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Checkers Board Game

Checkers is a classic board game, one of the most popular in the world. Here’s an overview of this very fun and more-complex-than-it-looks game.

Checkers Board Game

How Do You Play the Board Game Checkers?

Checkers is played by advancing your color pieces against your opponent’s color pieces. You try to jump your opponent’s pieces while protecting your own from being jumped. You also try to get your pieces all the way to the other side of the board, where they become kings, after which they can move and jump backwards.

What is the Main Objective in Checkers?

You win the game by taking all of your opponent’s pieces or by rendering your opponent unable to move.

Checkers Board Game Set Up

Setting up the board is easy: make sure the square in the bottom right corner is light and fill up the dark squares of the three rows closest to you with your pieces.

What Are the Rules to Checkers?

Here are the basic rules:

  • Black moves first. If your pieces aren’t black and white, the dark pieces move first.
  • Regular pieces only move and jump forward.
  • Jumping is mandatory. If it’s your turn and you can jump your opponent’s piece, you must do it.
  • Multiple jumps are allowed and also mandatory.
  • You can’t jump your own pieces.
  • A piece that reaches the opponent’s back row becomes a king.
  • Kings can move and jump forward and backward.
  • You win by jumping all your opponent’s pieces or by making your opponent unable to move. (Last move wins)
  • See full checkers rules

Is Checkers 8×8 or 10×10?

Regular checkers, the kind that’s common in the US & UK, is played on an 8×8 checkered board and each side starts with 12 pieces. International checkers is also quite popular and is played on a 10×10 board, has some rule differences, and each side has 20 pieces.

Checkers Strategy

Here’s some basic checkers strategy to get you started:

  • Try to control the center by moving into it and jumping toward it rather than hanging out at the sides.
  • Protect your king row (the back row) but don’t be afraid to move out these pieces when it’s helpful.
  • Keep your pieces connected so they can back each other up instead of moving them out too far by themselves.
  • Make a strong opening move.

Is Checkers Harder Than Chess?

No. It’s less complicated and less complex, but it’s still an excellent game of strategy and tactics.

Is Checkers Luck or Skill?

It’s a pure strategy game of skill because both sides start with equal forces, have complete information, and are in control of every move they make.

Checkers can sometimes feel like luck is playing a large part in what happens, but that is because we can’t see—aren’t skillful enough to see—what is happening. This applies to any game. You can find yourself in a good or bad position in a game of chess without any idea how you got there. But an expert player could tell you exactly how it happened.

Free Checkers Board Game Online

There are many sites where you can play checkers for free. I like several of them, but the one from Gametable seems to play the best, so I usually go with that one.

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