Board Setup
Draughts is played on a standard 8×8 checkered board with 64 squares. The board is positioned so that each player has a dark square in the bottom-left corner. Only the dark squares are ever used for play.
Each player begins with 12 pieces, placed on the dark squares of their three nearest rows. This means pieces occupy rows 1–3 for one player and rows 6–8 for the other, leaving rows 4 and 5 empty. The lighter-coloured player always moves first.
Quick Setup Reference
🟫 Board: 8×8, use dark squares only | ♟ Pieces: 12 per player | 📍 Starting rows: Your 3 nearest rows | 🔵 Light pieces move first
The Core Rules at a Glance
Diagonal Movement
Regular pieces move one square diagonally, always moving forward (toward the opponent's side). They cannot move backward.
Mandatory Captures
If an opponent's piece can be captured, you must capture it. You cannot skip a capture to make a different move.
Jumping Captures
To capture, jump diagonally over an opponent's piece into the empty square immediately beyond it. The captured piece is removed.
Multiple Jumps
If after capturing you can immediately capture another piece, you must continue jumping in the same turn. Chain captures count as one move.
King Promotion
When a piece reaches the farthest row (opponent's back row), it is promoted to a King and gains the ability to move backward.
How to Win
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or leave them in a position where they have no legal moves. Either condition wins the game.
Movement in Full Detail
Regular pieces are restricted to forward diagonal movement only. Each turn, a piece slides to an adjacent empty dark square on the diagonal. Since pieces can only go forward, defence of your back rows is a crucial strategic consideration.
You cannot "pass" a turn in draughts. A player must always make a legal move. If no legal move is available — either because all pieces are captured or all pieces are blocked — that player loses the game.
Captures & The Mandatory Jump Rule
The mandatory capture rule is the cornerstone of draughts strategy. Unlike chess, you have no choice: if a capture is available, you must take it. This transforms the game, because skilled players can force their opponents into unfavourable chains of captures.
A capture is executed by jumping diagonally over an opponent's piece into the empty square directly beyond it. The captured piece is immediately removed from the board.
Multi-Jump Chains
If your piece lands after a capture and can immediately capture another piece, you must continue capturing — even if this takes you in a different diagonal direction. All captured pieces are removed at the end of the sequence. This continues until no further capture is possible.
When multiple capture options are available, you may choose which piece to capture, but you cannot choose a non-capturing move when any capture is possible. If a multi-jump is available, you are not required to take the path with the most captures — any valid capture sequence is legal.
Kings: Promotion & Power
When a regular piece reaches the King row — the row farthest from its starting position — it is crowned a King. In physical play, you crown it by placing a captured piece on top. On digital boards like draughts.ai, Kings are visually distinguished with a crown icon.
Kings can move and capture both forward and backward diagonally. This freedom of movement makes Kings far more powerful than regular pieces and often decisive in endgame scenarios.
Important King Rule
In English Draughts, a King still moves only one square at a time — it does not "fly" across multiple empty squares. This distinguishes English Draughts from International Draughts (10×10 board) where Kings have long-range movement.
Winning & Drawing
- Capture all pieces: If you capture every one of your opponent's pieces, you win.
- Block all moves: If your opponent has pieces remaining but cannot make any legal move on their turn, you win.
- Draw by agreement: Both players may agree to a draw at any point.
- Draw by repetition: If the same board position occurs three times in succession, the game is declared a draw.
- 40-move rule: If 40 moves pass without a capture or a promotion to King, the game is a draw.
In competitive play — and mathematically confirmed in 2007 — perfect play results in a draw. This makes the journey to mastery about outmanoeuvring your opponent, not about memorising a winning formula.
Know the Rules. Now Apply Them.
Put your knowledge to the test against our grandmaster-level AI engine. Every rule above is enforced — including mandatory captures.
▶ Play Draughts Now — FreeDraughts Rules FAQ
Is a capture always mandatory, even if it harms me?
Yes. In English Draughts, the mandatory capture rule applies even if taking the piece puts you at a strategic disadvantage. This rule is often exploited by advanced players to "sacrifice" a piece and force a more favourable multi-capture chain.
Does a King have to capture if it can?
Yes. The mandatory capture rule applies to all pieces, including Kings. If a King has a capture available, it must take it.
Can a regular piece capture backwards?
No. Regular pieces can only move and capture in a forward diagonal direction. Only Kings can capture backwards. This is a key difference from some international variants.
What happens if a piece reaches the King row during a multi-jump?
In English Draughts, if a piece reaches the King row during a capturing sequence, it is immediately crowned and its turn ends — even if further captures would be possible as a King. It cannot continue the jump sequence in that turn.
What are the rules for online draughts vs. over-the-board play?
The rules are identical. Digital platforms like draughts.ai enforce all standard English Draughts rules automatically: mandatory captures, legal diagonal movement only, King promotion, and win/loss/draw conditions.