Understand Checkers

How to Play Checkers

Checkers is an easy to learn game that can bring hours of fun. The game of Checkers, called Draughts in most countries, dates back to at least the fourteenth century, and possibly even further back into antiquity. The rules for the game are straight forward, so easy that anyone can understand Checkers.

Here's how to play Checkers according to the US Standard Rules.

Setting Up The Game Board

The checkerboard is made up of 64 squares, alternating in a light and dark pattern. 32 squares are light, and 32 squares are dark. The dark squares are the only ones where checkers are situated.

Each game of Checkers has two opposing players, each starting with 12 tiles (also called draughts or checkers). Each player places 1 tiles on each black space in the first three rows from their side of the board, which comes to 4 checkers per row. To keep track of sides, one player has the light checkers and one the dark checkers.

The board is set up so that each player has a light square in the right corner on his side of the board. Each player lays out his tiles on the 12 dark squares of the three rows closest to him. The two rows in the middle of the board are kept empty to start the game.

Playing The Game

Understand Checkers The player with the dark tiles moves first. Players use some form of chance, like flipping a coin, to decide which player uses the dark tiles. After the first move, players take turns, moving one checker per turn.

Tiles may be moved only onto the dark squares, so all moves must be made diagonally. Single tiles may only be moved forward and only one tile at a time, unless you are jumping an opponent's piece. You can only jump an opposing checker that is adjacent on a diagonal axis from your own checker, but you must have an open space on the opposite side of the opposing checker from your own game piece.

An opponent's tile may be captured, that is removed from the board, by jumping over it with a tile. As mentioned before, the checker must be moved in a straight diagonal line directly to the square on the other side of the opponent's tile. Only one of the opponent's tiles may be captured in each jump. However, multiple jumps may take place in a single turn, if the initial tile moved is in position to make another jump. If a jump is possible, it must be played. The player has no choice. If there are multiple jumps possible, the player may choose which jump to make.

When a tile reaches the furthest row from it's starting position, the tile is crowned and becomes a king. One of the tiles previously removed from the board is placed on top of that tile, so that it is of double height. While kings are also limited to moving diagonally, moving only on the dark tiles, they may move either forward or backwards.

The flexibility of the crowned king is a major advantage in the game, so the player who first gets a crowned king tends to have a major advantage in the game.

Ending the Game

A Checkers match ends when one of the opponents cannot make a move. This is usually caused by one player having his last tile captured. It can also happen, though, when one player has all tiles completely circled by his opponent, leaving him or her no place to move.

While these game rules are from the US Standard Rules, other variations of Checkers exist. Checkers can be played as a friendly game between friends or in tournaments around the country. While Checkers is simple enough to be played by children, it is complex enough to allow for competitive tournaments.

Understanding Checkers

We hope that this guide has helped you with better understanding checkers. Those interested in playing Checkers at the tournament level should contact The American Checker Federation for more information.

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