Are checkers and draughts the same?

They are the same family of games; the name and rules vary a little by country. As described in "About the rules on this site", the rules here are Anglo-American rules played on a 10×10 board.

How does a king move?

A king can move one square diagonally backward as well as forward, and it can also capture backward.

Do I have to choose the move that captures the most?

No. When there are several ways to capture, you can choose one that captures fewer pieces. But once you start capturing, you keep going until no more captures are possible.

Asobi Lounge / Games / Checkers

Checkers rules and how to play: forced jumps and kings

A traditional board game where you move pieces diagonally and capture your opponent's pieces by jumping over them. The "forced jump" rule, which says you must capture whenever you can, makes for exciting games. On this site you play the Anglo-American rules on a large 10×10 board.

Also known as: Draughts
Players: 2 players (1 against the CPU)
Price: free
Runs in the browser (no install)

Play now

The game screen is in Japanese.

Games against the CPU and solo modes work right away without signing in. Online play (random matches and private rooms) and saving stats or leaderboard scores require signing in with a Google account. To play with a friend, your friend also needs to create an account and register as your friend.

Checkers modes

Random match (ランダムマッチ): find an opponent online
Room match (ルーム対戦): play a friend using a room ID
Play against the CPU (CPU対戦): practice against a CPU with four strength levels
Two players (ふたりで対戦): take turns on one screen

Basic rules of Checkers

Only the dark squares are used. Black and red start with 20 pieces each on the four rows nearest them. Black moves first.
A piece moves one square diagonally forward to an empty square. It cannot move backward.
If an opponent's piece is next to yours and the square beyond it is empty, you can jump over it and capture it.
If you can capture, you must (forced jump). When there are several ways to capture, you may choose any of them, and once you start capturing, you continue until no more captures are possible.
A piece that reaches the farthest row becomes a king. A king moves one square in any of the four diagonal directions and can also capture backward. If a piece reaches the farthest row while capturing, the turn ends there.
You win by capturing all of your opponent's pieces or leaving them unable to move. The game is a draw if the same position appears three times, or if 50 moves in a row (counting both players) are made with only kings moving and no captures.

How to play on Asobi Lounge

Pieces that can move have a faint ring. When you select one, the path to its destination and an × on each piece it would capture are shown.
When you must capture, the pieces that can capture glow yellow, and only those can be selected. When a chain of captures can go different ways, select the squares along the way in order.
Against the CPU, Undo (待った) takes back a move. Hint (ヒント), up to three times per game, shows the move the strongest CPU would play.

About the rules on this site

Checkers (draughts) rules vary a little by country and region. This site uses Anglo-American rules (kings move one square at a time, and ordinary pieces capture only forward), played on a 10×10 board with 20 pieces each.

There are more squares and more pieces than in the common Anglo-American game with 12 pieces each on an 8×8 board, so the opening setup and the exchanges in the middle game last longer.
In international draughts, which also uses a 10×10 board, kings can move any number of squares, ordinary pieces can capture backward, and you must choose the move that captures the most pieces. None of these rules apply on this site.
Captured pieces stay on the board until the move ends. You cannot jump the same piece twice or stop on the square of a piece you captured.

How the CPU levels differ

Novice: moves almost at random. For players who have just learned the rules.
Beginner: reads 4 moves ahead but sometimes plays weak moves.
Intermediate: reads 6 moves ahead and also considers the back row and protecting its pieces.
Advanced: thinks for about 1.5 seconds per move and reads deep, around 10 moves ahead.

Tips

Use the forced jump rule: deliberately let your opponent take one piece so you can take back two or more (a sacrifice).
Keeping pieces on your back row stops your opponent from making kings.
A piece with a friendly piece behind it cannot be jumped from the front. Advance your pieces together.
Pieces on the edge of the board are hard to jump, so they are useful for defense.

Frequently asked questions

Are checkers and draughts the same?: They are the same family of games; the name and rules vary a little by country. As described in "About the rules on this site", the rules here are Anglo-American rules played on a 10×10 board.
How does a king move?: A king can move one square diagonally backward as well as forward, and it can also capture backward.
Do I have to choose the move that captures the most?: No. When there are several ways to capture, you can choose one that captures fewer pieces. But once you start capturing, you keep going until no more captures are possible.
Is Checkers free to play?: Yes, it costs nothing. Games against the CPU and solo modes work right away without signing in. Online play (random matches and private rooms) and saving stats or leaderboard scores require signing in with a Google account. To play with a friend, your friend also needs to create an account and register as your friend.