BASIC RULES OF TOURNAMENT CHECKERS:
- Players flip a coin to see who goes first. Black always leads the moves and is considered a handicap position.
- Place all 24 checkers on the black squares of the board, avoiding the two horizontal strips of black squares on “No-Man’s-Land” in the center of the board.
- Pieces can make diagonal moves only, one square at a time except during jumps.
- Each player moves one piece in turn.
- Initial moves are only forward unless the piece has been crowned king by reaching the opponent’s back line.
- If a piece can be taken, it must be taken. Forced moves cause forced captures.
- Pieces are taken by jumping over them, from empty square to empty square. Pieces cannot land on top of other pieces.
- You can only jump a piece if your piece is directly next to the opponent’s piece.
- You must land on an empty square when jumping.
- Multiple jumps may be made if conditions are right.
- “King Me” is spoken aloud when reaching opponent’s back line, after which that piece can move either forward or backward on the board, but always diagonally.
- The game is over when all the pieces of one player are gone. A play can end in a draw.
Those are the very basic rules of checkers. Watching a few games on youtube will give you the confidence you need to try playing a game with a friend. Continue reading