Play International Draughts

How to Play International Draughts

International Draughts is played on a 10×10 board with 20 pieces per side on the dark squares — the largest of the common checkers variants. White moves first.

Rules

• Men move diagonally forward and capture both forward and backward
• Capturing is mandatory, and you must take the line that captures the most pieces
• Multi-jump captures in a single turn are required when possible
• Reach the far row to promote a man to King
• Kings are "flying" — they move and capture any distance along a diagonal

Winning

Capture all opponent pieces, or leave them with no legal moves.

You can also play against a real opponent: hit Play Online to be paired with another player, or create a private game and share the link or code with a friend. No account needed.

International Draughts is the flagship of a much larger family that includes the smaller-board American Checkers — explore the rest in our guide to checkers variants.

Ready to improve? Read our International Draughts strategy guide, or browse every strategy lesson.