About Draughts on Suvi
Draughts is the classic game of diagonal jumps, known in America as checkers. Each player starts with twelve men on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Men move one square diagonally forward and capture by jumping over an enemy piece to the empty square beyond; if a capture is on, you must take it, and a piece that can keep jumping must carry on in the same move. Reach the far row and your man is crowned a king that moves forwards and backwards. These are the standard English draughts and American checkers rules. On Suvi you can play checkers online free against the computer at three levels, or play a friend on one phone. Undo takes back a move, a hint shows the computer's choice, and nothing needs downloading.
How to play
- Choose vs Computer (Easy, Medium or Hard) or Two players, and who goes first.
- Tap one of your pieces, then tap a lit square to move it one square diagonally forward.
- Jump an enemy piece to capture it. If you can capture you must; for a double jump, tap each landing square in turn.
- Reach the far row to crown a king, which can move backwards too. Take every enemy piece, or leave them no move, to win.
Controls
On a phone or tablet: Tap a piece, then tap where it goes; lit dots show the legal squares, including each step of a multi-jump. Tap the piece again to put it back. Undo and Hint sit under the board.
On a desktop: Click a piece, then click where it goes. Or use the arrow keys to move between squares and Enter to pick and place; Escape puts a piece back. U undoes, H asks for a hint.
Tips
- Keep your back row filled for as long as you can: while it is guarded, your opponent can't crown a king.
- Because captures are forced, you can offer one piece to drag an enemy piece into a double jump for you.
- Pieces on the edge can't be jumped, but they also guard less of the board. The center squares matter most.
- When you are ahead, trade pieces: one extra piece counts for far more when there are only a few left.
- A lone king is safest in a double corner, the corner with two dark squares side by side.
Read the full guide: “Draughts strategy: how to win at checkers” →
Questions
- Is this checkers?
- Yes. Draughts is the British name and checkers the American one for the same game: an 8×8 board, twelve men each, forced captures, and kings that move one square in any diagonal direction. Kings don't fly across the board as in some other countries' rules.
- Do I have to capture?
- Yes. If any capture is available you must make one, though you may choose which. A piece that can jump again after a capture must keep going in the same turn, unless it has just been crowned, which ends the move.
- How does a game end in a draw?
- When forty moves each go by with no capture, or the same position comes round a third time with the same player to move.
- How good is the computer?
- Easy plays like a beginner and gives pieces away. Medium looks a few moves ahead and is a fair fight. Hard searches deep combinations and is tough for most club players.
- Can I play against a friend?
- Yes. Choose Two players to share one phone and pass it after every move. To play someone in another room or another country, choose Online with a friend and send the invite link. There's no account to make: it asks once for your date of birth, and online play isn't open to under-13s.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Every way to play draughts here is free: the computer at three levels, two players on one phone, or a friend online by link. There's no account to make, and your wins and losses at each level stay on this device.
More Draughts
Similar games
- Four in a Row — Drop discs, line up four. Play the computer or a friend on one phone.
- Nine Men's Morris — Place, slide and fly your nine pieces. Make mills, take theirs.
- Chess Puzzle — One tactic a day. Find the winning move.
Who made it
Draughts is a Suvi Original, written and tested by Brasslight Games. Every puzzle is generated and checked by our own tools; nothing is copied from another site.