Draughts · 8x8
English / American checkers
English and American checkers: men capture forward only, short kings, mandatory jumps.
Board: 8x8 dark squares
At a glance
Board
8x8, 12 men each, dark squares only.
Men
Move and capture diagonally forward only.
Kings
Short kings: one square diagonally any direction (including capture).
On this page
1. Board and setup
Standard 8x8 checkers board. Pieces sit on dark squares; each side has 12 men.
2. Movement
- Men move one diagonal square forward.
- Kings move one diagonal square in any direction.
3. Captures
- Jumps are mandatory.
- Men capture forward only with a short jump.
- Kings capture one square in any diagonal direction.
- Multi-jumps continue while jumps remain available; majority rule is not used in classic American play.
4. Kings
Reaching the last rank promotes to a short king that moves one square diagonally any way.
5. Winning
Capture all pieces or block all opponent moves. Draws by agreement or locked positions.