Free Draughts Online: How to Play Against the Computer or a Human

You can play free draughts (also called checkers) online at draughts.org without downloading anything — the site offers two modes: Play vs. Computer and Play vs. Human (multiplayer). The page describes the game as "Free draughts boardgame against computer or human," so both options are presented as free to use. To start, pick a mode, then play by standard English draughts rules on an 8x8 board with 12 pieces per side.

How to start a game on draughts.org

1. Open draughts.org.
2. Choose Play vs. Computer if you want to practice or play solo.
3. Choose Play vs. Human if you want a multiplayer game against another person.
4. Set up the board: 8x8 checkerboard, 12 red pieces and 12 white pieces.

The page does not describe account creation, downloads, or payment steps, so treat those as unconfirmed. If a screen asks for login or payment, that detail isn't covered by the source material.

Basic rules of English draughts

The objective is to capture all of your opponent's pieces or block their movement so they cannot make a legal move.

• Movement: On your turn, move one piece diagonally to an adjacent empty square.
• Capturing is mandatory: If you can capture an opponent's piece by jumping over it, you must do so.
• Kings: If a piece reaches the opposite side of the board, it becomes a king and can move both forward and backward.
• Kings can still be captured if you're not careful.
• Game end: The game ends when one player captures all opponent pieces, blocks all opponent moves, or the opponent forfeits.
• Draw: If neither player can make a move, the game ends in a draw.

Quick reference

Variations you may encounter

The site lists several draughts variants, and they differ mainly in board size, piece count, and capture rules.

International Draughts

• Also known as Polish draughts.
• Played on a 10x10 board with 20 pieces per player.
• Goal: capture all opponent pieces or block all legal moves.
• Pieces move diagonally forward; reaching the opposite side makes a king that can also move diagonally backward.
• Capturing is mandatory. If multiple captures are available, you must choose the sequence that captures the most pieces.
• Kings can capture in any direction and can jump over multiple pieces in a single move.
• The page notes it is believed to have originated in France in the 18th century.

English Draughts

This is the 8x8, 12-piece version covered in the basic rules above — the standard starting point for beginners.

Russian Draughts

Listed as a variation on the site. The source excerpt does not detail its specific board size or capture rules, so check the site's variation section for the exact rules before playing that mode.

Practical tips for your first games

• Watch for forced captures. Because capturing is mandatory, you can't ignore a jump to reposition freely — plan moves that don't hand your opponent a chain of jumps.
• Protect your back row. Leaving the far edge open makes it easy for an opponent to promote a piece to a king.
• Trade carefully. A king is much stronger than a regular piece, so avoid equal trades that let your opponent promote first.
• Know when to accept a draw. If neither side can move, the game is a draw — there's no benefit in forcing a losing position.

What the page does not cover

The source material does not state pricing, login requirements, or download requirements beyond describing the game as free. It also does not give a step-by-step interface walkthrough, so exact button labels and menu locations may differ when you visit the site.