Play International Draughts Online vs AI
How to Play International Draughts
Play International Draughts online on a 10×10 board: Black moves first on dark squares, each side has twenty men, the longest capture is mandatory, and a man that finishes the turn on the last row becomes a flying king. Start against multiple AI levels on this page with hints, undo, and replay, or switch to same-device play or an online room for a game with a friend.
This Is Not English Draughts
Each side has twenty men and plays only on dark squares. A man steps one square diagonally forward; captures may jump in all four diagonal directions, including backward. If a capture exists you must take it, and you must choose the sequence that captures the most pieces; if two sequences capture equally many, take the one that captures more kings.
A man promotes only if it finishes the turn on the last row. The resulting flying king may travel any empty diagonal, land anywhere beyond a captured piece, and continue jumping. This is 10×10 international draughts, not 8×8 English draughts, and not Chinese checkers on a star.
Only Dark Squares Count
The game is played on the dark squares; tapping a light one does nothing. Tap a man that can move, then a square it can reach. If nothing happens, that man has no legal move, or a capture is waiting elsewhere.
Take the Longest Capture
Men may capture backward, unlike English draughts. While a capture exists, quiet slides disappear; among several captures you must take the longest, then the one that takes more kings. Passing the last row mid-jump does not promote until the turn ends there. When you review a loss, the last missing man is usually too late; look back for the turn that chose a shorter capture.
AI Play
The home page opens in AI mode. You can sit Black or White and switch among multiple strength levels. A hint marks a candidate move; undo returns to the previous position so you can try another landing; the move list and replay show which forced capture was missed. Search runs in the browser.
10×10dark squares only
20men a side
Blackalways moves first
Flying kingsany empty diagonal
Common questions
Is this the same as checkers?
Close relatives, but not the same game. American checkers and English draughts use an 8×8 board, men capture only forward, and kings step one square at a time. International draughts is played on 10×10 with twenty men a side, men can capture backward, and kings fly along whole diagonals. It has nothing to do with Chinese checkers, the star-shaped race game.
Why won't the piece I tapped move?
Usually because a capture is waiting somewhere else. Captures are compulsory: if any of your pieces can jump, ordinary moves are off the table until you take. The other common reason is simply that both forward diagonals of that man are blocked. Look for the piece that can jump and start there.
If there are several ways to capture, can I pick any of them?
No. You must take the route that captures the most pieces. Only when two routes capture the same number do you get a choice. Strong players lean on this rule hard, offering a single man to drag you down the longest line and straight into a trap, so count the forced route before you play into it.
My man jumped across the back row. Why didn't it crown?
Promotion depends on where the move ends. If a man passes over the far row mid-capture and has to keep jumping away, it lands as a man. It only becomes a king when the whole move finishes on that row.
How strong is a flying king, and how do I stop one?
Very. A king slides any distance along an open diagonal, captures from a distance, and may land on any empty square beyond the piece it takes before jumping again. Once your opponent crowns first, every loose piece on a long diagonal is in danger. The best defence is to stop enemy men from breaking through, and to keep your own pieces in connected pairs with no gaps to slip through.
When is a game drawn?
If fifty moves in a row pass with no capture and no promotion, the game is declared a draw. That usually happens in endgames where both sides are down to kings and neither can catch the other. In an online room you can also offer a draw, and the game ends if your opponent accepts.
Are the hints stronger than the AI I picked?
No. A hint comes from the same AI level you have selected, so on an easy level you get an easy-level suggestion. It works best as a check: decide on your move first, then compare. When the hint disagrees, undo and play out both lines to see which holds up.
Can I play White, and what happens if I switch sides?
Against the AI you can take either colour. Black always moves first, so if you choose White the AI opens. Switching sides mid-game starts a fresh game and the current one is lost, which is why you are asked to confirm first.
If I close the page, is my game still there?
Yes. Games against the AI and on a shared screen are saved in this browser on this device, with a separate game kept for Black and for White. Switching devices or clearing the site's data will lose them. Online rooms are not stored locally; reopen the room link after a disconnect and you will usually get your seat back.
Do hints and undo work when I play a friend?
On a shared screen you can undo and step through the move list, which is handy for pausing to talk through a position, but there are no hints, so neither player gets coached. In an online room a move counts once it reaches your opponent: no hints, no one-sided undo. You can resign or offer a draw instead.
