About Checkers

Checkers (also called Draughts) is a classic two-player strategy board game played on an 8×8 board. Pieces move diagonally and can capture opponent pieces by jumping over them. When a piece reaches the opponent's back row it becomes a King, able to move in any diagonal direction.

Full rules

Movement: regular pieces move diagonally forward only, one square at a time, to an unoccupied dark square.
Capturing: jump over an adjacent opponent piece to an empty square beyond it. The captured piece is removed.
Mandatory capture: if a capture is available, you must take it. If multiple captures are possible, you may choose which to take.
Multiple jumps: after a capture, if the same piece can make another capture, it must continue jumping in the same turn (a chain capture).
Kinging: a piece reaching the last row on the opponent’s side is crowned King. Kings can move and capture in any diagonal direction.
Winning: capture all opponent pieces, or place your opponent in a position where they have no legal moves.

Controls

Click a piece to select it. Valid moves are highlighted. Click a highlighted square to move.

Strategy tips

Control the center: pieces in the center of the board have more mobility and threaten more squares than edge pieces.
Keep your back row intact: your back row prevents the opponent from getting Kings. Advance pieces from the center while keeping some back-row pieces in place.
Trade advantageously: sacrifice a piece only when you gain a King or create a forced multi-jump sequence in return.
King priority: getting Kings before your opponent creates a significant positional and mobility advantage.

AI difficulty

The built-in AI evaluates positions using a minimax algorithm with alpha-beta pruning. At easy difficulty, the search depth is limited to 2–3 plies (half-moves), making it suitable for beginners. At hard difficulty, the search depth increases to 6–8 plies, producing play that most casual players will find challenging. The AI uses material count and positional heuristics (center control, king advancement) to evaluate positions.

Checkers variants

Variant	Board	Key differences
American checkers (English draughts)	8×8	Kings move one square only; the standard US/UK game
International draughts	10×10	Kings fly (move any distance); mandatory maximum capture; 20 pieces per side
Turkish draughts	8×8	Pieces move orthogonally, not diagonally; captures are mandatory maximum
Brazilian draughts	8×8	International rules on an 8×8 board; flying kings

Opening theory and the solved game

American checkers has been weakly solved by Jonathan Schaeffer and the Chinook team at the University of Alberta. In 2007, they published a proof that perfect play from both sides results in a draw. This makes checkers the most complex game ever solved. Classic openings have names - such as the "Old Fourteenth" and the "Cross" - and opening theory books rival chess in depth. Despite the game being solved, human play at club level remains competitive and interesting.