Play checkers against the computer
Checkers is the diagonal game everyone half-remembers: twelve pieces a side, one step at a time, and a jump you cannot refuse. That one rule is the whole of it — a piece you give away forces their reply, and the player who sees one move further wins the exchange.
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Why play Checkers here
Four opponents, and the easy one is genuinely easy — it plays a bad move on purpose rather than simply looking less far ahead, because an opponent that never errs is not a beginner opponent however shallow its search. Work up to the sharp one, which looks several moves deep and will set traps of its own. No ads, no account, no clock.
Every move can be taken back, a hint will show you the piece and the square, and the board is saved if you close the tab. The squares a lifted piece can reach light up, and when a capture is available the board offers you only the jumps — so the one rule that catches people out is shown rather than explained.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to play?
Yes. Checkers here is free, with no ads, no download and no account. Nothing is locked and there is nothing to buy.
Do I play against the computer or another person?
Against the computer, with four strengths to choose from. You can think as long as you like over a move, stop mid-game and come back later, and take a move back whenever you want. There are no leaderboards and nothing is compared against other players.
Why can I only make one move sometimes?
Because a capture is compulsory. If any of your pieces can jump, you have to play a jump — so the board only offers you those moves, and if exactly one jump is available that is your whole turn. It is the rule the game is built on: it means a piece you leave in reach is not a gift but a lever, since your opponent has no choice but to take it.
Does it work on Windows 11, Mac and phones?
Yes. These are the same rules as the Checkers that came with older versions of Windows and the ones that used to be on MSN and Yahoo — the American game, compulsory captures, kings that step one square. This one runs in the browser instead of as an installed program, so it works on Windows 11, on a Mac, and on a phone, with nothing to download.
How do kings work?
A piece that reaches the far row is crowned and can then move and jump backwards as well as forwards. Two details catch people out: a piece crowned in the middle of a jumping sequence stops there rather than carrying on as a king, and the king here steps one square. The king that slides any distance along a diagonal belongs to international draughts, a different game on a larger board.
Can I play checkers full screen?
Yes. The full-screen button takes the board over the whole screen — it works on desktop and on phones, and you can leave with the button or the Escape key.
What happens if neither side can win?
It is a draw, and in checkers that is a real result rather than a stalemate — most endings between evenly matched players finish that way. The game calls it after forty moves each with no capture and no piece advanced, or when the same position comes round three times.
Can I undo a move?
Yes, as many times as you like. Undo takes you back to the board you last chose from, which is after your opponent replied, not before it.
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