Draughts (Checkers)
2 players · 10–20 min
Draughts (Checkers) is a two-player strategy game played under Russian draughts rules — the most popular variant in Bulgaria — on an 8×8 board with 12 pieces each. You move your pieces diagonally, jump over and capture your opponent's, and a piece that reaches the last row becomes a flying king.
Play Draughts (Checkers)How to play Draughts (Checkers)
- Move. You move one piece diagonally forward by one square; White starts.
- Capturing. Capturing is mandatory, but you freely choose which sequence to play; ordinary pieces also capture backward, and captured pieces are removed at the end of the move.
- King. A piece that reaches the last row is crowned at once — even mid-capture — and keeps capturing as a king; it's a "flying" king that moves and captures along a whole diagonal.
- Winning. You win when your opponent is left with no pieces or no legal move.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Draughts?
Draughts is played on an 8×8 board under Russian rules: you move pieces diagonally, capturing is mandatory (you choose which sequence), and on the last row a piece becomes a flying king — whoever captures or blocks all of the other's pieces wins.
Is capturing mandatory in Draughts?
Yes — if you can capture an enemy piece, you must, but you choose which sequence to play; a started sequence must be completed.