Play Checkers online — free
Jump, chain, crown your kings.
- 1 or 2 players
- Play the computer — 5 levels
- Play friends or other players online
- Phone, tablet or computer — right in your browser
- Free — no sign-up, no download
About Checkers
Play checkers — also called draughts — free in your browser. We play English draughts (American checkers) on an 8×8 board, with compulsory captures, multi-jump chains and kings.
Take on the computer at five levels or challenge another player online.
How to play Checkers
Goal
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or leave them with no legal move. We play English draughts (American checkers): captures are compulsory.
Setup
An 8×8 board; only the dark squares are used. Each player has 12 pieces on the three rows nearest them. Dark moves first.
On your turn
- Tap one of your pieces, then tap a highlighted square.
- An ordinary piece (a man) moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty square.
Captures
- Jump diagonally over an enemy piece next to you onto the empty square just beyond it. The jumped piece is removed.
- If you can capture, you must. If several captures are possible you may choose any of them — not necessarily the biggest.
- If after a jump the same piece can jump again, it must keep jumping. Tap each landing square in turn (or tap the final square if there's only one route).
- Men only capture forward.
Kings
- A man that reaches the far row is crowned and becomes a king. If that happens during a capture, the move ends there.
- Kings move and capture one square diagonally forwards or backwards (no long-range "flying" kings).
How the game ends
- You win when your opponent has no pieces left or none of their pieces can move.
- It's a draw if the same position comes up three times with the same player to move, or after 40 moves each with no capture and no man moved. Players can also agree a draw.
Tips
- Keep your back row filled as long as you can — it stops the other side from crowning.
- Because captures are forced, you can offer a piece to drag an enemy piece into a double jump for you.
- Pieces in the middle of the board are more flexible than pieces on the edges.
- When you're ahead, trade pieces: two kings against one is a win, but 12 against 11 is still a battle.
Checkers: questions and answers
Is Checkers free to play?
Yes. Checkers on Neon Game Cave is completely free — there's nothing to download and you don't need to sign up.
Can I play Checkers against the computer?
Yes. Choose "Play the computer" and pick one of 5 levels — from a gentle beginner to a tough opponent.
How do I play Checkers with a friend online?
Open the Game Cave and challenge your friend from the Players online list in the lobby. To be sure you find each other, share a chat room code first — friends in a chat room also get free text chat during the game.
Can I play Checkers on my phone or tablet?
Yes. Checkers runs in the web browser on phones, tablets and computers, so there's no app to install. You can add Neon Game Cave to your home screen to open it like an app.
Do I need an account to play Checkers?
No. You can play straight away as a guest. Signing in with Google is optional — it keeps your games safe in the cloud and, in games with leaderboards, puts your best scores on them.