How to set up the Board

Choose who will go first. If this isn't your first match, typically the person who won the last game is the one to go first. A chessboard comes with two different colors of checkers — often a combination of red, black or white. The player who goes first will take the dark-colored checkers (red in this illustration), and the other player will take the remaining color (white). 

Players sit at opposite ends of the board. The board is made of alternating light and dark squares. Place your checkers in the dark spaces so there is an empty light square in the right corner for each player. There should be three rows of four checkers each, placed only in dark squares. 

Moves to Keep in Mind

There are three important checker movement rules:

• Checkers can only move diagonally on dark squares.
• At the start of the game, checkers can only move forward, meaning toward the opposite player’s side.
• Checkers may move up and down when they become “kings” by reaching the last row of the opposite side.

Move your checker forward diagonally, always staying on the dark squares. You are only allowed to move one checker per turn, moving one space at a time unless jumping. After the first player takes their turn, the next player goes, also moving their checker forward diagonally.

Remove your opponent’s checkers from the board by jumping them if your checker is diagonal to your opponent’s and there is an empty dark space to hop to. Jump the checker by moving your piece straight over theirs and landing on the empty dark space.