Play Russian Checkers

How to Play Russian Checkers

Russian Checkers (Shashki) is played on an 8×8 board with 12 pieces per side. White moves first. It was the dominant board game in Russia before chess took over, and it is still played across Russia and the former USSR. The tradition has spawned offshoots with tournament scenes of their own: Poddavki, the giveaway version where losing all your pieces wins, and Bashni, a "towers" game where captured pieces stack under the capturer.

Rules

• Men move diagonally forward, but capture both forward and backward
• Capturing is mandatory, but you choose freely between capture sequences — no maximum-capture rule
• The signature rule: a man that reaches the far row in the middle of a capture crowns instantly and continues the same sequence as a 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.

Want to see how Shashki's instant-crowning rule compares to the classic American Checkers or the other national games? Our guide to checkers variants covers the whole family.

Want to get better? Read our Russian Checkers strategy guide, or browse every strategy lesson.