Checkers is played on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Each side starts with 12 pieces, and the goal is to take all of your opponent’s pieces or leave them with no move. Here you play red and move first against the computer.
Moving your pieces
Pieces move one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square. Tap a piece to pick it up and the squares it can reach are ringed, then tap one of them. You can also drag the piece. If only one of your pieces can reach a square, tapping that square moves it.
Jumping is compulsory
Jump a diagonally neighboring enemy piece by landing on the empty square just beyond it. The jumped piece is removed.
If any jump is available you must take one. Pieces that can jump are ringed in amber.
After a jump, keep jumping with the same piece while you can. With only one way on it carries on by itself; at a fork, tap the next square.
When several jumps are possible you may choose any of them. It does not have to be the longest.
Kings
A piece that reaches the far row is crowned and becomes a king, shown as two stacked pieces with a crown. Kings move and jump diagonally forward and backward. A piece that is crowned during a jump stops there, and the turn ends.
Winning, losing and draws
You win when the computer has no pieces left or none of its pieces can move. The same applies to you.
The game is drawn if the same position comes up three times with the same player to move.
It is also drawn after 40 moves each with no jump and no uncrowned piece moving.
Resign hands the game to the computer. Undo takes back your last move and the computer’s reply.
Tips to beat the computer
Keep your back row filled for as long as you can, so the computer has trouble getting kings.
Because jumps are forced, you can offer one piece to pull an enemy piece somewhere you can then jump two.
Pieces in the center have more options than pieces on the edges.
When you are ahead, trade pieces: each even swap makes your lead count for more.
Start on Easy, then try Normal and Hard. Hard looks many moves ahead.