Play Checkers (Draughts) Free
Play checkers online free, with no sign-up and no download. Send a friend a link and play live on your own phones or computers, get matched with someone else who’s online, or take on the computer at four levels, from Easy for beginners to an Expert that thinks two seconds a move. You can also share one screen, and against the computer you can undo moves and ask for hints.
- Free, no sign-up
- Play friends online
- 4 computer levels
- Undo and hints
You12 left
Computer12 left
Your turn
You win!
How to play
How to play checkers
- Choose an opponent. Pick Online to send a friend a link or play someone else online, Computer to play at your level, or Same screen to take turns on one device.
- Set up. Each player has 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows nearest them. Black moves first.
- Move diagonally forward. On your turn, move one piece one square diagonally forward to an empty dark square. Tap a piece, then tap where it goes.
- Capture by jumping. If an opponent’s piece is diagonally next to yours with an empty square behind it, jump over it to capture it. If you can jump again from where you land, you keep going in the same turn.
- Captures are compulsory. Under standard rules, if you can capture you must, though you can choose which capture to make. The game shows which pieces must jump.
- Become a king. A piece that reaches the far side is crowned king. Kings move and capture diagonally backwards as well as forwards.
- Win the game. You win when your opponent has no pieces left or can’t move.
At a glance
Altto checkers: quick facts
Free online checkers (draughts) against the computer or a friend, on a phone, tablet or computer.
Updated
- Price
- Free, with no sign-up, no email and nothing to download.
- Opponents
- A friend online by link, someone else who is online now, the computer at four levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert), or two players on the same screen.
- Online play
- Live, on separate devices. Every move is checked on Altto’s server, and the game carries on if you reload. If no one is free within 20 seconds, you can play the computer instead.
- Rules
- English draughts, the same as American checkers: 8×8 board, 12 pieces each, compulsory captures, kings move one square. Options for optional captures and flying kings.
- Help
- Unlimited undo, a hint button, dots showing where a piece can go, and a nudge when you have to capture.
- Draws
- The game calls a draw after 40 moves each with no capture and no ordinary piece moved (based on the official rule that a winning advantage must be shown within 40 moves), or when the same position comes up three times.
- Saves
- Your game is saved on this device if you leave, and your record against each level is kept.
- Accessibility
- Play by touch, mouse or keyboard (arrow keys, then Enter or Space). Moves are read out to screen readers.
- Privacy
- Games against the computer or on one screen run in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Online games are kept on Altto’s server with only a nickname, and deleted after two days.
Rules and tips
Checkers rules explained
Checkers and draughts are the same game. “Draughts” is the British name and “checkers” the American one; English draughts and American checkers use the same rules. International draughts is a different game, played on a 10×10 board with flying kings.
| Rule | English draughts / American checkers |
|---|---|
| Board | 8×8, played on the dark squares, with a dark square in each player’s bottom-left corner |
| Pieces | 12 each |
| Who starts | Black (the darker pieces) |
| Ordinary pieces | Move and capture diagonally forwards only |
| Captures | Compulsory; you choose which one, and must finish a multiple jump |
| Kings | Move and capture one square diagonally, forwards or backwards |
| Crowning during a jump | Ends the move; the new king can jump again next turn |
| Draw | By agreement; a player who refuses a draw must show a winning advantage within 40 of their own moves |
Tips to win at checkers
- Control the centre. Pieces in the middle of the board have more moves and are harder to trap.
- Keep your back row. Leaving pieces on your back row stops your opponent getting a king for as long as possible.
- Move in groups. A piece with a friend behind it can’t be jumped from that side.
- Use the compulsory capture rule. Offer one piece so your opponent must take it and land where you can jump two back.
- Trade when you’re ahead. Swapping pieces one for one makes a lead bigger and easier to win.
Sources
- English draughts (Wikipedia): the standard rules: Black moves first, captures are compulsory but any capture may be chosen, and crowning ends the move.
- The rules of draughts (Masters Traditional Games): the board set with a dark square in each player’s near left-hand corner, and the 40-move rule after a refused draw.
- English Draughts Association: the governing body for the game in England.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I play checkers online for free?
Yes. You can play against the computer or a friend on the same screen for free, with no sign-up, no email and nothing to download.
How do I play checkers against the computer?
Choose vs Computer, pick a level (Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert) and whether you play Black, who moves first, or White. Tap one of your pieces, then tap where you want it to go.
How hard is the computer?
Easy looks one move ahead and makes deliberate mistakes, so it suits beginners and children. Medium looks four moves ahead. Hard searches deeply for under a second a move, and Expert thinks for up to two seconds a move and is very hard to beat.
Can I play checkers online with a friend?
Yes. Choose Online, then Play a friend, and send the link by WhatsApp, text or any app. When your friend opens it, the game starts and you each play on your own phone or computer, live. No accounts are needed.
Can I play checkers online against someone random?
Yes. Choose Online, then Play someone online, and you are matched with another player who is looking for a game. If no one is free within about 20 seconds, you can play the computer instead or keep waiting.
What happens if my opponent leaves an online game?
The game shows that they seem to have gone and waits for them to come back. If they don’t return within about a minute and a half, you can claim the win. Reloading the page doesn’t lose your game.
Can two people play on one device?
Yes. Choose 2 players and take turns on the same phone, tablet or computer. Black moves first, and you can turn the board round between turns.
Are checkers and draughts the same game?
Yes. Draughts is the British name and checkers the American one, and English draughts and American checkers have the same rules: an 8 by 8 board, 12 pieces each, compulsory captures and kings that move one square. International draughts is a different game on a 10 by 10 board.
Do you have to jump in checkers?
Under the standard rules, yes: if you can capture, you must. You can choose which capture to make, but you must finish a multiple jump. You can switch compulsory captures off in the settings for a more relaxed game.
Can you jump backwards in checkers?
Only with a king. Ordinary pieces move and capture forwards only; kings move and capture diagonally backwards and forwards.
How do you get a king in checkers?
Move one of your pieces to the far side of the board. It is crowned at once, shown with a crown. If it gets there by jumping, the move ends there, and the new king can jump again on your next turn.
What are flying kings?
An option, used in international draughts, where kings move any number of empty squares along a diagonal and can capture from a distance. It is off by default because English draughts and American checkers use kings that move one square.
Who moves first in checkers?
Black, the side with the darker pieces, moves first.
How do you win at checkers?
Capture all of your opponent’s pieces, or leave them with no legal move. The page lists tips: control the centre, keep your back row, move in groups and trade pieces when you are ahead.
When is a game of checkers a draw?
Players can agree a draw at any time. This game also calls a draw after 40 moves each with no capture and no ordinary piece moved, based on the official rule that a winning advantage must be shown within 40 moves, or when the same position comes up three times.
Can I undo a move or get a hint?
Yes. Undo takes back as many moves as you like, and against the computer it goes back to your last turn. Hint asks the computer for a good move and highlights it.
Is my game saved?
Yes, on this device. If you leave mid-game, it is there when you come back, and your record of wins, losses and draws against each level is kept. Nothing is uploaded.
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