Checkers game is a strategy board game that is played between 2 players. Checkers Board game is also known as English Draughts. The game board is generally of the size 8 x 8 and has 24 discs. The objective of the game is to get as many pieces from the opponents as possible.
If you are interested in learning and playing the game, keep reading further to know checkers board game rules and how to play checkers board game –
Objective of Checkers Board Game – Get as many pieces from your opponent as possible.
Number of Players – 2 Players
Game Materials – 8×8 game board with 24 discs (12 of 2 colors)
Type of Game – Strategy Board Game
Audience – Older Kids and Adults
How to Play Checkers Game?
The Checkers Board Game Rules are as below –
1. Checker Board game is played by 2 players. Both players start with 12 colored discs for each player.
2. The checker board consists of 64 squares having 32 light and 32 dark shades on the squares.
3. Each player places the discs on the dark squares on their side of board. Black plays first.
4. The moves can be made only on the dark squares and hence the discs move diagonally.
5. The pieces can move only forward towards their opponent.
6. If you are moving a disc forward but not capturing your opponent’s piece, you can only move it forward One square.
7. In a capturing move, a piece leaps of the opponents piece in a diagonal line, landing on a dark square on the other side. Though you can capture only 1 piece per jump, you can make multiple jumps in a single turn in case the positioning of the pieces allows.
8. Once a player has captured a piece, it has to be removed from the board and is collected by the opponent.
9. If you get the chance to jump your opponents pieces, then you must do so. But, if there are more than one capture possible from a single square, you can jump on whichever piece you want.
10.Once a piece reaches the first row of their opponents side of the board that is, the row farthest from the player who owns the piece, then that piece is kinged, which means, it becomes a king, and is crowned with a piece that had been captured by the opponent. The Kings stand twice as tall as a single piece.
11.The Kings can move only diagonally, but they have the ability to move forward or backward, contrary to single pieces.
12.Kings can jump both forward and backward too (diagonally) in the same turn, a multi-direction multi-jump.
13.A player wins the game when the opponent is unable to make a move. There are 2 ways this can happen – 1. All of the pieces of a player were captured by its opponent, or 2. The player’s pieces cannot move further.
How to Win?
Here are some easy tips to win checkers board game –
1. The most important tip that has helped me a lot in winning checkers board game is controlling the center of the board.
2. Do not hesitate to sacrifice a few pieces if that could prove to be advantageous further.
3. Move your pieces forward in groups.
4. If you are leading in the game, sacrificing one of your pieces could be beneficial for you.
5. If you maintain your pieces on the back row of your game board, that will prevent your opponent from gaining any king pieces.
6. Focus on gaining King pieces.
Variation
Suicide Checkers/ Anti-Checkers
As the name suggests, the game is played reverse of regular checkers. So, the winner in this game is the player whose all pieces are captured first or the one who is not able to move legally.
International Draught
This game is played on a board of 10×10 with 20 pieces for each player. The game is a little different. It has a rule called as ‘Flying Kings’ which says that flying kings can move across the squares that are unoccupied.
If there is more than one path to capture your opponents pieces, one must use the path that will get them the most checkers. When moving, if you end up in the king row but still are able to jump backwards, then you have to jump backward and the checker is not kinged. So to be kinged, the piece should land exactly in that row.
Italian Checkers
Game board of size 8×8 is used and the regular checkers are not allowed to jump kings.
Brazilian Checkers
The board for this game is 8×8 and the rules are same as international draughts game.
Canadian Checkers
This Checker Board game has a 12×12 board with 30 checkers for each player. For this checker board game rules are similar to that of international draughts rules.
FAQs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions on Checkers Board Game rules –
How do you play checkers and win?
Follow the above mentioned strategy like controlling center, getting a checker to the end of the board, using forced moves to your advantage and so on.
What moves can you make in Checkers?
You can move in 2 ways – Forward and Diagonally.
How can King move in checkers?
When moving but not jumping, Kings can move only 1 square at a time in any direction to an empty step. While jumping, Kings can only jump adjacent pieces.
What are the basic rules of checkers?
Pieces can move only 1 diagonal space forward. Pieces have to stay on the dark squares. And the ones mentioned above are some of the basic checkers game rules.
