Backgammon
FOOLFISH GAMES
Checkers
Play Checkers online for free against five computer levels or a friend on the same device.
Checkers
Game details
- Developer
- FoolFish Studio
- Category
- Board
- Controls
- Mouse · Touch · Keyboard
- Players
- Local multiplayer
- Devices
- desktop · mobile
- Published
- 2026-09-29
- Orientation
- Portrait and landscape
Game previews
About Checkers
Play Checkers online for free against five computer levels or a friend on the same device. Jump over opposing pieces, plan compulsory captures and reach the far row to become a king. Choose an untimed game for practice or add 45-second turns for a faster challenge.
How to play Checkers
Choose Play the computer or Play a friend. Set one of five difficulty levels for the computer. Friend mode is for two players sharing one screen. Black moves first.
Click or tap a piece and then a highlighted destination. Ordinary pieces move and capture diagonally forward. Keyboard arrows move focus; Enter or Space selects a square.
You must jump when a capture is available. Continue jumping with the same piece until no further capture is possible. You may choose any legal capture route; the longest route is not required.
Reaching the opposite back row crowns your piece as a king and ends that turn. Kings move one diagonal square or jump one adjacent opposing piece in either direction.
Win by capturing every opposing piece or leaving the opponent with no legal moves. This edition draws after 30 consecutive moves without a capture.
Optional timed games allow 45 seconds per turn. A missed turn makes a legal move automatically; three missed turns lose the game. Menus and hidden tabs pause the clock.
Use Hint for a suggestion and Undo to take back your turn. Continue game restores your board after returning. Guest saves remain in this browser; sign in on FoolFish before opening the game to use account checkpoints and Save options.
Controls
Mouse
Touch
Keyboard
Free checkers against the computer
An 8×8 board and twelve pieces per player create a game of short moves with long consequences. Start with Easy to learn which squares are safe, then try the higher computer levels as you get used to predicting captures. The computer runs in your browser. No separate game download or account is required to begin.
Two-player checkers on the same screen
Choose Play a friend to share a phone, tablet or computer. Both players use the same board and take turns. Flip changes the viewing direction when you pass the device. The game is local two-player checkers: it does not match you with a remote opponent.
Captures, double jumps and kings
Ordinary pieces move one square diagonally forward. If any of your pieces can jump an adjacent opponent into an empty square, you must capture. Continue with the same piece while another jump is possible. You may choose between legal capture routes, even when one route captures fewer pieces. Reaching the far row crowns a king and ends the turn. Kings can move and jump backwards as well as forwards; they do not slide across multiple empty squares.
How a checkers game ends
Capture all twelve opposing pieces or leave the other player without a legal move to win. A blocked player loses. This browser edition declares a draw after thirty consecutive moves without a capture. In optional timed mode, each turn allows forty-five seconds. Running out of time triggers an automatic legal move, and three missed turns lose the game.
Checkers tips for your next game
Look beyond the first capture. A piece that appears free can draw you into a forced double jump. Keep nearby pieces supporting each other, watch the routes to the back row and avoid leaving a lone piece with no safe diagonal escape. Hint suggests a legal move; Undo lets you revisit your decision against the computer. Try an untimed match when learning a new position.
Continue a game on FoolFish
Use Continue game to return to your saved board. Guest progress stays in the current browser. Sign in on FoolFish before opening the game to enable account checkpoints, and use Save options if two devices have different boards. The ocean-themed Fish Checkers uses the same capture and king rules with coral and pearl pieces.
Common questions
Are jumps mandatory in this checkers game?
Yes. If any piece can capture, a capture must be played. A multiple jump continues with that piece until no further jump is available or it becomes a king.
Can regular pieces capture backwards?
No. Regular pieces move and capture forwards. Only crowned kings can move and capture backwards.
Can I play checkers with a friend?
Yes. Two players can share one device in Play a friend mode. There is no remote matchmaking in this version.
Is Fish Checkers a different ruleset?
No. Fish Checkers changes the board atmosphere and piece artwork while keeping the same rules, difficulty levels and controls.
