Place the board
The 8×8 board lies between the players, and only the dark squares are used. Make sure you both see the board the same way and know which squares are in play — then you won't have to rearrange pieces mid-game.
Guides
Your first game of draughts, step by step
Draughts seems simple until you sit down to play: it turns out that capturing is compulsory, a man suddenly goes backwards during a capture, and a king sweeps across the whole board. This guide takes you through your first game in order — from setting up the board to reviewing what you played. We describe Russian draughts; if you are sitting down to a different variant, check the rules with your opponent first.
You don't have to win your first game. What matters is understanding it — move by move.
How this section works: the steps follow the order in which a game unfolds. If you already know a step, move on to the next one.
The game step by step
From setting up to reviewing.
Set out the pieces
Each player has 12 pieces, placed on the dark squares of the rows nearest to them. Count them before you start: a piece lost mid-game spoils the mood more than any defeat.
Decide who starts
Agree how you choose colours: by lot, taking turns or letting the beginner pick. The main thing is to decide before the first move, not after a disputed moment.
Make simple moves
A man moves diagonally forward. Don't rush to move everything at once: keep your pieces close together so that neighbours protect each other and your opponent finds no easy captures.
Remember capturing
Capturing is compulsory, and a man captures both forwards and backwards. Before every move ask yourself: do I have a capture, and what can my opponent capture after my move?
Crown a king
A man that reaches the far row becomes a king and moves any distance along a diagonal. A king is strong but easily caught in an exchange, so keep it away from hasty raids.
Review the game
After the game, set the pieces up again and go over the key moments: where a capture was missed, where a piece was left unprotected. Reviewing together teaches more than several new games in a row.
Blogokamne articles in English
This section will collect articles our editors write specifically for English-speaking readers: game walkthroughs, study games and notes on etiquette.
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- GTA 6 Player Resources and Community Guide: Source Check
Before GTA 6 launches: separating Rockstar's confirmed details from fan expectations, and judging community and commercial player resources with care.
- Escape from Tarkov: Wipes, Quests and Progression Bottlenecks
Four hypothetical Escape from Tarkov players show where resets, task chains and the learning curve stall progress, plus a comparison and a checklist.
Topics in progress
- Draughts or checkers? Setting up the board and making your first moves
- Nine men's morris at the kitchen table: drawing the board and forming your first mills
- Playing by post or email: how to record moves and agree on reply times
- Etiquette at the board: offering a draw, resigning and thanking your opponent
Editorial rules
- Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
- Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
- We do not sell games or sets, we do not run tournaments, and we do not publish advertising, rankings, prices or reviews.
How to record your first game
Label the board
Mark the files with letters and the ranks with numbers along the edge of the board — that way every square gets its own name.
Write down from and to
Record each side's move as a pair of squares: where the piece stood and where it went. Mark captures with a special symbol you agree on in advance.
Note your doubts
If a move was hard to find, put a question mark next to it. When you review the game, these are the places that show what to learn next.
Keep a notebook
A few recorded games will reveal your habitual mistakes better than any retelling of the rules. Such records are also useful for playing by correspondence.
Common beginner mistakes
- Forgetting that capturing is compulsory and leaving a piece open to a chain of captures.
- Sending a single piece far forward without support from its neighbours.
- Rushing to crown a king and leaving your back row empty.
- Not checking after your move what your opponent can capture.
- Arguing about a rule in the middle of the game instead of agreeing on it beforehand.
Related reading
- Strategy
The centre, tempo, exchanges, sacrifices, weak points and the endgame — general strategic ideas for any board game.
- Games
Game cards: Russian draughts, Go, reversi, nine men's morris, mancala, gomoku and ugolki — the board, the aim and where to start.
- Terms
Glossary: king, capture, liberties, komi, territory, eye, mill, sowing, draw, endgame, tempo and exchange.
- Questions
Answers about the guide, rules and disputes at the board, teaching children and playing as a family.
What we rely on
- Rulebooks of federations and clubs (in general terms)
- Editorial material of this guide
We describe the rules in general terms. Clubs, families and different rulebooks have their own variations, so before a serious game check the rules you agreed on at the board.