2 Player Checkers

How to Play 2 Player Checkers

Choose this mode when both people can see and reach the same screen. The board begins in the standard American checkers position, with Black to move first.

1. Open the board in your browser. It uses the dark squares of an 8×8 board.
2. Select 2 Players in the game controls. This switches the opponent from the computer to local turn-taking.
3. Give the device to the person playing Black. Black makes the first move in this game.
4. After Black completes a turn, pass the device to the Red player. Read the turn label before choosing a piece.
5. Continue passing the device after each completed turn. If a capture is available, make it and finish every required follow-up jump with the same piece.

Select a checker, then select one of its highlighted legal destinations. You can also drag a piece to a highlighted square. If you tap an empty square first, nothing moves unless it is a legal destination for the selected checker. The board status and highlighted squares help both people follow the current turn.

Know Whose Turn It Is

The labels at the two ends of the board identify Black and Red. In local mode, Black starts; after Black completes a move, Red takes the next turn. The status line names the side to move, or explains when a capture chain must continue. Pause on that message before handing over the device.

A turn is not complete until a multi-jump sequence ends. If the same piece can jump another opposing checker after landing, the player must continue with that piece. The turn changes only after no further jump in the chain is available. A captured checker is removed as its jump is made in this browser game.

When a win or draw occurs, the status line announces the result. The board does not have a move timer, so neither player needs to hurry. The game can be left open between turns, but refreshing may restore the saved position only when browser local storage is available on that device.

Rules for Both Players

The game uses American checkers on an 8×8 board. Each player starts with twelve checkers placed on dark squares. Regular checkers move one square diagonally forward into an empty dark square. They cannot move backward unless they become kings.

Captures are mandatory. Jump an adjacent opposing checker and land in the empty square just beyond it. If a player has more than one legal capture, the player may choose any of them. There is no requirement to choose the jump that takes the most pieces. When another jump is available with the same checker, complete that chain before passing the device.

A checker that reaches the far row becomes a king, and the turn ends there. On later turns, a king moves one square diagonally forward or backward. It captures by jumping one adjacent opposing checker into the empty square beyond it. Kings do not move across several open squares. Review the full checkers rules or use these checkers strategy ideas to think through safe advances and capture replies.

2 Player Checkers vs Playing the Computer

Both modes use the same board and American rules, but the opponent and device setup differ.

Two-player checkers does not pair you with another person over the internet. Both players must be present and share the screen. If you are alone, use the computer opponent instead; it offers Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert levels.

Pass-and-Play Tips

• Agree who plays Black before the first turn. Black moves first on this board.
• Keep the phone or tablet flat on the table so both players can see the whole board.
• Only the player whose turn it is should tap or drag a checker.
• Use New game between matches. It resets the current position and does not provide a way to return to the previous board.
• There is no move timer. Take time to inspect captures before selecting a move.

Before each turn, scan all your checkers for a legal jump. When one exists, a regular move is not allowed. After you land from a jump, check the same checker again for another jump. This brief pause prevents a common mistake: passing the device before the required chain is finished.

Keep the screen upright or flat in the same orientation for the whole game. The labels remain attached to Black and Red, so both people can tell which side they control after the device changes hands. If you need to restart, confirm that both players are ready because the current position will be replaced.

Want to Play Solo?

Select Play AI to face the computer on the same board. You control Black and the computer controls Red. Choose Easy, Medium, Hard, or Expert before starting; changing difficulty resets the board. Read the computer mode guide for details on each level, or explore other free checkers options on this site.