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How to Play Checkers Game: A Complete Guide

Game Development
Feb 17, 2024
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how to play Checkers Board Game

Have you played the Checkers board game before? Are you curious to know how to play Checkers with effective winning strategies? If yes, this blog is for you! Here you will learn the concept of gameplay of the Checkers online game along with features and different variations of this game.

Checkers game is a fun and easy game that is a common household name that is played at various events and social gatherings. To win this game, your primary objective is to capture all your opponent’s pieces and restrict their movement. The concept of gameplay is simple, but you do need some sort of skills and strategies to increase your winning chances in the game.

By the end of this blog, you will learn various aspects of this board game including the gameplay, rules, types and more. So without waiting time, let’s dive in!

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What is a Checkers Game?

Checkers or Draught is a board game that is played on a board consisting of squares of two colors (usually white/ black or red/black color combination). The game is played between two players who compete against each other by jumping over the squares to capture all the pieces of the opponent so that they can’t move. You can even play challenging matches with the computer.

The board consists of a total of 64 squares including 32 light and 32 dark coloured squares. Each player begins the game with 12 coloured pieces (discs). The black starts the game by making a move. 

Rules of Checkers Board Game Online

Rules of Checkers Board Game Online

Have a look at the rules of this game below which are quite easy to understand.

  • The moves are only allowed on dark-coloured squares. This way the pieces will move diagonally. Single checkers are always limited to forward moves towards the other player.
  • A piece that is making a non-capturing move that does not involve jumping may move only one square at a time.
  • When a piece is captured, it is immediately removed from the checkers board.
  • When capturing, a piece makes a move over the opponent’s piece by landing in a diagonal line on the other side.
  • Only one piece is captured in a single jump. However, you are allowed to do multiple jumps during a single turn.
  • The player can capture a piece only through a jump. If there is more than one capture available, the player can choose any of them as per their preference.
  • Kings may combine jumps in various directions, forward or backwards, on the same turn. Single pieces may shift direction diagonally during multiple capturing but must always jump in the forward direction to the opponent.
  • Kings are also limited to moving diagonally but may move in both forward and backward directions whereas a single piece can move only in the forward direction towards the other player.
  • When a piece reaches the farthest row from the player controlling that piece, it becomes a king. One of the pieces that had been captured is placed on top of the king so that it is twice as high as the single checker piece.
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How To Play Checkers Game?

We have divided the gameplay into four parts so that you can understand how to play the checkers game.

Starting the Game

The player with black checkers starts the game. You can move one checker in a forward diagonal direction during a regular turn. Your checker discs must stay on the dark squares. Once you (the player with the black checker) make your first move, the other player with white checkers makes a move, followed by your turn.

Capturing the Opponent’s Checkers 

If you have your checker nearest to the opponent’s checker in the diagonal space, jump to capture that checker. For capturing, move two diagonal squares in the direction of your target checker as if you are jumping over that piece.

There should be an empty space on the other side of your target checker so that you can move and jump over it.

If you have the option to jump over your opponent’s checker, you must jump it. Also if you have the option to jump your opponent’s checker in multiple parts of the board, you can choose between the two.

If the new position in the checkers board game online where you have placed the checker gives you a direct opportunity to capture another checker, then as per the rules you must keep capturing until you are left with no option to capture any further checkers of the opponent.

Transform your Regular Checkers to Kings

You must transform your regular checkers to the Kings. For this, simply place one of your own captured pieces on top of it. As we have learned from the rules that Kings can move both forward and reverse directions on the dark squares, it is easier for the kings to capture the opponent’s checkers quickly.

The Kings can still only move one diagonal space at a time on a non-capturing move. However, when a king is capturing a checker, it can move in both directions on the same turn. It is only possible when a king is doing a capture that requires changing the directions like if two checkers are lined up next to each other on the dark-coloured squares horizontally.

To capture these checkers, the king has to jump forward first, and then reverse, both in one turn. Some checkers are set to have a crown on the back of the checkers so that you can just flip a disc over once it becomes the king. Also, you can have limitless crowned discs.

