Play Checkers Online Free: Danish Rules with Flying Kings
Play checkers online for free, right in your browser. Play against the computer or against a friend on the same screen. The pieces are big and clear, and the squares you can move to are marked with yellow dots. There is no login, no ads in the game and no time pressure. The game remembers where you left off, so you can finish another day.
This is checkers the way it is played in Denmark, sometimes called Danish draughts. It uses an 8 by 8 board with 12 pieces each, just like American checkers, but with a few important differences: captures are mandatory, regular pieces may capture backward, and kings are "flying kings" that move and capture across several squares. You can read all the details on our page with the rules for checkers.
How to play
- Light moves first. When you play the computer, you choose your color under New game. You only play on the dark squares.
- Tap one of your pieces. The squares it can move to get a yellow dot. Tap one of them. You can also drag the piece there with your finger or mouse.
- A regular piece moves one square diagonally forward. You capture by jumping over an opponent's piece to the empty square right behind it. Captures may also go backward.
- If you can capture, you must capture. Pieces that can capture get a dashed yellow ring. If the piece can capture again from its new square, it keeps going until there is nothing left to capture.
- When a piece ends its move on your opponent's back row, it becomes a king with a yellow crown. A king moves as far as it likes diagonally, both forward and backward.
- You win when your opponent has no pieces left or cannot move. Use Undo as often as you like, and tap Hint to see a good move.
How is this different from American checkers?
- Flying kings: in American checkers a king moves only one square at a time. Here a king glides any distance along a diagonal and can capture from far away.
- Backward captures: in American checkers regular pieces only capture forward. Here they may capture backward too.
- Who starts: in American checkers the dark side moves first. Here light starts.
- Same in both: captures are mandatory, and you may choose which capture to make when there is more than one.
Tips to win more games
- Keep your back row filled as long as you can, so your opponent has a hard time getting a king.
- Watch out for forced captures. A smart opponent can make you jump into a trap.
- A flying king is very strong. Getting the first king often decides the game.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is the computer?
On Easy, the computer often makes mistakes and misses good moves. It is a nice place to start. On Medium, it looks a few moves ahead and captures when it pays off. On Hard, it thinks many moves ahead and plays strongly, especially in the endgame with kings. You can always tap Hint to see what it would do in your place.
Do I have to capture as many pieces as possible?
No. Like in everyday family checkers, you choose which capture to make when you have more than one option. But once you start a capture, you must finish it with the same piece as long as there is something left to capture.
When does a piece become a king?
A piece becomes a king when it ends its move on your opponent's back row. If it lands on the back row in the middle of a capture and can keep capturing, it continues as a regular piece. The king gets a yellow crown, so it is easy to spot.
Can a game of checkers end in a draw?
Yes. When only kings are moving for a long time, often nobody can win. So the game ends in a draw if both players have made 25 moves in a row with kings without capturing a single piece.