Draughts

Officially Draughts / Checkers

Ancient two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board (8×8 or 10×10) where pieces move diagonally, capturing by jumping — first to eliminate opponent or trap all pieces wins.

📐checkered board⏱~30 min🌤indoor

What is Draughts?

Draughts (called Checkers in North America) is one of the oldest known board games — origins traced to ancient Mesopotamia (Alquerque, ~3000 BCE) and Egypt. Modern draughts developed in medieval Europe (~12th century France) when Alquerque pieces were placed on a 64-square chessboard, adopting queen's diagonal move. Two major variants dominate: (1) English/American Draughts — 8×8 board, 12 pieces per side, kings move like normal pieces (only one square), long-jump prohibited; (2) International Draughts — 10×10 board, 20 pieces per side, kings can move any distance diagonally (flying king), long-jumps mandatory. Draughts is 'weakly solved' — with perfect play, both sides can force a draw (Marion Tinsley proved this in 2007 after Chinook AI analysis). Notable players: Marion Tinsley (USA, 1927-95, considered greatest checker player ever — lost only 3 games in 45 years), Sinan Kalinowski (Poland), Anatoly Gantvarg (Belarus, 3× World Champion International Draughts).

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Eliminate all of opponent's pieces OR trap opponent so they cannot make a legal move (both = win).

Match structure

Players alternate turns. Each turn move one piece diagonally forward one square (regular piece) OR jump over enemy piece(s) to capture. If capture available, must take (mandatory capture rule). Multiple jumps in sequence allowed on same turn.

Rules

Basic rules

Diagonal movement only
Pieces move on dark squares only, one diagonal square forward per turn.
Mandatory capture
If jump/capture available, must take it (in both English and International rules).
Jump capture
Jump over adjacent enemy piece to empty square beyond; captured piece removed from board.
Multi-jumps
Chained captures on same turn — jump, then jump again if available; must complete all forced jumps.
King (crown) promotion
Piece reaching opponent's back row promotes to King — can move diagonally in ANY direction.
Win by elimination or immobilization
Remove all enemy pieces or block so opponent cannot move on their turn.
Draw
Some game states = draw: agreement, 40 non-progressive moves (English), 25 (International + kings-only).

Advanced rules

English/American differences
King moves 1 square only (no flying king). No long jumps beyond immediate square.
International Draughts (Polish rules)
10×10 board; Kings 'fly' any distance diagonally; longest-capture-sequence forced when multiple options.
Long-jump rule (International)
When multiple capture paths exist, must choose the one that captures MOST pieces.
Back-capture allowed (Polish)
Regular pieces can capture backward in some International rules (varies by federation).
Nordic / Frisian variants
Nordic: kings 1-square only. Frisian: orthogonal captures allowed.
Weakly solved
Marion Tinsley + Chinook AI (2007) — English draughts is weakly solved. Perfect play = draw.

Scoring

Win/Loss/Draw only.

Action	Points
Win by capture	Eliminate all opponent's pieces
Win by immobilization	Opponent cannot make legal move
Draw by agreement	Both players agree
Draw by no progress	40 moves without capture/promotion (English); 25 (International kings-only endgame)

Win condition · Eliminate or trap opponent.

Playing area

Called

checkered board

Dimensions

8×8 (English/American) or 10×10 (International). ~40×40 cm typical.

Checkered board — pieces move on dark squares only. English: 64 squares (32 dark). International: 100 squares (50 dark).

Equipment

Board
Alternating dark/light squares. 8×8 for English/American, 10×10 for International.
24 pieces (English)
12 red + 12 white/black discs. International: 40 pieces (20 per side).
King crown (double-piece)
Two-piece stack marks a King (promoted piece).

Officiating

FMJD International rules for international tournaments; self-refereed at casual level.

Chief Referee
Timekeeper (tournament)

Strategies

Control center diagonals
Central 4-4 squares (English) crucial for piece mobility.
Promote quickly
Kings can move backward — huge advantage. Race pieces to back row.
Force multi-jumps
Set up positions where opponent must make chain captures beneficial to you.
24-Move Restriction (English)
English tournaments use pre-set 3-move openings (Random 3-Move) to prevent memorised games.
Kings-only endgame theory
K+2 vs K in International; K+K vs K in English — classical wins/draws worth memorising.

