Board game · by text or vs the computer
Checkers
Play a friend one move at a time over text, or take on the computer.
Play checkers with a friend by text
No need to be free at the same time. Make your move, tap Send, and your friend gets a link by text. They open it, see your move on the board, play theirs and send it back. A game can last an evening or a week.
How to play
- Black moves first. Pieces move one square diagonally forward, on the dark squares only.
- Jump an opponent’s piece by hopping over it to the empty square beyond; the jumped piece is removed.
- Jumps are compulsory. If you can jump, you must, and the pieces that can jump glow so you never miss one.
- After a jump, keep jumping if you can: a double or triple jump is all one move. Tap each landing square in order (if there’s only one route, one tap does it all).
- Reach the far row and your piece is crowned a king, which moves and jumps backwards too. Being crowned ends your move.
- You win when your opponent has no pieces left or no legal move. If 40 moves each pass with no jump and no ordinary piece moving, it’s a draw.
- Changed your mind? Take back works until you send.
Play the computer
Tap vs Computer and pick a level. Easy is friendly for beginners and kids, Medium spots loose pieces, and Hard looks many moves ahead. Undo is always there while you learn.
Tips for new players
- Keep your back row filled as long as you can: it stops your opponent getting a king.
- Pieces on the edge are safe from jumps but can’t do much. Aim for the centre.
- Because jumps are forced, you can offer one piece to set up a double jump of your own.
Checkers, also called English draughts, is played on the dark squares of an 8×8 board with 12 pieces each. CogniBump uses the standard American rules and the standard square numbering (1 to 32), so the move list reads like a checkers book: 11-15 is a move, 22x15x8 a double jump.
More two-player games: Chess, Pass the Putt, Minesweeper Duel and the Daily Duel.