a king.
How to set up a checkers board
- Turn the board the right way. Each player should have a dark square in the bottom-left corner (and a light square in the bottom-right).
- Place your 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows closest to you: 4 pieces per row.
- Your opponent does the same on their side.
- Leave the two middle rows empty. That's where the first moves happen.
Quick check: if the corner square on your right is dark, the board is turned the wrong way. A rhyme some players use is "light on the right".
Who goes first?
Under the official American rules, the player with the darker pieces moves first. In casual games plenty of families just pick a colour or flip a coin, then take turns. On GameLake, green always moves first, and against a friend you can rematch as many times as you like.
How the pieces move
Players take turns moving one piece. A man moves one square diagonally forward, onto an empty dark square. It can't move straight ahead, sideways or (until it's a king) backwards, and it can't land on another piece.
How to capture (jumping)
If an enemy piece is diagonally next to your piece and the square directly behind it is empty, you can jump over it and take it off the board. Three rules make checkers what it is:
- Jumping is compulsory. If you can capture, you must, even if it's a trap. If you have several captures, you can pick which one.
- Keep jumping while you can. If the piece that just jumped can jump again from its new square, it must carry on. That's a double jump (or a triple, or more).
- Men only jump forwards. Only kings can jump backwards.
These rules cause most beginners' surprises, so we've explained each one with diagrams in checkers rules: jumps, kings and moving backwards.
Kings
When one of your men reaches the row on the far side of the board, it's crowned: in a real set your opponent puts one of your captured pieces on top of it, and on GameLake it gets a little gold crown. Being crowned ends that move, even if the piece arrived in the middle of a jump sequence.
A king moves and jumps diagonally forwards or backwards, still one square at a time (in American checkers, kings don't slide across the board like a chess bishop). That freedom makes a king worth much more than a man.
How to win (and how games are drawn)
You win when your opponent can't make a move on their turn. That happens either because you've captured all of their pieces, or because every piece they have left is blocked.
A game can also be a draw: if both players agree, or if neither side can make progress. Tournament rules set limits on how long a game can go without a capture. On GameLake, 40 moves each with no capture and no man moving, or the same position coming up three times, ends the game as a draw.
Checkers for beginners and kids: the rules in six lines
- 12 pieces each, on the dark squares of your first three rows.
- Move one square diagonally forward to an empty square.
- Jump over an enemy piece to capture it, and keep jumping if you can.
- If you can jump, you have to.
- Reach the other side to get a king, which can move backwards too.
- Take all your opponent's pieces, or leave them stuck, to win.
The fastest way to learn is to play a few games. On GameLake, Hop's Easy level makes mistakes on purpose, the game shows every legal move as you pick up a piece, pieces that have to jump get a dashed orange ring, and Teach me highlights a good move and explains why in plain words. When you're ready to start winning, read how to win at checkers.
Frequently asked questions
How many pieces are in checkers?
24 in total: 12 for each player. They start on the dark squares of the three rows nearest each player.
How do you set up a checkers board?
Turn the board so each player has a dark square in the bottom-left corner. Put your 12 pieces on the dark squares of your first three rows, and leave the two middle rows empty.
Which colour goes first in checkers?
Under the official rules, the darker pieces (usually black) move first. Casual players often just agree or flip a coin. On GameLake, green moves first.
Can checkers pieces move backwards?
Only kings. A regular piece (a man) can only move and jump diagonally forward. Once it's crowned it can go both ways.
What happens when a checker reaches the other side?
It's crowned king and its move ends there. A king can move and jump diagonally forwards and backwards.
Is checkers the same as draughts?
Yes. Checkers is the American name and draughts the British name for the same 8×8 game, also called English draughts.