Board game · Lychee Games
Play Checkers online with a friend
Checkers is a two-player board game of diagonal moves and jumps: capture every opposing piece, or block them so they cannot move. I built it with two rule presets, an American style and a pool style, so you can pick the version you grew up with.
- Players: 1 or 2
- Modes: Solo, Same phone, Online room
- Price: free, no sign-up
Play Checkers nowOpens in your browser. Nothing to install.
How to play Checkers
Goal: Capture or block every one of your opponent’s pieces.
- Pieces move diagonally on the dark squares. Select a piece, then each square it lands on.
- Jump over an opposing piece into an empty square to capture it, and keep jumping while you can. Captures are compulsory.
- Reach the far side to be crowned. A crown marked K moves both ways.
- American rules: men move and capture forwards; a king moves one square either way, and crowning ends a jump. Pool rules: men may capture backwards and kings slide along a diagonal.
Scoring and winning
- Win by taking or blocking every opposing piece. The same position three times, or 80 king moves in a row without a capture, is a draw.
Controls
- Keyboard
- ← ↑ → ↓ move between squares, Enter selects
- Esc clears your selection
- Touch
- Tap a piece, then tap each landing square
Modes
- Solo
- Play the computer, with hints and three undos.
- Same phone
- Two players take turns on one screen.
- Online
- Two players. Create a room and send the code or invite link, or join with a friend’s code. One code from the hub’s Play together panel works for every game.
Tips
- Captures are compulsory, so you can set a trap: offer one piece where the forced jump lands your opponent in a spot you can capture two.
- Keep your back row filled for as long as you can; it stops the other side from crowning.
- Solo mode allows three undos, each taking back your last turn and the computer’s reply.
Checkers is free in your browser, with no sign-ups and no ads. Online rooms need an internet connection; one room code from the Lychee Games hub works for every game, so you can switch games without sending a new invite.
Questions
Is Checkers free to play?
Yes. Checkers is free in your browser, with no sign-up, no download and no ads.
What is the difference between the Checkers rule presets?
In the American preset, men move and capture forwards and a king moves one square either way. In the pool preset, men can also capture backwards and kings slide along a diagonal.
How many people can play Checkers?
Checkers is a head-to-head game for two: a friend online, the computer in solo mode, or two people on one phone.
Can I play Checkers on my own or on one phone?
Yes. Solo mode: Play the computer, with hints and three undos. Same-phone mode: Two players take turns on one screen.