Checkers Rules

A quick reference for how PaperGames plays checkers - useful if you're rusty, or learning.

The basic idea

Men: Black and White each start with 12 men on the dark squares of their own three back rows, and move diagonally forward one square at a time, alternating turns, Black first.
Kings: A man reaching the far back row becomes a king. Kings move diagonally in any direction, still one square at a time.

Capturing: Capture by jumping diagonally over an adjacent enemy piece into the empty square immediately beyond it, removing the jumped piece.
Mandatory capture: If any capture is available, you must take one - a quiet move is illegal while a capture exists. You may choose which piece captures if more than one can.
Multi-jump chains: If capturing lands you where another capture is immediately available with the same piece, you must continue jumping with it until no further capture is possible. Landing on the back row promotes the piece and ends its turn immediately, even mid-chain.

Winning: You win when your opponent has no pieces left, or no legal move available on their turn.
Resignation: A player can resign at any time, ending the game immediately in the opponent's favor.
Draw: If 40 moves pass in a row with no capture by either side, the game is a draw.