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How to Play Draughts

Draughts is an English game played between two players on a checkered game board. It is popular all over the world and referred to differently depending on the country where it is being played. In France the game is called Les Dames, in Germany, Damenspiel and in America, Checkers. Draughts has several variations. The following will show you how to play the standard version of the game.

Things You'll Need

A standard chess board
12 round, flat game pieces for each player
2 players

Instructions

- 1
  Set up your pieces on a black-and-white checkered game board with 64 squares of each color. Each player should set their 12 pieces on the 12 black squares closest to them on opposite sides of the game board.
- 2
  Decide who goes first by tossing a coin.
- 3
  Move a game piece forward diagonally along the black squares if you are the first player. You may move only one square at a time per turn and you must go forward on the board.
- 4
  Take your opponent's game piece by jumping over it forward diagonally along the black squares if your opponent has one of his game pieces adjacent to yours and there is a vacant space beyond your opponent's piece. You may take more than one jump if you land on a space where you are able to jump another of your opponent's game pieces.
- 5
  Have a game piece crowned as a "king" if you reach the far edge of the board closest to your opponent. Your opponent must place one of the game pieces he has captured from you on top of your king piece to distinguish it from your other pieces. Your king is now allowed to move diagonally forward or backward instead of just forward.
- 6
  Win the game by capturing all of your opponent's game pieces.

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