Checkers

How to play

• Each player starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows nearest them. Player 1 moves first in the first game; after that, the first move alternates.
• Pieces move one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square.
• Capture by jumping diagonally over an opponent piece onto the empty square beyond. Captures are compulsory: if you can capture, you must.
• If, after a jump, the same piece can capture again, it must keep jumping in the same turn.
• A piece that reaches the far row is crowned a king. Kings move and capture diagonally forwards and backwards.

Winning

You win by capturing all of your opponent’s pieces, or by leaving them with no legal move.

Draws: you can offer a draw with any move, and your opponent can accept it on their turn. The game is also drawn if the same position occurs three times with the same player to move, or if 40 moves each pass with no capture and no uncrowned piece moving.