Turkish dama, international draughts, Russian shashki and 11 more — all 14 variants are playable right here, against a friend or the computer, each with its full rules and story.
Every variant below is fully playable. Press Play to open the game with its detailed rules alongside the board.
One of the most distinctive variants: pieces move straight forward and sideways instead of diagonally. Each player starts with 16 men on ranks 2 and 3 of an 8×8 board.
Also known as Polish draughts, it is the official game of FMJD world championships. Played on a 10×10 board with 20 men per side, it is famed for its strategic depth.
The classic that 'checkers' means in the English-speaking world. Played on an 8×8 board with 12 men each, it has some of the simplest rules of any variant.
Hugely popular across Russia and the former Soviet states. It starts like American checkers but its rules are far sharper and more tactical.
All the rules of international draughts, adapted to the classic 8×8 board. Very common in South America and an ideal stepping stone toward the 10×10 game.
Known for its unique 'respect' rule: an ordinary man may never capture a king. The board is also placed with the dark corner square on the right, unlike most variants.
Played in Spain, Portugal and parts of Latin America. Historically one of the earliest variants to adopt the long-range flying king.
The largest of the major variants, played on a giant 12×12 board with 30 men per player. It was born when French settlers scaled up international draughts.
Central Europe's classic variant. Its most distinctive rule gives kings priority when several captures are available.
Thailand's fast, aggressive game. Each side starts with only 8 men on the first two ranks, which makes contact immediate.
Perhaps the most ruthless variant: captures are allowed diagonally, vertically and horizontally. No piece on the board is ever truly safe.
A close cousin of Turkish draughts. Pieces move straight ahead, but diagonal forward moves are also allowed — a blend of two worlds.
Beloved in the American South and the Caribbean, this is American checkers' far more dynamic cousin, playing close to Russian rules.
Known simply as 'dama' in the Philippines, with national tournaments. A fast variant combining the flying king with backward captures.
West Africa's beloved street game, played at ferocious speed on a 10×10 board with 20 men per side. Games come with running commentary: skilled players taunt, celebrate and name their combinations out loud.
The great draughts game of the Malay world, most famous in its giant 12×12 form with 30 men per side. The king is called the 'haji', honouring one who has completed the pilgrimage — the piece that has completed its journey across the board.
Draughts turned upside down: the first player to lose all their pieces — or run out of moves — wins. Known as 'poddavki' in Russia, it is far deeper than it sounds: you must force your opponent to capture.
Whichever variant you play, four core ideas stay the same. The differences hide in how each variant applies them.
The basic unit. It usually moves only forward and captures enemy pieces by jumping over them.
A man reaching the last rank is promoted. In most variants it moves both ways; in many it 'flies' along the line.
You jump over an adjacent enemy piece into an empty square. Chain captures continue within a single turn in most variants.
Reaching the opponent's back rank crowns a man. Some variants forbid promotion mid-chain.
Four questions separate the variants: how big is the board, do kings fly, can men capture backwards, and is capturing compulsory?
| Variant | Board | Pieces | Flying king | Backward capture | Forced capture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish Draughts | 8×8 | 16 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| International Draughts | 10×10 | 20 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| English / American Checkers | 8×8 | 12 | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Russian Draughts (Shashki) | 8×8 | 12 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Brazilian Draughts | 8×8 | 12 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Italian Draughts | 8×8 | 12 | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Spanish Draughts | 8×8 | 12 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Canadian Checkers | 12×12 | 30 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Czech Draughts | 8×8 | 12 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Thai Draughts (Makhos) | 8×8 | 8 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Frisian Draughts | 10×10 | 20 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Armenian Draughts (Tama) | 8×8 | 16 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Pool Checkers | 8×8 | 12 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Filipino Draughts (Derecha) | 8×8 | 12 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Ghanaian Draughts (Damii) | 10×10 | 20 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Dam Haji | 12×12 | 30 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Losing Draughts (Giveaway) | 8×8 | 12 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Draughts wasn't invented in one place; it's the product of a long evolution that began around the Mediterranean and spread across continents.
Alquerque (Qirkat), the ancestor of draughts, appears carved into Ancient Egyptian temples. Pieces are captured by jumping along line intersections.
In France, alquerque pieces are moved onto the chessboard: 'Fierges' is born, giving draughts its modern checkered board.
'Jeu forcé' — compulsory capture — becomes the rule in France. This single change turns draughts from a loose pastime into a sharp strategy game.
The 10×10 'Polish' game emerges in Paris and spreads across Europe. Meanwhile Turkish dama becomes the coffeehouse game of the Ottoman world.
The World Draughts Federation (FMJD) is founded; international draughts becomes the official championship game.
American checkers is fully solved by the Chinook program: with perfect play from both sides, the game is a draw — the largest game ever solved.