People new to the game ask where the “right” square is. That question is too large for a first sitting. A smaller habit works better: look for a hop you are required to take, then ask whether the last row still blocks a crowning, then ask whether a king still has a way home. Use the same three questions when you rewind the game. That beats a pocketful of slogans.

Enough rules to sit down

  1. Dark squares only, Black to play. Twelve men each. An uncrowned man steps one square diagonally toward the far side.
  2. A capture is a hop. If an enemy man sits on the next diagonal and the dark square beyond him is empty, you land there and take him off.
  3. A legal hop is not optional. While any jump exists, a quiet step is illegal. If the same man can hop again, he has to finish the run.
  4. The last row crowns a king. A king may step or hop one square in either direction. It does not fly. You win by taking the other army or leaving it with no move.

Those four facts are enough to start. The rest of this page is about wasting fewer moves once the pieces start to touch. The full rule list is on English draughts rules. To try a game immediately, open Play vs AI.

A pause that actually helps

  1. Is a hop waiting for me or for them? Count that line first. Missing a forced capture usually costs more than a timid quiet move.
  2. Does this step open the last row? Men left on the back row are a gate. Strip them too early and the other side crowns a king that can walk both ways.
  3. If they do not hop, what do I want next? If you cannot answer, the move is probably just noise. Pick a clearer job.
  4. Am I winning a man, or parking a king on their fork? A king that can retreat is strong. A king standing alone is easy for two men to pocket.
When you cannot see a clever idea, walk this list. It will not pick a masterpiece. It will stop a lot of busy, empty moves.

Hops you are not allowed to skip

Because a jump is mandatory, a hop you failed to see often ends the game faster than a quiet mistake. Before you move, count every hopping line for both sides. Sometimes the only legal move walks you into a chain they already built. When you can choose among hops, ask whether the landing square still looks safe.

Why the back row is not decoration

Men left on your last row delay their crowning. Your own king is useful because it can step backward, and it is also the piece most easily driven into a corner. If no friend is nearby, give the king an exit before you send it hunting. Empty the back row too soon and the board goes hollow; one new king will rake both ways.

Using this board as a scratch pad

You do not need a long sitting. Pick a gentler computer, give the game one job — “find the hop first,” or “leave the back row alone” — and when it ends, rewind three places: the first forced jump, the first crowning, and the last few men facing each other.

A first-game checklist

  1. Before you sit: choose a gentler opponent. The point of this game is not the score. It is finding the hop before you slide.
  2. On your turn: ask whether a capture is waiting. If none is, pick a man that either advances or still guards the last row.
  3. After the first contact: stop long enough to count both sides’ remaining hops. If the line is muddy, undo and try the other landing square.
  4. After the game: write down one place you missed a forced hop, or one place you stripped the back row too soon.
Open a computer game
  • A hint is a comparison, not a substitute. Pick your own jumping line first, then see whether the hint lands in the same neighbourhood. A different square does not mean you are simply wrong. It means the two moves solved different problems.
  • Undo is for a small experiment. If a hop left you thin, take it back, try the other hop or a hold on the last row, and watch the reply.
  • Replay is for one sentence. “I took the man and forgot the back row” will travel to the next game. “I played badly” will not.

A shared-device game is the place to talk a jump through. An online room sends each accepted move to the other player, so look twice before it sticks. Those rooms have no undo. Do not take the practice habit of walking moves back into a game with a friend.

Questions that come up after a couple of games

I have never played draughts. Is the computer a reasonable opponent?

Yes, if you start on a gentler search and treat the sitting as a lesson in forced hops and crowning, not as a match you have to win. The opponent is local browser search. It is not a rating and not a titled player.

Can I take a move back against the computer or on one shared device?

Yes. Local computer games and same-device games include undo, a hint, and replay, so you can walk a jumping line twice. An online room has no undo, because both players have to see the same accepted moves.

Why does the board sometimes ignore the square I tap?

Usually a hop is still waiting, the square is light, or the landing square is occupied. Look for a forced capture first, then confirm the destination is an empty dark square.

I keep marching every king into the middle. How do I stop?

A king that can step backward is useful, and one king is still easy for two men to pocket. Ask whether the back row is still there and whether another man can meet the king before you send it chasing.