Classic American checkers on a big, clear board. You play red and move first: tap a piece, then the square it should go to, or drag it there. Jumps are compulsory, and a piece that reaches the far row is crowned.
Play Checkers Online, Free
Solitaire Parlor is a quiet place to play a classic game of checkers. There is nothing to install and no account to make: the board is ready the moment the page opens, and your game is saved on your device, so you can close the tab and pick up where you left off.
The computer opponent comes in three strengths. Easy sees only a move or two ahead and sometimes slips, which makes it a friendly partner for beginners and children. Medium looks several moves deep and punishes loose pieces. Hard thinks for up to a second on every move and will rarely give anything away. Beat it and you are playing well.
Want to play against a person instead? Open 2-player checkers and take turns on the same phone, tablet or computer. For a short workout, try the daily checkers puzzle: one winning shot to find, new every day.
How to Play Checkers
Checkers is one of the oldest board games in the world, and one of the easiest to learn. These are the standard American rules (known as English draughts in Britain), the same ones used on this site.
The board and the pieces
Checkers is played on an 8×8 board of light and dark squares, the same board as chess. Only the dark squares are used. Each player has 12 pieces, often called men or checkers, set out on the dark squares of the three rows nearest to them. The board is placed so that each player has a dark square in the bottom-left corner.
On this site you play red, at the bottom, and red moves first. (Some rule books say black moves first; the game is the same either way.)
Moving
Players take turns moving one piece. A regular piece moves one square diagonally forward to an empty dark square. It can never move backwards and never moves onto a light square.
Jumping (capturing)
If an opponent's piece is diagonally next to yours and the square right behind it is empty, you can jump over it. The jumped piece is captured and removed from the board.
- Jumping is compulsory. If you can jump, you must. If several jumps are possible, you may choose which one to make.
- Multiple jumps. If, after landing, your piece can jump another piece, it must keep jumping in the same turn. One move can capture two, three or more pieces.
- Regular pieces only jump forward. Kings can jump forward and backward.
Kings
When one of your pieces reaches the far row of the board, it is crowned and becomes a king. In a real set you stack a second checker on top; on this site the piece gets a gold crown.
A king moves one square diagonally in any direction, forward or backward, and can jump forward or backward too. That makes kings much stronger than regular pieces, and getting the first king is often the turning point of a game.
If a piece reaches the far row in the middle of a jump, it is crowned and the move ends there, even if a king could have jumped again.
Winning, losing and draws
- You win when your opponent has no pieces left, or when it is their turn and none of their pieces can move.
- A game is a draw when neither side can make progress. On this site, if 40 moves pass on each side with no capture and no regular piece moving, the game is drawn.
Checkers Strategy: 12 Tips
You don't need to memorize openings to beat most players, or the computer on easy and medium. These twelve habits will win you far more games.
1. Head for the center
Pieces in the middle of the board can move to either side and support each other. A piece on the edge is safe from capture on one side, but it has only one way to go and often gets stuck.
2. Keep your back row at home
Your opponent can only get a king by reaching your back row. As long as your pieces sit there, the door is closed. Many strong players keep two back-row pieces home well into the middle game. For red, the pieces on c1 and g1 (the "bridge") are the classic pair to hold.
3. Move in groups
A single piece out in front is easy to trap. Advance pieces side by side or one behind another, so that if one is jumped, the other can jump back.
4. Look one move ahead, every time
Before you move, ask: after this move, what can my opponent jump? Most lost games come from a piece left unprotected. Pressing Hint on this site shows a safe move when you are unsure.
5. Remember jumps are forced
Because your opponent must take a jump, you can sometimes give up one piece on purpose to pull their piece into a spot where you jump two back. This is called a shot. Watch for the same trick being played on you.
6. Don't rush to the edge
Edge pieces can't be jumped from the side, which feels safe, but they control fewer squares. Use the edge to slow an attack, not as a home.
7. Trade when you are ahead
If you have more pieces, exchange one for one whenever you safely can. Ten against nine is a close game; three against two is usually a win.
8. Avoid trades when you are behind
When you are down a piece, keep the board crowded. Every exchange makes your opponent's extra piece count for more.
9. Crown first
The first king usually decides the game. Once you have a breakthrough (a piece with an open path to the far row), push it home before the opponent can block it.
10. Use the double corner
Each side has a "double corner": the corner of the board with two dark squares side by side. A lone king that hides there is very hard to catch. If you are losing, run your last king there; if you are winning, keep the enemy king out of it.
11. Two kings beat one
To win king-against-king endings, bring a second king. Two kings can drive a single king out of the corner and trap it; one king alone usually can't.
12. Count before you take
When you have a choice of jumps, count how many pieces each one wins and what the opponent can jump back. The longest jump isn't always the best one.
Practice plan
Start on easy until you win most games, then move to medium. Medium won't fall for a hanging piece, so it teaches you to look one move ahead. When you can beat medium regularly, hard will test everything above.
Checkers FAQ
Is this checkers game free?
Yes, completely. The site is supported by a few ads that stay away from the board.
Which rules does it use?
Standard American checkers, also called English draughts: an 8×8 board, compulsory jumps, multiple jumps, and kings that move both ways. Regular pieces only move and capture forward.
Can I take back a move?
Yes. Press Undo to step back to your previous turn as many times as you like.
Does it work on my phone or tablet?
Yes. The board fills the screen on phones, tablets and computers. You can also add Solitaire Parlor to your home screen to open it like an app.
Is my game saved?
Your current game and your win record are saved in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
How does a game end in a draw?
If 40 moves go by on each side without a capture and without a regular piece moving (usually just kings chasing each other), the game is declared a draw.
Can a regular piece jump backwards?
Not in American checkers. Only kings move or jump backwards. (In international draughts and some other versions, regular pieces may capture backwards.)
Do I have to take the jump that captures the most pieces?
No. You must jump if you can, but you may choose any available jump. Once you start a jump, you must finish all of it.
What is the "huff" rule?
In old house rules, if a player missed a jump, the opponent could remove ("huff") the piece that should have jumped. Modern rules simply require the jump, which is how this site works: it won't let you miss one.
Can kings fly across the board?
Not in American checkers: kings move one square at a time. "Flying kings" belong to international draughts.