Checkers Questions Answered

The questions people actually ask — and where the variants disagree · Updated August 9, 2026

Most checkers questions have a short answer and a longer one, and the longer one usually starts with “which version are you playing?”. Jumping backwards is illegal in one variant and routine in another; kings crawl in one and fly in three. Every answer below says which is which, and you can open the board and try it in the same minute.

Can you jump backwards in checkers?

It depends on the variant. In American checkers an ordinary man captures forward only, and only a crowned king may jump backwards. In Brazilian and international draughts a man captures in every diagonal direction, backwards included. In Turkish draughts men capture forward and sideways, never backwards and never diagonally.

This single rule changes the feel of a game more than any other. Where men capture backwards, a piece is never safe just because you walked past it.

Can you double jump in checkers?

Yes, and it is not optional. If your piece lands somewhere it can jump again, it must keep jumping until no further jump is available. A single move can therefore take three or four pieces. See the complete rules for how chains are counted.

Do you have to jump in checkers?

Yes. Captures are compulsory in every variant played here: if a capture is available you may not play a quiet move instead. Brazilian, international and Turkish draughts go further and require the capture that takes the most pieces.

That rule cuts both ways, and it is easier to see than to describe: here is a position with exactly one legal move — a capture, and it loses. Open it in the analysis board and the engine will tell you how bad it is.

What happens when you king a king?

Nothing, because it cannot happen. A piece is crowned once, when it reaches the far row, and a king that returns to that row later stays exactly as it was. There is no rank above king in checkers.

Can a king jump a king in checkers?

Yes — a king captures an enemy king exactly as it captures a man. No piece on the board is protected from being taken. The answer that surprises people more often runs the other way: in American checkers an ordinary man may jump a king as well, as long as the jump goes forward. Being crowned buys a piece movement, never immunity.

The direction rules still decide what is within reach. In Turkish draughts a king takes another king along a row or a column and never diagonally, because nothing in that variant moves diagonally at all.

Can a king move multiple squares in checkers?

In American checkers, no: a king moves one square at a time, just in both directions. In Brazilian, international and Turkish draughts kings fly, sliding any distance along a line and capturing from far away. A flying king is worth several ordinary pieces, which is why the race to crown one decides so many games.

How many pieces are there in checkers?

Twelve per player on an 8×8 board, so 24 in total. International draughts uses 20 per player on a 10×10 board, and Turkish draughts 16 per player on an 8×8 board using all 64 squares.

Who goes first in checkers?

The darker colour traditionally moves first in American checkers, though sets and books disagree about which colour that is. On Checkers Arena red always moves first, so there is never an argument about it.

Can a man move backwards in checkers?

No. In every variant an uncrowned man only moves forward, even where it may capture backwards. Moving freely in both directions is what being crowned is for.

What happens if you refuse to jump?

You cannot: the move is simply not offered. Older rule sets punished a missed capture by removing the offending piece, a practice called huffing or blowing, but it was dropped from tournament play long ago and captures are now enforced instead.

Can you jump your own piece in checkers?

No. You may only jump an opposing piece with an empty square directly beyond it, and no piece may be jumped twice within the same move.

Can checkers end in a draw?

Yes, and at a decent level most games do. A draw is agreed, or declared when the same position occurs three times, or when a long run of moves passes with no capture and no man advancing.

How do you win at checkers?

By capturing every enemy piece, or by leaving your opponent with no legal move. A player who is completely blocked loses even with pieces still on the board — a detail that decides more endgames than beginners expect.

Is checkers solved?

American checkers is. In 2007 the Chinook team at the University of Alberta proved that perfect play by both sides ends in a draw, after eighteen years of computation. The larger variants such as international draughts are not solved — the 10×10 board is far beyond what has been searched.

What is the best first move in checkers?

There isn't one. We searched all seven of Red's opening moves with our own engine to a depth of 14 half-moves and they finished within 4 points of each other, where a whole man is worth 100 — and the ranking reshuffles every time the search goes deeper. 11-15 is still the one to learn first, written c3-d4 in this site's coordinates and known as Old Faithful, but that is because a century of match play has mapped out what follows it, not because it scores better. The one measurable difference is that a man on the a- or h-file has a single square to advance to instead of two. Full numbers in the checkers openings guide, with every position playable.

Is checkers the same as draughts?

They are the same family. Checkers is the American name, draughts the British one. The game called checkers in the United States is known as English draughts elsewhere, and it is only one member of a family that includes Brazilian, international and Turkish draughts — all playable here, all on their own guides.

Can you play checkers online for free?

Yes. Checkers Arena is free and needs no account: play the computer on three levels, or play other people online with an Elo rating that works for guests too.

Try the answers

Reading that men capture backwards in Brazilian draughts is one thing; watching a piece you thought was safe disappear is another. Open the board, switch variants above it, and the differences stop being trivia.

More depth: how to play checkers · the complete rules · strategy · openings