What Is Draughts? Rules, Variations, and How to Play Online

Updated

Draughts is a family of two-player strategy board games in which you move pieces diagonally and capture by jumping over your opponent's pieces. The version most people in the US call "checkers" is English draughts: an 8x8 board, 12 pieces each, mandatory captures, and kings that can move backward. You can play it online for free at draughts.org against either the computer or another person. The rules below cover English draughts first, then the main variations and how they differ.

The basic rules of English draughts

Setup. The board is an 8x8 checkerboard of alternating light and dark squares. Each player starts with 12 pieces (red and white on draughts.org), placed on the dark squares of the three rows nearest them. Pieces only ever occupy and move on dark squares.

Objective. Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or block their movement so they have no legal move. If neither player can make a move, the game is a draw.

Moving. On your turn you move one piece diagonally forward to an adjacent empty square. Pieces move forward only until they are promoted.

Capturing is mandatory. If you can capture an opponent's piece by jumping over it to the empty square directly beyond, you must do so. You cannot decline a capture and play a different move. A jump removes the jumped piece from the board.

Kings. If a piece reaches the far side of the board, it becomes a king. Kings can move and capture both forward and backward, which is the main reason promotion matters so much. A king is still capturable like any other piece.

Ending the game. The game ends when one player captures all opposing pieces, blocks all opposing moves, or the opponent forfeits. No legal moves for either side means a draw.

A quick example of a mandatory capture

Suppose your piece sits on a dark square with an opponent's piece diagonally in front of it and an empty square immediately beyond. You must jump: your piece lands on the empty square and the jumped piece is removed. If that landing square also sets up another jump, the capture continues as a multi-jump in the same turn. Missing a mandatory capture is the most common beginner error, so scan for jumps before planning any other move.

How the main variations differ

The three variations named on draughts.org differ mainly by board size, piece count, and how kings capture. Use this table to pick the version you want to learn or play.

Variation Board Pieces per player Notes
English draughts (checkers) 8x8 12 Pieces move forward only; kings move and capture forward and backward
International draughts (Polish draughts) 10x10 20 Capturing is mandatory; when multiple captures exist you must choose the sequence that captures the most pieces; kings can capture in any direction and jump multiple pieces in one move
Russian draughts — — Listed as a variation on draughts.org; see the site's variation pages for its specific board and capture rules

International draughts is believed to have originated in France in the 18th century. Its "maximum capture" rule is the biggest practical difference from English draughts: you are not free to pick any legal jump, only the one that takes the most pieces.

How to play online at draughts.org

  1. Open draughts.org. The homepage presents two main options: Play vs. Computer and Play vs. Human.
  2. Choose your opponent type. Pick the computer for solo practice, or the human option for a multiplayer game.
  3. Start the game and apply the rules above: move diagonally forward, take mandatory jumps, and push a piece to the far row to make a king.
  4. Verify the result the way the game does — you win when you capture all opposing pieces or block all opposing moves; the game is drawn when neither side can move.

The site also hosts rules and strategy material alongside play, so you can read the rules of draughts and study new strategies on the same site you play on. If you specifically want the 8x8 game, confirm you are in the English draughts ruleset, since the site also documents International and Russian draughts.

Common questions

Is draughts the same as checkers? English draughts and American checkers are the same game. "Draughts" is the broader term covering English, International, Russian, and other variants.

Do I have to jump if I can? Yes, in English draughts and International draughts capturing is mandatory. In International draughts, if several captures are available you must take the one that captures the most pieces.

Can a king be captured? Yes. Promotion gives a king more movement options, not immunity.

How does a game end without a winner? If neither player can make a legal move, the game is a draw.