Checkers guide
Checkers Rules, Mandatory Jumps, and Strategy
Learn Nudge’s American checkers rules, mandatory captures, multi-jumps, kings, draw conditions, and practical plans for asynchronous matches.
Nudge uses American checkers on an 8×8 board. Each player begins with twelve pieces on the dark squares. Black moves first, pieces advance diagonally, and the goal is to capture every opposing piece or leave the opponent without a legal move.
The simple movement hides a tactical rule that controls most positions: if a capture is available, it must be taken. A move can also contain several jumps, so the useful question is not merely what one piece can capture, but where the entire sequence will finish.
Move men and kings correctly
A regular checker, often called a man, moves one dark square diagonally forward into an empty square. In Nudge’s American rules, a man also captures forward only. It jumps over one adjacent opposing piece into the empty square immediately beyond it, removing the jumped piece.
A man that reaches the far edge becomes a king. Kings move and capture one square diagonally in either direction; they do not fly across several empty squares. If a man reaches the king row during a capture, the crowning ends that turn even if the new king would appear to have another jump.
Treat captures as obligations
When any of your pieces can capture, an ordinary move is illegal. If several captures are available, you may choose among them; American checkers does not require the route that takes the greatest number of pieces.
After the first jump, the same piece must continue whenever another legal capture is available. Nudge highlights the next landing squares and submits the completed path as one turn, so the opponent never receives control in the middle of a jump sequence.
Use tempo and structure
Pieces protect one another best in connected diagonals. Advancing a lone checker may offer the opponent a forced jump or remove the support that kept another piece safe. Before moving, examine the landing square and the reply it forces, not just the square being vacated.
The back row delays enemy promotion, but keeping every piece there forever can crowd your position. Release defenders when the center is stable or when a trade opens a safe route. A controlled exchange is often valuable when ahead in material because fewer pieces reduce tactical surprises.
- Count the full capture sequence before choosing between two mandatory jumps.
- Prefer landing squares that remain supported or create another threat.
- When ahead, simplify; when behind, preserve branching captures and king chances.
Plan for kings and endings
A king’s backward movement makes it dramatically harder to trap. Escort a runner toward promotion while watching for forced captures that pull it away from the edge. Against a king, use two pieces together so one restricts its retreat while the other closes space.
You win by taking the final opposing checker or by leaving the opponent with no legal move. Nudge declares a draw when the same board with the same player to move appears three times, or after forty full moves without a capture or promotion. Those rules prevent an asynchronous king chase from continuing forever.
Return to the board with a routine
After time away, start with the last-move highlight and recount both sides. Then scan for mandatory captures, including backward captures by kings. Only when no capture exists should you compare ordinary moves.
Before submitting, trace the opponent’s forced replies from your destination. Asynchronous time is most useful when it helps you see one move beyond the attractive jump in front of you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to capture in Nudge checkers?
Yes. A capture is mandatory whenever any of your pieces has one available.
Can a regular checker capture backward?
No. Under Nudge’s American rules, regular pieces move and capture forward; kings can move and capture both ways.
Must I take the longest capture?
No. If several complete capture routes are legal, you may choose any of them.
When does Nudge declare a checkers draw?
A draw occurs after a position repeats three times or after forty full moves without a capture or promotion.