How to Play Checkers: Rules, Kings and Strategy
Checkers, also called draughts, is a two-player game on an 8×8 board. Each player has 12 pieces that sit on the dark squares of the three rows closest to them. You win by capturing all of your opponent's pieces, or by leaving them with no legal move.
The rules
- Moving: a normal piece moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square.
- Capturing: jump diagonally over an enemy piece that is right next to you, landing on the empty square behind it. The jumped piece is removed.
- Captures are mandatory: if you can jump, you must. On Royal Duels the pieces that can capture are highlighted.
- Multiple jumps: if, after a jump, the same piece can jump again, it keeps going in the same turn.
- Kings: when a piece reaches the far row it is crowned 👑. A king can move and capture diagonally both forward and backward. Being crowned ends your turn.
- Draws: on Royal Duels the game is a draw after 40 moves each with no capture and no normal piece moving forward.
Strategy tips
- Keep your back row filled as long as you can. It stops your opponent from getting kings.
- Control the center. Pieces in the middle have more options than pieces stuck on the edges.
- Move in groups. Pieces that support each other are hard to jump.
- Use forced captures against your opponent. Because jumping is mandatory, you can offer one piece to drag an enemy piece into a spot where you take two.
- Trade when you are ahead. With more pieces than your opponent, even trades bring you closer to winning.
- Race for kings in the endgame. Kings are much stronger than normal pieces.
A bit of history
Games like checkers have been played for centuries, and the modern 8×8 version became popular in England and America, where it's often called draughts. In 2007, a computer program called Chinook, built by researchers at the University of Alberta, proved that perfect play from both sides always ends in a draw. Humans aren't perfect, though, which is what makes every game exciting.
Playing checkers on Royal Duels
Tap one of your pieces, then tap a highlighted square. Play the bot on three levels or send a challenge link to a friend. Wins earn points toward your royal title, from Peasant all the way to Royalty.
More: How to Win at Checkers