Play russian checkers Online Free Against the Computer

How to play russian checkers

1. The board opens on shashki with you as Light, who moves first, playing from the bottom. Choose the computer or a friend on the same screen.
2. Tap a piece, then a highlighted square. A man steps one square diagonally forward.
3. If you can capture, you must. A man captures forward and backward, and a multi-jump is played one jump at a time. If there are several captures, you choose any of them.
4. A man that reaches the far row becomes a king, even in the middle of a capture, and carries on jumping as a king. You win when the other side has no move left.

How it differs from English checkers

The rule that catches newcomers is the last one, known as the Turkish strike: captured pieces stay on the board until the move ends, and you may not jump the same piece twice. A long capture can leave a king stuck behind pieces it has already jumped, so count the whole route before you start it.

How to win at shashki

• Get a king early, but not cheaply. A flying king controls a whole diagonal from any distance, so it is worth far more than a man. Offering two men to get one is often a good trade.
• Watch the long diagonal. The a1 to h8 line, the main road, is the longest on the board. A lone king sitting on it is very hard to trap.
• Nothing behind you is safe. Because men capture backward, a man that has slipped past yours can still take it. Keep pieces backed up from both sides.
• Use compulsory capture. Your opponent must take what you offer, so a sacrifice can drag a piece exactly where you want it.

Draws and wins on this board

On this board, a player with no legal move loses, whether every piece is captured or every piece is blocked. The game is a draw when neither side has captured or advanced a man for 25 moves each. The tournament rule book adds other draw rules, such as a repeated position; this page uses one counter so a game always ends.

Other rule sets, and real opponents

The chips under the board switch to six other sets before the first move, and our checkers rules guide compares them. Want a person on the other side? Checkers in Gift Club on Telegram plays these same rules: send a challenge link in any chat and play with a clock on every move, for Stars or as a Spark round.

Frequently asked questions