The board and the pieces
The board is an 8 by 8 grid and all play is on the dark squares. Each player starts with 12 pieces on the three rows nearest to them. Red moves first. The rules on boardflix are the English draughts rules, the standard checkers game in the United Kingdom and the United States.
How pieces move
- An ordinary piece, called a man, moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square.
- A king moves one square diagonally in any direction, forward or backward.
- A man that reaches the far row becomes a king. Becoming a king ends your turn.
Captures and mandatory jumps
To capture, jump diagonally over an opponent's piece into the empty square directly behind it. The jumped piece is removed. If the piece that jumped can jump again from where it lands, it must keep going in the same turn. That chain is called a multiple jump.
Captures are mandatory. If any capture is available you have to take one. If several captures are possible you may choose which one, but you cannot make an ordinary move instead.
How to win
You win by capturing all of the opponent's pieces or by leaving them with no legal move, for example when every remaining piece is blocked.
Strategy for beginners
- Keep a few pieces on your back row for as long as you can. They stop the opponent from getting kings.
- Control the centre. Pieces in the middle can move in more directions and are harder to trap.
- Move pieces forward in groups, so each one is backed up from behind and cannot be jumped.
- Trade pieces when you are ahead. A one-for-one trade makes your advantage bigger.
Tactics that win games
Because captures are forced, you can control what your opponent does. In a sacrifice you offer a piece so that your opponent must take it, and the capturing piece ends up where you can jump two or three of theirs in return. Always check what happens after a forced capture before you offer one, and check it for your opponent too.
In the late game, count moves as well as pieces. When the pieces lock together it often matters who has to move first, an idea called the opposition. If you are behind, avoid trades and look for a forced capture that sets up a double jump.
Common mistakes
- Leaving a lone piece far from its friends.
- Moving the back row pieces too early.
- Missing a forced capture that was good for the opponent.
- Forgetting that crowning a king ends your turn.
Playing checkers on boardflix
Choose Easy, Medium or Hard to play the computer, or play a friend on the same screen. To play online, create a private room and share the link. A game where one player is inactive for three minutes is ended as abandoned.
Frequently asked questions
Is capturing really mandatory?
Yes. If you can capture you must, and if there is a choice between captures you pick which one to play.
Can an ordinary piece capture backward?
No. Only kings move and capture backward. Ordinary pieces only go forward.
What is the difference between checkers and draughts?
They are the same game with different names. boardflix uses the English draughts rules.
Can a king fly across the board?
No. In English draughts a king moves one square at a time, in any diagonal direction.
