At a glance
| Board | 8×8 — only the 32 dark squares are used |
|---|---|
| Pieces | 12 men per side |
| First move | The darker color |
| Men | Move and capture diagonally forward only |
| Kings | Step one square diagonally in any direction — kings do not fly |
| Captures | Mandatory; choose freely when several jumps are available |
| Crowning | Reaching the far row ends the move — even mid-jump |
| Draws | Threefold repetition, or 40 moves per side with no capture and no man advance |
The starting position
How English draughts plays
Men slide one square diagonally forward; jumps are compulsory and chain into multi-jumps; a man reaching the far row is crowned a king that steps — never flies — one diagonal square in any direction. Crowning always ends the move, even in the middle of a jump sequence. You win by taking every enemy piece or leaving your opponent without a legal move.
The full treatment — setup, forced-capture logic, kings, notation, and the exact draw rules the server enforces — lives on the checkers rules page.
The rated lane
English draughts is the profile Boardgammon runs rated online: real opponents, per-lane ratings, optional coin stakes, and server-side validation of every move and every forced jump. The other six variants are AI lanes today and join online play as the player pool grows.
Learn English draughts interactively — step-by-step coached lessons, free
New to the family? Start with the English draughts rules, compare the seven variants, or jump into the interactive lessons.