Checkers Variants

Checkers is not one game — it is a family of games. Most variants share the same idea (diagonal moves, jumps to capture, kings on the far row) but differ in board size, how men capture, and how strong kings are. You can play the finished ones free right here, no account needed — against the AI, or online — quick-match an opponent or share a private game link with a friend.

Rules at a Glance

Variant	Board	Pieces	First move	Men capture	Kings	Capture rule	Draw law
Checkers (American)	8×8	12	Black	Forward only	Short	Any capture	40 moves each
Italian Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward only	Short	Most pieces, then quality	—
Dama Triestina	10×10	20	White	Forward only	Short	Most pieces, then quality	—
Spanish Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward only	Flying	Most pieces, kings break ties	40 moves each
Portuguese Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward only	Flying	Most pieces, kings break ties	20 moves each; 3 kings v king in 12
Myanmar Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward only	Flying	Most pieces	—
Moroccan Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward only	Flying	Most pieces	40 moves each
Indonesian Checkers	10×10	20	White	Forward only	Flying	Most pieces	—
Malaysian Checkers	12×12	30	White	Forward only	Flying	Most pieces	—
Singaporean Checkers	12×12	30	White	Forward only	Flying	Any capture, kings first	—
Czech Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward only	Flying	Any capture, kings first	40 moves each
Slovak Checkers	8×8	8	White	Forward only	Flying	Any capture, kings first	—
African-American Straight Checkers	8×8	12	Black (Tanzanian: either)	Forward only	Flying	Any capture	—
Ecuadorian Checkers	10×10	20	White	Forward only	Flying	Most pieces, kings break ties	—
International Draughts	10×10	20	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	25 moves each; 3 pieces v king in 16; 2 pieces v king in 5
Brazilian Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	40 moves each
Canadian Checkers	12×12	30	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	25 moves each; 3 pieces v king in 16; 2 pieces v king in 5
Sri Lankan Checkers	12×12	30	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	—
South African Checkers	14×14	42	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	—
Filipino Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	40 moves each
Ivorian / Paraguayan Checkers	10×10	20	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	—
Swazi Checkers	8×8	12	White or black	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	—
Ghanaian Checkers	10×10	20	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Any capture	—
Nigerian Checkers	10×10	20	White or black	Forward & backward	Flying	Any capture	—
Laotian Checkers	10×10	20	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Any capture	—
Romanian Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	—
Dam Lombok	10×10	20	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	—
Russian Checkers	8×8	12	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Any capture	40 moves each; 3 kings v king in 15
Spantsiretti	10×8	15	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Any capture	—
Pool Checkers	8×8	12	Black	Forward & backward	Flying	Any capture	40 moves each; 3 kings v king in 13
Jamaican Checkers	8×8	12	Black	Forward & backward	Flying	Any capture	—
Killer Draughts	10×10	20	White	Forward & backward	Flying	Most pieces	—

Draw law is how long a game can go without progress — no capture and no man moved — before it is declared a draw, counted in moves by each side. Some variants add a shorter limit for a specific endgame, such as three kings against a lone king. Every variant is also drawn by threefold repetition. Full detail is on each variant's rules page.

The Four Big Families

American / English

Checkers — known formally as American Checkers or English Draughts — is the classic short-king game: men capture forward only, and kings move just one square. It is the version most people in the US and UK grew up with. The European draughts family dates back to the 12th century, and in tournament play Black moves first. See the full American Checkers rules.

Spanish

Flying kings arrive here: kings slide any distance along a diagonal, but men still capture forward only. This family has the deepest paper trail in the game — the first printed book on checkers was Antonio de Torquemada's, published in Valencia in 1547. Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, and several African and Southeast Asian games all belong to this branch.

International

The tournament heavyweight: flying kings, men capturing backward, and a mandatory maximum-capture rule. International Draughts on the 10×10 board is the world-championship game, governed by the FMJD and the most widely played variant worldwide. Brazilian Draughts is the same ruleset on an 8×8 board — its rules trace back to the 16th-century game known as Minor Polish draughts. Read the International Draughts rules or the Brazilian Draughts rules.

Russian

The free-choice family: captures are mandatory, but you pick any capture line — no maximum-capture rule. Russian Checkers (Shashki) adds instant mid-capture crowning, where a man that reaches the far row keeps jumping as a king. Pool Checkers is exactly the Brazilian ruleset minus compulsory maximum capture, with a strong tournament tradition in the American South — see the Pool Checkers rules.

Not Strictly Checkers

Chinese Checkers shares the hop with the rest of this family, but not the capture — nothing is ever removed from the board, so by the usual definition it isn't checkers at all. It's really Stern-Halma, a German star-board descendant of the American racing game Halma.

We host it anyway, honestly labeled, because people love it. Play Chinese Checkers free, or read the Chinese Checkers rules — including the naming history and how our version handles the classic game's blocking problem.