Do You Have to Jump in Checkers? Yes, you do. Mandatory jumping is a part of checkers rules. If a jump is available, you must make it, even if you’d rather not. That board won’t stay freshly set up for long.
At first glance, this rule sounds like it simplifies checkers and removes much of the strategy and tactics, but it actually does the opposite.
When you’re on offense, one of your main tactics is to set up a situation where your opponent will have to make a disastrous jump. Likewise, on defense, you have to be aware of making moves that will obligate you to make a terrible jump.
If you really want to play without mandatory jumps, see the bottom of the page.
Let’s look at a few examples of when you have to jump in checkers.
Mandatory Checkers Jumps
In the first picture we see a 2 on 2 situation that looks pretty even. If it’s red’s move, they can force a jump that will lose the game for green. By making the move in the second picture, green is forced to jump the red piece. This sets up the position in the third picture, which gives red a game winning double jump.
Most often, these are the kinds of opportunities you’ll be looking for when it comes to forced jumps. You give up 1 piece to get 2 or give up 2 to get 3. On defense, you’ll also be cautious about giving up these opportunities to your opponent.
Here’s another example of how forced jumps can set up a beautiful play. The first picture shows a 3 on 3 situation. If red makes the move in the second picture, it can force green to jump it. Red can then force another jump by moving to the position in the third picture. When green completes this jump, red now has a game winning triple jump!
Here’s another situation that could come up in a game. The first picture shows a 3 on 3. If red makes the move in the second picture, it forces green to jump it, giving us the position in the third picture. Now, red has a double jump in the center that will give it a game winning advantage.
Without forced jumps, none of these sharp tactics would be possible, and the game would be much duller.
What About Checkers Without Mandatory Jumping? What Happens if You Don’t Jump?
If you and your opponent agree to play without mandatory jumps, that’s fine. Just be aware that you’re playing a variation of checkers if you do this.
One way to is to simply eliminate mandatory jumping and make all jumps optional, unless a jump is the only legal move.
Another way to play without mandatory jumping is to use the huffing rule, which makes jumping optional but with a penalty.
So, you have to jump in checkers if you’re using the standard checkers rules. As you practice, pay attention to the opportunities that are presented by forced jumps. Sometimes, what looks like a bad move can actually put you in a strong position.