Terminology

Piece / Man: Regular unpromoted piece — moves 1 square diagonally forward.
King / Crowned: Promoted piece; English moves 1 square any diagonal; International 'flying' any distance.
Jump / Capture: Jumping over enemy piece to empty square beyond; captured piece removed.
Multi-jump / Chain capture: Sequence of jumps on same turn.
Mandatory capture: Must take if capture available (all rulesets).
Long jump: In International, flying king can jump multiple squares.
Blockade: Trapping opponent so they cannot move.
Race: Both sides trying to promote pieces quickly.
Tempo: Number of moves needed to reach a position.
3-Move Restriction (English): Random 3-move opening drawn to prevent memorised games.
Weakly solved: Best-play result determined (English draughts: draw).
GAYP (Go As You Please): English variant where players choose all opening moves.
Chinook: AI that weakly solved English draughts (2007, U. Alberta).

Major competitions

World Draughts Championship (International)
biennial · worldwide · since 1885
World Checkers Championship (English)
biennial · USA/UK · since 1847
European Draughts Championship
biennial · Europe · since 1965
Mind Sports Olympiad
annual · worldwide (includes draughts)

Where it is played

Governing bodies

Fédération Mondiale du Jeu de Dames (International Draughts)FMJD
Founded 1947 · Amsterdam, Netherlands
Official site ↗
World Checkers/Draughts Federation (English/American)WCDF
Founded 1993 · USA/UK
Official site ↗
American Checker Federation
Founded 1907 · USA
English Draughts Association
UK

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Marion Tinsley (USA, 1927-1995) — 9-time World Checkers Champion; lost only 3 games in 45 years; often called greatest player of any board game
Ton Sijbrands (Netherlands) — 2× International Draughts World Champion
Alexander Georgiev (Russia) — Multiple World Champion
Roel Boomstra (Netherlands) — 2× World Champion International 2016, 2018
Anatoli Gantvarg (Belarus) — 3× World Champion International
Baba Sy (Senegal) — First African World Champion Draughts 1963
Yves Marcel (France) — Multiple French champion
Vitaly Romanski (Ukraine) — World champion
Alexei Chizhov (Russia, b. 1946) — 12× World Champion (record for International)

Records

Most International Draughts World Championships
Alexei Chizhov (Russia) — 12 (1988-2010) (2010)
Longest reign as World Champion (English)
Marion Tinsley — 1955-91 dominant (with 1 gap) (1991)
Games solved (English/American)
Chinook AI (Marion Tinsley involved) — Weakly solved 2007 — draw with perfect play (2007)
Games lost by Tinsley in 45 years
Marion Tinsley — 3 (1995)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Learn basic rules
Diagonal movement + mandatory capture in 15 min.
2
Play family checkers
English/American ruleset most common globally.
3
Practice king promotion
Race pieces to back row for stronger pieces.

intermediate

1
Learn opening theory
Study 3-move Restriction openings for English.
2
Endgame study
K+K vs K basic wins; K+2 vs K standard wins.
3
Local checker club
American Checker Federation clubs in many US cities.

advanced

1
National championships
American Checker Federation nationals + International equivalent.
2
World Championship qualifier
FMJD international + WCDF English/American.

Frequently asked

What's the difference between draughts and checkers?+

Same game — 'Draughts' is British/international, 'Checkers' is North American. English (International) and American often use same 8×8 rules but with variations. International Draughts uses 10×10 board with different rules (flying kings, longest-capture forced).

Is draughts solved?+

Yes — English/American draughts was 'weakly solved' by Chinook AI (University of Alberta, 2007) — with perfect play from both sides, the game is a draw. This makes English draughts one of the most complex games ever fully solved.

Who was Marion Tinsley?+

Marion Tinsley (USA, 1927-1995) is widely considered the greatest board-game player of all time. World Checkers Champion 1955-1962 and 1975-1991. Lost only 3 games in 45 years of tournament play. Chinook AI's development spurred by Tinsley's near-perfection.

What's International Draughts?+

10×10 board version (also called Polish Draughts) with 20 pieces per side. Kings 'fly' any distance diagonally. Longest-capture-sequence forced when multiple options. Popular in Netherlands, Russia, Belarus, Poland, France, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Brazil. Dominant on world stage.

Can you win at draughts?+

With perfect play in English/American, no — it's a draw. But humans make mistakes! Games are decided by capturing after opponent errors, controlling center diagonals, and promoting pieces quickly.

Is draughts an Olympic sport?+

No, but has been in the World Mind Games and been considered as candidate for Asian/Winter Olympics. Recognised by IOC as SportAccord member sport.

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.community