Russian Checkers Capture Rules: Chains, Crowning and the Flying King
In Russian checkers you must capture when you can, but you may choose which capture to make. Men capture forward and backward, a chain must be finished, and a man that reaches the last row in the middle of a capture becomes a flying king and keeps going.
- Game
- Russian checkers (Russian draughts), 8x8
- Capture
- Mandatory, but you choose which one
- Men
- Move forward, capture in all four directions
- Kings
- Flying: any distance on a diagonal
On this page
Capture is mandatory, but the choice is yours
If you can capture, you cannot make a quiet move. This is the forced capture. You jump over an opponent's checker and land on the empty square right behind it.
Russian checkers has no "capture the most" rule. If several captures are possible, you may choose any piece and any line. International draughts is different, and this is a common source of confusion for players who know both.
Example: White men stand on c3 and g3, Black men on d4 and f4, and e5 is empty. You may play c3 to e5 or g3 to e5. Both are legal, and you choose the one that leaves a better position.
Backward jumps, chains and the Turkish strike
- Men capture backward too. A man moves one square forward, but it can jump in all four diagonal directions.
- A started capture must be finished. If another jump is possible after landing, you must make it. The whole chain is one move.
- Captured pieces are removed after the move. This is the Turkish strike. Until your move ends, the captured pieces stay on the board, they block your way, and you cannot jump the same piece twice.
When a chain has a fork, you may take either branch. You only have to keep capturing until no jump is left.
Crowning in the middle of a capture
A man that reaches the last row during a capture is crowned at once. It does not stop. It keeps capturing in the same move as a king.
This differs from a quiet move, where the man simply becomes a king and the turn ends. White crowns on the top row, and Black crowns on the bottom row.
How the flying king captures
- The flying king looks along a diagonal. The first piece it meets must be an enemy piece, and there must be an empty square right behind it.
- It can be any distance away. The squares between the king and that piece must be empty.
- It jumps over that one piece and may land on any empty square behind it, up to the next piece or the edge.
- If from some of those squares another capture is possible, it must land on one of them. If no capture can continue, any landing square is fine.
- It cannot jump over two pieces in a row, and it cannot jump over its own pieces.
Worked examples with squares
Squares are named by file (a to h, left to right) and rank (1 to 8). White sits at the bottom, and the bottom-left square, a1, is dark. Only dark squares are used. All lines below were checked against the game.
White man on c3, Black men on d4 and f6. The squares e5 and g7 are empty.
White plays c3 over d4 to e5, then over f6 to g7. The chain is one move, and both Black men are removed when it ends.
White man on c5, Black man on b4, and a3 is empty.
White must capture: c5 over b4 to a3. This goes toward White's own side, and it is legal for a man.
White man on b6, Black men on c7 and f6. The squares d8, e7, g5 and h4 are empty.
White plays b6 over c7 to d8 and is crowned. As a king on d8 it looks along the diagonal d8-e7-f6-g5-h4. It jumps f6 and lands on g5 or h4, the player's choice.
Using forced capture as a weapon
Because your opponent must capture, you can offer a checker to pull their piece onto a square where you capture more. This is one of the main tactics of the game.
White men on a1, b2, c3 and e3. Black men on e5 and c5. Other pieces are far away. White to move.
White plays c3 to d4. Black must capture, and the only capture is e5 over d4 to c3. The man stops there, because the a1 man blocks a jump over b2.
White now captures b2 over c3 to d4, then over c5 to b6. White gave one checker and took two.
The same rule works against you. Before every move ask: what will I be forced to capture, and what happens after?
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that men capture backward, and leaving a checker where a man behind your line can take it.
- Looking only for the longest capture. You are allowed any capture, so compare all of them.
- Sending a king to capture without checking where it will land and what can capture it next.
- Trading checkers without counting the position after the exchange.
- Leaving the back row empty early. It gives your opponent an easy path to a king.
Checkers has no luck, and this advice does not decide every game. It only helps you avoid the most common losses.
Frequently asked questions
Is capture mandatory in Russian checkers?
Yes, if you can capture you must capture. You may choose which piece captures and which line it takes.
Do I have to take the most pieces in Russian checkers?
No, Russian checkers has no maximum-capture rule. You may choose any capture, but once you start a chain you must finish it.
Can a man capture backward?
Yes, a man moves only forward, but it captures in all four diagonal directions, including backward.
What happens when a man reaches the last row during a capture?
It becomes a king at once and continues the same capture as a flying king.
How does a flying king capture?
It jumps over one enemy piece at any distance on a diagonal and lands on any empty square behind it. It cannot jump two pieces in a row.