Checkers

How to play

Each side has 12 pieces on the dark squares. Red moves first. A piece moves one square diagonally forward onto an empty square. If a computer piece is diagonally next to yours with an empty square behind it, jump over it to take it. After a jump, keep jumping with the same piece while you can, in any order you like. Taking is compulsory: when you can take, you must. The pieces that can move are outlined, and the squares you can move to are marked with dots. A piece that reaches the far side becomes a king, shown with a crown. A king moves and jumps one square diagonally in any direction, backwards too. A piece crowned by a jump stops there. You win when the computer has no piece left or no move. If 40 moves go by on each side without a capture or an uncrowned piece moving, the game is a draw. Beginner often moves at random, Intermediate reads a few moves ahead, and Advanced reads much further. The darker squares show the computer's last move.

Controls

Touch or mouse: tap one of your outlined pieces, then a square with a dot. For more than one jump, tap each landing square in turn; when only one way is left, the rest is played for you. Tap another outlined piece to choose it instead. ↶ Undo takes back your last move and the computer's reply. Keyboard: arrow keys move, Enter or Space selects and moves, Esc cancels the selection, U or Z undoes.

More games

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• 2048The number-merging puzzle. Slide the tiles and join matching numbers until you make a 2048 tile, then set your sights on 4096 and beyond. Tiles glide into place, one move can be undone, and a game in progress is kept on this device.
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