English checkers · Basics

Men move diagonally forward

A man moves one square diagonally forward, always staying on the dark squares. The dark pieces move down the board; the light pieces move up.

4 min · 3 steps

This is the written edition of an interactive Boardgammon lesson — in the app, the coach narrates while you play every move on a live board.

Step 1 · Forward diagonals

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A man moves one square diagonally forward, always staying on the dark squares. The dark pieces move down the board; the light pieces move up.

Coach narration

Step 2 · Move forward

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On the board: Forward

This opening move advances one dark man one diagonal square.

Tap the checker marked Start, then tap the square marked Land here.

The move: 9-13

Good. Men move one diagonal square forward.

Common mistake: Pick the highlighted dark man and move to the highlighted forward square.

Coach narration

Step 3 · One square at a time

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That is a man's normal move: one dark diagonal square forward. Backward movement waits until the piece becomes a king.

Coach narration

What you learned

You can now move a man diagonally forward one square.

Coach narration