Disputed checkers rules: can you capture backwards and is capturing compulsory

Checkers looks simple, but it is precisely because of that apparent simplicity that it sparks the most arguments at the table. "Can you capture backwards?", "do you have to capture if a capture is available?", "can a man move backwards?" — these three questions decide the outcome of a game and cause the most quarrels. Let's go through each one by the rules of Russian checkers, with examples on the board.

In short: the three key answers

Capturing backwards with a man — yes, you can. When capturing, a man jumps along any of the four diagonals, including backwards. This is what tells a capture apart from an ordinary move.
Capturing is compulsory. If a capture is available, you cannot make a simple move instead. Skipping a capture or deliberately "missing" it is forbidden by the rules.
Moving backwards with a man — no, you can't. Without a capture, a man moves only forwards, one square along the diagonal. Only a king moves backwards.

The main confusion is right here: a man's move is forwards only, while its capture goes in every direction. Below we look at each case on the board.

Can you capture backwards without a king

Yes. In Russian checkers a man captures along any of the four diagonals — forwards and backwards. If an opponent's piece stands on an adjacent diagonal square (in any direction) and there is a free dark square behind it, you must jump over it and take it off the board.

⛀

⛂

White moves upwards, but captures backwards: the man jumps over the black piece along the diagonal towards its own side (downwards) and lands on the marked square. A man is allowed to do this — when capturing, but not on an ordinary move.

That is exactly why capturing backwards is neither a mistake nor a concession: it is a basic rule of Russian checkers. It also applies in international (100-square) draughts. But in some folk variants — for example, backyard give-away checkers or English draughts — a man does not capture backwards; hence the confusion.

Is capturing the opponent's piece compulsory

Yes, capturing is compulsory. As soon as you have the chance to capture, you cannot make a quiet move with another piece instead. On muta.pro this is built in: if you click a piece that has a capture available, the game will point out that a capture is mandatory.

⛂

⛀

The white piece has a capture of the black one (a forward jump onto the marked square) — which means a quiet move with any other piece is forbidden at this moment. The capture matters more than position.

And if there are several captures?

In Russian checkers there is no "capture the majority" rule: if several captures are available, you may choose any of them. But a chain you have started must be carried through to the end — you cannot stop halfway.

The capture chain: taking several pieces in one move

If after the first jump your piece again ends up in front of an opponent's piece with a free square behind it, the capture continues on the same move. Several pieces are taken in one series and removed from the board only after the whole chain is finished.

⛂

⛀

In a single move White jumps the first black piece, then straight away the second, and lands on the marked square. Both are removed at the end of the series — this is a capture chain, and it cannot be broken off.

Can you move a man backwards

No. An ordinary move of a man is forwards only, onto one free dark diagonal square. A man does not retreat backwards. Only a king can move both forwards and backwards.

⛀

An ordinary move of the white man goes only onto one of the two forward diagonals (marked). Moving backwards is not allowed — this is the key difference between a man and a king.

The king: when it appears and what it can do

A man that reaches the last rank on the opponent's side turns into a king and is marked with a crown. You don't have to aim for this on purpose — but if a piece reaches the far edge, it becomes a king automatically.

Moves any number of squares. A king glides along the diagonal in any direction — forwards and backwards — across as many free squares as it likes.
Captures from a distance. A king takes an opponent's piece from afar along the diagonal and may stop on any free square beyond it.
One king is a big force. It sweeps entire diagonals, which is why promoting a piece to a king often decides the game.

⛁

⛂

The white king (the double glyph — a crown) captures the black piece from a distance and may stop on any free square beyond it. A man cannot do this.

Who moves first and how to win

White moves first. As in chess, White starts the game.
The goal. The winner is the one who takes all of the opponent's pieces or leaves them with no move. Whoever is first left with no pieces, or blocked in, loses.
A draw. If neither side can force a win (for example, three kings against one on the long diagonal cannot win for a long time), a draw is recorded.

Frequently asked questions

Can you capture backwards in checkers without a king?

Yes. In Russian checkers a man captures along any of the four diagonals when taking, including backwards. A man cannot move backwards, but it can — and must — capture backwards when a capture is available.

Is capturing the opponent's piece compulsory in checkers?

Yes, capturing is compulsory. When a capture is available you cannot make a quiet move with another piece. If several captures are available you may choose any, but a chain you have started must be finished.

Can you move backwards in checkers?

Not on an ordinary move: a man moves only forwards along the diagonal, one square. Only a king can move and capture backwards. That said, capturing backwards is allowed for a man too.

If you can capture, do you always have to capture?

Yes. As soon as a capture becomes possible, you are obliged to take — you cannot skip a capture for an ordinary move. The rule applies to any piece that has a capture available at that moment.

Do you have to capture the most pieces?

No. Russian checkers has no "capture the majority" rule: if several different captures are available, you may choose any of them — even if another option would take more pieces. You only have to carry the chosen chain through to the end.

When does a man become a king in checkers?

When it reaches the last (far) rank on the opponent's side. There it turns into a king, is marked with a crown, and gains the right to move and capture in any direction across any number of squares.

Who moves first in checkers?

White moves first — as in chess. After that players alternate moves, and whenever a capture is available they must take the opponent's pieces.

Can you play checkers against a bot for free?

Yes, on muta.pro you can play Russian checkers online for free and without registration — against a bot with a choice of difficulty, or with a friend via a room code.

Check the rules at the board

Now the disputed points are settled: capturing backwards with a man is allowed, capturing when a capture is available is compulsory, and moving backwards is for kings only. Lock the rules in with practice: play checkers online on muta.pro for free against a bot or with a friend. A full breakdown of every rule is on the checkers rules page.