Checkers

about this tool

Checkers, by the English rules

Checkers here is played by the English rules, also called draughts: an 8 × 8 board, twelve men a side on the dark squares, and black to move first.

• Men move one square diagonally forward, and capture by jumping an enemy piece diagonally forward onto the empty square beyond it.
• Captures are compulsory. If any piece can take, one must, and the capture goes on while the same piece has another to take. When there is more than one capture, you choose which.
• Kings are made when a man reaches the far row — and that ends the move, even mid-capture. A king moves and captures one square in any diagonal direction.
• The game ends when a player cannot move: every piece taken or blocked. Forty moves each with no capture and no man moved is a draw.

Playing

Pick up a piece and then the square to move it to; the board marks where it can go. A capture of several pieces is played a jump at a time, with the pieces taken so far shown faded until it is done. When a capture is on, the pieces that can take are marked, since no other piece may move. Undo takes a move back — against the computer, its reply goes too.

With a keyboard, the arrow keys walk the dark squares and Enter or Space picks up and puts down; Escape, or a click on the piece's first square, puts a piece back, even part way through a capture. Each square says its name, what is on it and whether a piece can go there, and every move is read out as it is played: c3-d4 for a step, d4×f6 for a capture.

Against the computer, or a friend

The computer plays at three levels. Easy looks two moves ahead and often plays at random; medium looks four ahead; hard looks up to ten moves ahead, as far as it gets in a tenth of a second. You play black in the first game, and the sides swap each game after, with the board turned so your pieces are at the bottom. Against a friend, pass the screen across the table.

For another game for two at one screen, try 3 in a row and 4 in a row; for one player, the deduction of Code Breaker. Nothing about a game is saved or sent.

questions

What are the rules of checkers here?

The English rules, also called draughts. Each side has twelve men on the dark squares of an 8 × 8 board. Men move one square diagonally forward; they capture by jumping an enemy piece diagonally forward onto the empty square beyond. A man that reaches the far row becomes a king, which moves and captures one square diagonally in any direction. Black moves first.

Do you have to capture?

Yes. If any of your pieces can take, you must take, and a capture goes on for as long as the same piece has another piece to take. You may choose which capture to make when there is more than one. A man that is crowned during a capture stops there: the move ends.

How does a game end?

A player who cannot move — every piece taken, or every one blocked — loses. If forty moves each go by with no capture and no man moved, the game is a draw.

How strong is the computer?

Easy looks two moves ahead and often plays a random move; medium looks four ahead and rarely slips; hard looks up to ten moves ahead, as far as it gets in a tenth of a second, so it plays a little more strongly on a faster device. Against the computer you play black first, and the sides swap each game, with the board turned so your pieces are always at the bottom.

How do I play a capture of several pieces?

Pick up the piece, then click each square it lands on in turn. The pieces taken so far are shown faded until the capture is complete. With a keyboard, the arrow keys move between the dark squares, and Enter or Space picks up and puts down.

Is anything saved or sent?

No. The game runs in your browser, including the computer’s moves, and nothing is stored or sent. The score for the visit is kept until you leave the page.