A Queen moves by diagonally traversing any number of unoccupied squares. Likewise, when capturing, a Queen can travel over any number of unoccupied squares before and after hopping the piece. Capturing is compulsory and where there is a choice, the move that captures the greatest number of pieces must be made.
It is played on an 8×8 checkerboard with 12 pieces per side. The pieces move and capture diagonally forward, until they reach the opposite end of the board, when they are crowned and can thereafter move and capture both backward and forward.
The pieces move and capture diagonally forward, until they reach the opposite end of the board, when they are crowned and can thereafter move and capture both backward and forward.
The Queen: One of the pawns that had been captured is placed on top of the Queen so that it is twice as high as a single pawn (it's its queen's crown). Queens are limited to move diagonally, but may move both forward and backward. It is considered more powerful than the pawns.
Moves backwards Less experienced players often wonder if a piece can move back. The rules clearly emphasize that moving back is not allowed. The exception is a king/queen - the extraordinary piece that can move backwards.
Like a man, a king can make successive jumps in a single turn, provided that each jump captures an enemy piece. In international draughts, kings (also called flying kings) move any distance. They may capture an opposing man any distance away by jumping to any of the unoccupied squares immediately beyond it.
A win is scored when an opponent's pieces are all captured or blocked so that they cannot move. When neither side can force a victory and the trend of play becomes repetitious, a draw game is declared. Games similar to checkers were played in the days of the early Egyptian pharaohs (c.
Players take turns to move a piece of their own colour. Any piece that reaches the far edge of the board is immediately crowned and is thereafter known as a "King". The act of crowning is a physical one - another piece of the same shade is placed on top of the piece in order to distinguish it from an ordinary piece.