Continue Jumping to Win Checkers

Make moves and jumps to capture the target checkers till all the opponent’s checkers have vanished from the board. Once you have done this, you are the winner of the game. 

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Different Variations Of Checkers Online Game

International Draughts

This version is slightly different from U.S. checkers. Here you play draughts on a 10×10 board with 20 pieces per player instead of an 8×8 board with 12 pieces per player on the regular draughts. 

Anti Checkers

It is the opposite of the original Checkers. Here the winner loses all of his pieces first. Or the player who runs out of any legal moves wins the game.

Canadian Checkers

This version is played on a 12×12 board each player has 30 checkers. However, the rules of this variant are similar to the International Draughts.

Italian Checkers

This variant of checkers board game online is played on an 8×8 board and regular checkers are not allowed to capture the kings.

Brazilian Checkers

It has similar rules to the regular checkers played on an 8×8 board.

Spanish Checkers

Similar to the Italian checkers where kings can jump to any square on the board along a diagonal that contains only a single opposing piece. The opposing piece does not need to be adjacent to the king, and the ending square of the move does not need to be adjacent to the captured piece.

Turkish Draughts

The piece moves and jumps not diagonally but orthogonally. Kings move just like the rooks in the Chess as well as making captures by the long jump.

German Checkers

This variant is similar to the Spanish Checkers with the only difference being that the men can jump in backward positions as well.

Polish Checkers

The game is played on a board size of 10×10. The rules are the same as the German variant.

Frisian Checkers

In this version, the men and kings can move in diagonal and orthogonal directions.

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Tips and Strategies to Win Checkers

The strategies help a player to play more effectively and secure a victory. Here are some important tips and strategies that can help increase your chances of winning the Checkers online game:

  • Defending your checkers is also a great idea to win the game. When defending, block off all your opponent’s pieces to restrict their movement.
  • You should have control over the center of the board.
  • You can protect the back row by creating a pyramid shape.
  • You must keep your checkers close to one another to counter the opponent’s pieces.
  • Capture those pieces that do not put your checkers in danger.
  • Don’t hesitate to give up on a checker piece while setting up to capture the other player’s pieces.

By now we expect that you must have gained detailed knowledge of the Checkers board game including their gameplay, types, rules, and the strategies that can help you increase your winning chances in the game. 

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Why Choose BR Softech To Develop A Checkers Board Game?

Why Choose BR Softech To Develop A Checkers Board Game?

As a leading board game development company, we develop top-notch Checkers games for our gaming platform owners across the globe. Our in-house board game developer team is proficient in creating class-leading checker board game solutions that are laced with the best features and functions to take our client’s business to the next level of heights. Want to develop your own Checkers board game online for your gaming platform, look no further than BR Softech. Connect with us to transform your ideation into realization. Choose us to get:

  • Highly Skilled Board Game Developers
  • Cost-Effective Checkers Game Solutions
  • Ultra-Modern Features Integration
  • Custom-tailored Solutions
  • Seamless Client Support
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1. Is checkers harder or chess?

Ans. With basic knowledge of board games, one can easily identify why chess is much more complex than the checkers. 

Q 2. How much time does it take to develop a Checkers board game?

Ans. The average time to build a checkers online game is two to three months. However, the time depends on the project type and complexity.

Q 3. Is checkers luck or skill?

Ans. Almost all board games require both skill and luck. However, there are some games like Draughts that demand more skills as compared to others.

Q 4. What is the cost of developing an online checkers board game?

Ans. The average cost to develop a Checkers online game from scratch ranges between $8000 and $15000 with basic features and functionalities. However, you must note that the cost depends on various factors and your actual project cost can be lower or higher depending upon the requirements.

Nitin Garg

I am Nitin Garg Founder of BR Softech PVT LTD - an Award-winning mobile game development company. We are armed with 180+ geeks & 2753 clients worldwide, I have driven by the spirit of entrepreneurship and dream to build a billion-dollar-company.

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