Can you jump backwards in checkers? Men, kings, double jumps and the 10×10 exception

In standard American checkers, an ordinary piece (a "man") cannot jump backwards — not even in the middle of a double jump. Only a king can capture backwards. International draughts, the 10×10 game, is different: there a man may capture backwards, though it still only moves forwards. Both rules are live on PocketPlay, which is why the same question gets two different answers depending on which board you open.

This guide answers the questions that came up in Google's US English autocomplete when we checked on 9 October 2026: "can you jump backwards in checkers", "…if it's a double jump", "…without a king", and "checkers rules do you have to jump". Autocomplete shows what people ask, not how many ask it. We checked the answers against the American Checker Federation's published rules and against the rule code and in-game instructions of PocketPlay's own Checkers and International Draughts tables on the same day.

The rule in one table

Why "backwards" causes arguments

The American Checker Federation's rules describe the capturing move of a man as a jump "over a diagonally adjacent and forward square occupied by an opponent's piece". The capturing move of a king "is similar to that of a man, but may be in a forward or backward direction". Those two sentences settle it: the backward jump is what makes a king a king.

House rules muddy this. Many people learned checkers at home with "you can jump backwards on a double jump", and some learned the 10×10 rule without knowing it belongs to a different game. Neither is wrong as a house rule; it just is not American checkers.

On PocketPlay's Checkers table, the instructions read: "Men move and capture forward. Kings move one diagonal step. Captures are compulsory; continue jumping with the same piece while a capture remains. Reaching the far rank crowns a king." In the game's rule code, an ordinary piece looks for captures only in its two forward diagonals; a king looks in all four.

Double jumps: what can and cannot happen

A multi-jump is a single turn in which the same piece keeps capturing.

• Forward, then forward again. Allowed and, if available, required. The ACF rules say "once started, a multiple jump must be carried through to completion".
• Forward, then backwards (man). Not allowed in checkers. If the only remaining capture is behind your man, the turn ends.
• Forward, then backwards (king). Allowed. A king can zig-zag in any diagonal direction during its chain.
• A man reaches the far row mid-jump. In checkers, crowning ends the turn. The ACF rules say a man that reaches the king row by capturing "becomes a king but may not make any further jumps until their opponent has moved". PocketPlay's Checkers table follows this: the chain stops when the man is crowned.

"Do you have to jump?"

Yes, in both games. The ACF rules say "all capturing moves are compulsory". If you have a capture anywhere on the board, you must take one; you can't make a quiet move instead. On PocketPlay, the board only offers capture moves when one exists.

The difference is which capture:

• Checkers: "If there are two or more ways to jump, a player may select any one that they wish, not necessarily that which gains the most pieces" (ACF). A one-piece capture is legal even when a three-piece chain exists elsewhere.
• International draughts: PocketPlay's table describes it as "captures are compulsory and the route capturing the most pieces must be selected". The board will only let you play the longest chain.

Some house rules use the "huff" — removing a piece that failed to capture. Under the ACF rules the capture is simply compulsory, and PocketPlay enforces it the same way, so there is nothing to huff.

A three-step habit for beginners

1. Before every move, scan for captures, including ones that are forced on you. In checkers, look forwards only for men, all four ways for kings.
2. Count the chain. In checkers, pick the capture that leaves you safest, which is not always the longest. In international draughts, the longest is the only legal one.
3. Watch the back row. Keeping a couple of men on your back row slows the opponent's crowning, and with it their backward jumps.

Try it

Open Checkers against the practice bot and set up a double jump: you will see the board refuse a backward hop by a man and allow it by a king. Then open International Draughts to see a man capture backwards and the longest-capture rule at work. If your family plays with different house rules, agree on them before the first move.

Limits of this guide

• Rules checked on 9 October 2026 against the ACF rules page and PocketPlay's live game code and instructions. Tournament rules add timing and draw procedures not covered here.
• PocketPlay's International Draughts table states that long-game draw rules are not adjudicated automatically.
• "Checkers" here means American/English 8×8. Other national 8×8 variants (Russian, Brazilian, Italian and others) have their own capture rules.

More rule guides are on the board game blog.