Checkers is the classic diagonal jumping game on an 8x8 board. This version comes from Christopher Müller’s open-source PaperGames collection and uses a crisp black-and-white look that stays easy to read on any screen. Each side starts with 12 pieces on the dark squares. You win by capturing every enemy piece or by leaving your opponent with no legal move. Play against a computer with three strength levels, or pass the device back and forth with a friend.
How to Play Checkers
Black always moves first. Ordinary pieces, called men, travel one square diagonally forward on the dark squares. They can never step backward.
To capture, jump over an enemy piece that sits diagonally next to you and land on the empty square right behind it. The jumped piece is removed. If your piece can jump again from where it lands, the chain goes on in the same turn. You only tap the final landing square, and the whole chain is played at once.
Jumping is required. As long as any capture is open to you, a quiet move is not allowed. When a man reaches the far row, it is crowned a king and may then move and jump backward too.
The game ends when one side has no pieces left or no legal move on its turn. Against the computer you can choose to play black or white, and the Undo button rolls back to your own previous turn.
Checkers Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move a piece | Arrow keys to reach a square, Enter to pick it | Click your piece, then the square it should land on | Tap your piece, then the landing square |
| Pick a game mode | — | Click "2 Player (local)" or "vs Computer" | Tap "2 Player (local)" or "vs Computer" |
| Start a game against the computer | — | Choose a color and level, then click "New game" | Choose a color and level, then tap "New game" |
| Take back your last move | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
| Show the mode buttons during a game | — | Click "Menu" | Tap "Menu" |
Tips and Strategies
- Guard your back row. Leave the pieces on your home row in place early on, so the computer has no free square to crown a king.
- Turn forced jumps into traps. Offer one piece where the only capture drops the enemy into a spot you can double-jump.
- Take the center. A man in the middle has two forward squares to choose from, while one on the edge has only one.
- Move in pairs. A piece with a friend diagonally behind it cannot be jumped from that side.
- Race for kings late in the game. Once the board thins out, a king’s ability to retreat decides most endgames.
- Replay lost positions. Against Hard, use Undo to step back and test a different idea from the same spot.
Features
- Three computer levels plus a two-player mode on one screen
- Pick black or white, or let the game choose who starts at random
- Undo and Resign buttons, with a check before you resign or restart
- The game in progress is saved in your browser and returns after a reload
- Settings for text size, high contrast, spacing and computer speed
Tested and updated:
