Play Fall Checkers

Fall checkers in your browser

Fall checkers on Checkers Online is the regular game on a seasonal board. Maple-red pieces carry an amber maple leaf, gold pieces carry an acorn, kings wear cream crowns, and the squares are rust and wheat. It costs nothing, needs no account, and the board above is ready to play.

The rules don't change, only the look. The computer opponent, your rating and your saved game are the same ones the classic checkers board uses. Start a game here and finish it on the homepage, or go the other way.

What the fall board looks like

• Maple leaves and acorns: every Red piece shows an amber maple leaf, and every Gold piece shows an acorn with a dark-brown cap. Red plays the side the rules call Black. So Red moves first, and the status line reads "Red's turn" and "Red wins". The red pieces have amber rims, and the gold ones have pale gold rims.
• Cream crowns: every king still wears one, above a smaller copy of its leaf or acorn.
• Rust and wheat squares: the pieces sit on the rust squares. The wheat ones stay empty.
• A dark-brown frame: plain, with no stripes or pattern.

The header and footer turn deep brown, and the main buttons turn amber. Autumn leaves in gold, rust, amber and maple red drift down the page background, some maple-shaped and some oval. They stay behind the board, and they turn off if your device is set to reduce motion. The page is open all year.

Thanksgiving checkers with the family

Still at the table after Thanksgiving dinner? A game takes a few taps to start, and there are three ways to play:

• The computer: four levels, from beginner to hard.
• Two people on one screen: press 2 Players and pass the phone or tablet between moves.
• Relatives who live somewhere else: press Create private game and send them the link or code. Play Online pairs you with a player from the regular checkers queue instead. More options are on the play page.

Each player sees the board from their own page. If your opponent came in through the homepage, their screen shows the classic black and white pieces while yours keeps the maple leaves and acorns. Chat is limited to six preset emotes, with no typing. Quick matches and lobby challenges are rated with Glicko-2 (guests too). Private games are not, and the ratings page explains the numbers.

The rules on the fall board

This is standard American checkers. Each side starts with 12 men on the dark squares, and Red goes first. A man moves one square diagonally forward and captures forward only. If you can jump, you must, and the same piece keeps jumping that turn for as long as it can. With two different captures open, take either one. A man that reaches the far row is crowned, and its move ends there. Kings move and capture one square diagonally in any direction. You win by taking every enemy piece or leaving your opponent with no legal move. A game is drawn by threefold repetition, or after 40 moves by each side with no capture and no man move. Does your family play with optional jumps? Use checkers with no forced jump. Every rule is set out on the checkers rules page.

Phones, tablets and computers

There's nothing to install. The game runs in the browser on a phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer. To move, tap a piece and then the square it's going to, or drag it there. Games against the computer and two-player games on one screen are saved on the device, so you can come back to them later. Once you've played one computer game with a connection, those games work offline too, and you can install the site as an app.

More games and practice

Try Chinese Checkers, or read the checkers variants guide to compare the other forms of draughts. The daily puzzle gives you one position to solve each day, and the strategy lessons help you play better. To play on a real table instead of a screen, print one of the free printable checkers boards.

More themed boards: Winter Checkers, Spring Checkers, Summer Checkers, Halloween Checkers, Christmas Checkers.

Frequently asked questions

Does my opponent see the fall board?

No. The board you see depends on the page you play from. An opponent who joined from the homepage gets the usual black and white pieces, even though your game has maple leaves and acorns.

Is fall checkers free, and do I need an account?

It's free. There's no sign-up and nothing to download. Open the page and play the computer, a second player on the same screen, or someone online as a guest.

Is this a different version of checkers?

No. It is standard American checkers, with compulsory jumps and kings that move one square at a time. Red takes the place of Black, so Red makes the first move.

Will my rating and saved game carry over?

Yes. This page and the homepage share one saved game, one rating and one set of win stats, so you can switch between them in the middle of a game. There is no separate fall rating.

Can I play relatives who live in another city?

Yes. Press Create private game and send them the link or code. They join on their own phone or computer.

Do the leaves fall on the board?

No. The leaves drift down the page background, behind the board and the text, so they never cover a piece. They turn off if your device is set to reduce motion.