Filipino Checkers Rules
Filipino Checkers (Derecha) plays on an 8×8 board with flying kings, backward capture, and mandatory maximum capture. The rules are exactly those of Brazilian Draughts, played on a mirrored board.
Play Filipino Checkers free →The Board and Setup
The game uses an 8×8 board and only the 32 dark squares. Each player has 12 pieces (men) on the dark squares of their three nearest rows. The board sits in the mirrored orientation: the double corner is on each player's left, so the near-left corner square is light. White moves first, then players alternate.
Moving
- Men move one square diagonally forward to an empty dark square.
- Men capture both forward and backward by jumping an adjacent enemy piece.
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: when several capturing sequences are available, you must take the one that captures the most pieces. Equal-length lines are all legal — there is no most-kings tiebreak.
- Captured pieces are removed only after the full jumping sequence is complete, so you cannot jump the same piece twice in one turn.
Flying Kings
A man promotes to King when it ends its move on the far row. If a man only passes over the far row in the middle of a capture sequence, it stays a man and continues the sequence; it crowns only if the sequence ends there. Kings are "flying": they move any number of empty squares along a diagonal, and they capture by jumping an enemy piece from a distance — forward or backward — and landing on any empty square beyond it along the same diagonal.
How to Win
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or leave them with no legal move. Draws occur by threefold repetition or when no progress (no capture or man move) is made for 40 moves by each side.
Browse more games in our guide to checkers variants and the rest of the strategy lessons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who moves first in Filipino Checkers?
White moves first, then players alternate turns.
Is Filipino Checkers the same as Brazilian Draughts?
Yes — the rules are identical. Filipino Checkers is Brazilian Draughts played on a mirrored board, so the double corner sits on each player's left.
Can a man capture backward in Filipino Checkers?
Yes. Men move only diagonally forward, but they capture both forward and backward.
Is capturing mandatory in Filipino Checkers?
Yes, and you must take the line that captures the most pieces (maximum capture).
When does a man become a king in Filipino Checkers?
A man crowns when it ends its move on the far row. If it only passes over the far row in the middle of a capture, it keeps going as a man and does not crown.
How do kings move in Filipino Checkers?
Kings are flying: they move any number of empty squares along a diagonal and capture from a distance, forward or backward.
Play Filipino Checkers free →