Canadian Checkers Rules
Canadian Checkers (Grand jeu de dames) is International Draughts on a bigger canvas: a 12×12 board with 30 pieces per side. Every rule matches the world-championship game — only the board grows.
Play Canadian Checkers free →The Board and Setup
The game is played on a 12×12 board using only the 72 dark squares. Each player starts with 30 pieces (men) on the dark squares of their five nearest rows. White moves first, then players alternate.
Moving
- Men move one square diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
- Men move forward only, but may capture both forward and backward.
Capturing
- You capture by jumping over an adjacent enemy piece into the empty square beyond it.
- Capturing is mandatory, and multi-jumps continue until no further capture is possible.
- Maximum capture: you must always take the line that captures the greatest number of pieces.
- Captured pieces stay on the board until the jumping sequence ends, so no piece can be jumped twice in a turn.
Flying Kings
A man promotes to King on reaching the far row. Kings fly: they move any distance along an open diagonal, and capture by jumping an enemy piece from a distance, landing on any empty square beyond it on the same diagonal. On a 12×12 board a flying king covers even more ground than in the 10×10 game.
How to Win
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or leave them with no legal move. As in International Draughts, a game is drawn by threefold repetition, or when no capture or man move occurs for 25 moves by each side. There are also endgame limits: a lone king against three pieces including a king is drawn after 16 moves by each side, and against two pieces including a king after 5 moves by each side.
Know the rules and want to win more? Learn strategy in our complete Canadian Checkers strategy guide and the rest of the lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who moves first in Canadian Checkers?
White moves first, then players alternate turns.
How big is the Canadian Checkers board?
It is played on a 12×12 board using the 72 dark squares, with 30 pieces per side — International Draughts on a bigger board.
Is capturing mandatory in Canadian Checkers?
Yes. You must always take the line that captures the greatest number of pieces (maximum capture).
Can a man capture backward in Canadian Checkers?
Men move forward only but may capture both forward and backward.
How do kings move in Canadian Checkers?
Kings fly: any distance along an open diagonal, capturing from a distance. On a 12×12 board a flying king covers even more ground.
Can a king be captured in Canadian Checkers?
Yes. A king can be jumped and captured like any piece.
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