Checkers
Board Games · 8 specs
Direct Answer
Checkers (American Checkers / English Draughts) is a two-player strategy game played on the 32 dark squares of an 8×8 board with 12 pieces per player. Official standards mandate that jumping/capturing is compulsory, pieces move forward diagonally, and reaching the back rank crowns a King, granting backward movement capabilities.
Source: World Checkers/Draughts Federation (WCDF) / American Checker Federation (ACF) · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Governing Body | WCDF / ACF |
| American Board Size | 8 × 8 (32 playable dark squares) 12 pieces per player |
| International Board Size | 10 × 10 (50 playable dark squares) 20 pieces per player |
| Mandatory Capture Rule | Compulsory (Must Jump) WCDF tournament standard |
| Multiple Jump Rule | Must continue jumping in sequence if available |
| King Crowning Rank | Opponent's baseline (Row 8 / Row 1) Turn ends on crowning |
| American King Movement | 1 square diagonally forward or backward |
| International Flying King | Moves/jumps any distance along diagonal 10×10 International only |
Movement & The Compulsory Jump Rule
Regular pieces move one square diagonally forward onto an unoccupied dark square:
- Mandatory Capture: If a piece is adjacent to an opponent's piece and the square immediately beyond is vacant, the player MUST jump over that piece and capture it. If multiple jump paths exist, the player may choose which jump to make, but they cannot make a normal non-jumping move.
- Multi-Jump Chains: If a piece completes a jump and lands in a position where another jump is immediately available, it MUST continue jumping in the same turn until no further jumps remain.
Crowning Kings
When a regular piece reaches the farthest row on the opponent's side ('the Kings Row'), it is crowned as a King by stacking a captured piece on top of it:
- Crowning ends the turn immediately (a piece cannot crown and jump backward on the same move).
- In American Checkers, Kings can move and jump one square diagonally in both forward and backward directions.
American 8×8 vs. International 10×10 Draughts
- American Checkers (8×8): 12 pieces per side. Regular pieces cannot capture backward. Kings move 1 step.
- International Draughts (10×10): 20 pieces per side. Regular pieces CAN capture backward (though they only move forward). Kings become 'Flying Kings' that can move and capture across multiple empty squares along an open diagonal.