Play draughts by the rules you grew up with
American, Brazilian, International or Russian rules. Eleven computer opponents who each play their own way, or a friend on the same screen.
American checkers, you play Black. Change the rules, the opponent or your colour
Four rule sets
The board, who moves first and how captures work all change. You start on the rules most played where your language is spoken, and can switch before any game.
American checkersMost played in the United States and Britain, where it is called English draughts. | Brazilian draughtsMost played in Brazil. | International draughtsMost played in the Netherlands, France and West Africa, and in world championships. | Russian draughtsMost played in Russia and Eastern Europe, where it is called shashki. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board | 8×8, 12 men each | 8×8, 12 men each | 10×10, 20 men each | 8×8, 12 men each |
| First move | Black | White | White | White |
| Men capture backwards | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kings | Move one square | Fly along the diagonal | Fly along the diagonal | Fly along the diagonal |
| With several captures | Take any of them | Take the most pieces | Take the most pieces | Take any of them |
| Crowned mid-capture | Crowned, the move ends | Crowned only if it stops there | Crowned only if it stops there | Crowned, keeps capturing |
American checkers
Kings move one square at a time, and you may take any capture on offer.
- Board
- 8×8, 12 men each
- First move
- Black
- Men capture backwards
- No
- Kings
- Move one square
- With several captures
- Take any of them
- Crowned mid-capture
- Crowned, the move ends
Brazilian draughts
International rules on the 8×8 board: flying kings, and the biggest capture is compulsory.
- Board
- 8×8, 12 men each
- First move
- White
- Men capture backwards
- Yes
- Kings
- Fly along the diagonal
- With several captures
- Take the most pieces
- Crowned mid-capture
- Crowned only if it stops there
International draughts
The 10×10 game: twenty men each, flying kings, and the biggest capture is compulsory.
- Board
- 10×10, 20 men each
- First move
- White
- Men capture backwards
- Yes
- Kings
- Fly along the diagonal
- With several captures
- Take the most pieces
- Crowned mid-capture
- Crowned only if it stops there
Russian draughts
Flying kings, a free choice of capture, and a man crowned mid-capture keeps capturing.
- Board
- 8×8, 12 men each
- First move
- White
- Men capture backwards
- Yes
- Kings
- Fly along the diagonal
- With several captures
- Take any of them
- Crowned mid-capture
- Crowned, keeps capturing
In all four, pieces stay on the dark squares and a capture, once possible, is compulsory.
Learn the game
- Your first game of draughts on checkers3d
Start a game with no account: choose the rules and an opponent, move a piece, read the dots and rings on the board, take back or resign, and decide what to do next.
- American, Brazilian, International and Russian draughts compared
What changes between the four rule sets on this site, shown on matching positions: backward captures, how far kings reach, which capture you must take, and crowning.
- Forcing captures: give up a man, take more back
Capture is compulsory, so an offered man can decide your opponent's next move. Four engine-checked shots, one per rule set, and how to spot one at the board.
- Getting and using a king
How many moves a king has on each board, why a flying king changes every plan, the must-stop rule, and how crowning differs between the four rule sets.
- Draughts glossary: the words used on this site
Plain definitions of man, king, flying king, compulsory capture, majority rule, shot, blockade, ply, FEN, PDN, rating and the time categories.
- Questions about checkers3d, answered
Whether the site is free, why a move was refused, how ratings work, who can read chat, playing offline, deleting your data, and where ads appear.
Eleven computer opponents to take on
checkers3d has eleven computer opponents, from beginner to expert. They are characters played by the engine, not people or accounts. Each has its own style, so two of similar strength still play differently.