Checkers

Play Checkers free online. Classic 8×8 checkers against the computer or a friend.

Jump your opponent’s pieces and crown your own. Play classic checkers (English draughts) against a local computer opponent with three strength levels, or pass-and-play with a friend on the same device.

  • Category: Board
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Players: 1 player vs computer
  • Typical game: about 10 minutes
  • Works on: desktop, phones and tablets

How to play Checkers

Objective: Capture all of your opponent’s pieces or leave them with no legal move.

  1. Pieces move one square diagonally forwards onto dark squares.
  2. Capture by jumping over an opponent’s piece to the empty square beyond it.
  3. Captures are compulsory, and you must keep jumping if you can.
  4. A piece reaching the far row becomes a king (♛) and can move backwards too.
  5. Choose “2 players” to play a friend on the same device.

Scoring

A win against the computer scores 500 plus 25 for every piece you have left.

Difficulty levels

Easy: the computer looks one move ahead. Normal: four moves. Hard: seven moves.

Tips

  • Keep your back row filled to stop the opponent crowning.
  • Trade pieces when you are ahead.

Controls

Keyboard

  • Tab to a piece and press Enter, then choose a square

Mouse

  • Click a piece, then click a highlighted square

Touch

  • Tap a piece, then tap a highlighted square

Checkers achievements

  • First Crown – Beat the computer.
  • Checkers Champion – Beat the computer on Hard.
  • Untouchable – Win without losing a single piece.

Frequently asked questions

Is Checkers free to play?

Yes. Checkers is completely free on GamesPlayLand, with no download, no sign-up and no purchases.

How do you play Checkers?

Capture all of your opponent’s pieces or leave them with no legal move. Pieces move one square diagonally forwards onto dark squares. Capture by jumping over an opponent’s piece to the empty square beyond it.

Can I play Checkers on my phone?

Yes. Checkers works in mobile browsers on phones and tablets. Tap a piece, then tap a highlighted square.

Can I play Checkers against the computer?

Yes. You play against a computer opponent that runs entirely in your browser, and the difficulty setting changes how strong it is.

Does Checkers save my high score?

Yes. Your personal best, statistics and achievements for Checkers are saved in your browser automatically.

More games like Checkers

  • Backgammon – Race your fifteen checkers home and bear them off before the computer.
  • Chess – Full chess against a local computer opponent or a friend.
  • Chinese Checkers – Hop your marbles across the star into the opposite point first.
  • Connect Four – Drop discs and line up four in a row before the computer does.
  • Dominoes – Match the ends of the line and be first to play all your tiles.
  • Draughts Variants – International 10×10 and Brazilian draughts with flying kings.