What is Pool checkers?

Pool checkers — American Pool — is the tactical cousin of American checkers on the same 8×8 dark-square start. The opening position looks familiar; the midgame does not.

Two rules drive most of the difference: men may jump backward, and kings fly any clear distance along a diagonal instead of stepping one square.

• 1 · Move

  Tap a piece, then a marked square. Men step one square diagonally forward.

• 2 · Capture

  Men jump backward as well as forward. Captures are mandatory.

• 3 · Flying king

  A king slides any distance along an open diagonal.

If a man reaches the king row in the middle of a jump and another jump is open, it keeps jumping as a man. It is crowned only if the jump ends on the king row, and the new king moves from your next turn — plan the whole line before you tap.

Backward jumps by men

Men still walk forward on quiet moves, but captures may run toward either end of the board. That single change creates tactics American players never see.

• Check retreats as well as advances when jumps are on.
• Forced captures can pull a man backward into a new diagonal.

Flying kings

• After a capture, land on any empty square beyond the taken piece if the diagonal is open.
• Kings are strongest in open positions — trade them carefully when ahead.
• If you can jump, you must; longest capture is not required.

You win when the opponent has no pieces or no legal move. On this site a Pool game is a draw when each player has made 40 moves without a capture (a man's move does not count here, unlike American checkers), or when the same position, with the same side to move, appears three times.

Choose the landing square

A flying king is not stuck on the nearest empty square. Pick a landing that keeps the line alive for another hop.

Trace promotion chains

Sketch man jumps, the crowning square, and the king hops in one breath before you move.

Compared with American checkers

American checkers on Checkerso uses short kings, forward-only men, and a turn that ends when a man promotes. Pool keeps forced jumps but swaps in backward captures and flying kings.

Anti checkers reverses the win condition on the American board if you want a puzzle without flying kings.

Frequently asked questions