How to Play Checkers:

Checkers is played by two players. Each player begins the game with 12 colored discs. (Typically, one set of pieces is black and the other red.) Each player places his or her pieces on the 12 dark squares closest to him or her. Black moves first. Players then alternate moves. The board consists of 64 squares, alternating between 32 dark and 32 light squares.
It is positioned so that each player has a light square on the right side corner closest to him or her.
A player wins the game when the opponent cannot make a move. In most cases, this is because all of the opponent's pieces have been captured, but it could also be because all of his pieces are blocked in.

Step 1. To Start

Checkers is played on a 64 square chess board. Take 12 counters of one color and place one on each of the black squares in the first 3 rows of your side. Your opponent does the same.

Step 2. To Play

The object of the game is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces or block them so they cannot be moved. Pieces are always moved diagonally, 1 square at a time, towards the opponent’s side of the board. You play the entire game on the black squares, you do not need the white ones.

Step 3. Capturing

You can capture an enemy piece by hopping over it. Capturing is also done on the diagonal. You have to jump from the square directly next to your target and land on the square just beyond it. Your landing square must be vacant. The piece captured is removed from the board. If you are able to make a move that results in a capture then you must.

Step 4. Multiple Captures

It is legal to capture more than 1 piece on a single move so long as the jumping piece has vacant landing spots in between. You cannot take 2 in a row if you must land and “take off” again. The pieces are removed. If you are able to make a move that results in a capture then you must.

Step 5. Kings

If you can get a piece all the way to the other side of the board, that piece becomes a king. Place a previously captured piece on top of the existing one in order to distinguish it from your other pieces. This piece can move backwards or forwards diagonally. Towards the end of the game all the pieces will be Kings, which changes the strategy significantly.

Step 2. Kings

The object of the game is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces or block them so they cannot be moved. Pieces are always moved diagonally, 1 square at a time, towards the opponent’s side of the board. You play the entire game on the black squares, you do not need the white ones.

Video

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