# Checkers rules/implementation **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [February 15, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://community.playchessup.com/t/checkers-rules-implementation/2723 "2025-02-15T14:03:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Justauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Justauser](https://community.playchessup.com/u/Justauser)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2025, 2:03pm UTC](https://community.playchessup.com/t/checkers-rules-implementation/2723/1 "2025-02-15T14:03:55Z")
Is it possible to fix the checkers implementation to follow the rules of first move? Red (or black if using black and white pieces) always moves first per the World Checkers Draughts Federation. The rule from the WCDF: **ORDER OF PLAY** _1.12 To start the first game the players decide by random selection (i) which color they will play. In subsequent games the players alternate colours._ _1.13 **The first move in each game is made by the player with the Red men** ; thereafter the moves are made by each player in turn (ii)._ Official pieces are red and white but in games with black and white the black pieces are considered the red pieces and should always move first. However, if I choose to play black, the white pieces move first. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.playchessup.com/jeff/32/3_2.png) [@Jeff](https://community.playchessup.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2025, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.playchessup.com/t/checkers-rules-implementation/2723/2 "2025-02-17T15:55:18Z")
You can set up the pieces on opposite sides for checkers and play black pieces first. Checkers is also rotationally symmetric (chess is not). So switching sides of the boards is arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![Justauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aca169/32.png) [@Justauser](https://community.playchessup.com/u/Justauser)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.playchessup.com/t/checkers-rules-implementation/2723/3 "2025-02-17T20:00:22Z")
No, actually you cannot. If I choose to play black the board makes a move for white immediately. Switching sides is also not “arbitrary” as black square one should be b8 on a chessboard. Here is a link to the official rules from WCDF to see square co-ordinates and also other rules. [https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usacheckers.com%2Fdownloads%2FWCDF\_Revised\_Rules.doc&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK](https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usacheckers.com%2Fdownloads%2FWCDF_Revised_Rules.doc&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK) The American Chess Federation site I got the link from (click on Classroom in the menu, the either WCDF Rules or Tournament rules): [https://www.usacheckers.com/](https://www.usacheckers.com/) As you can see, black should be on the dark squares of blacks side of the board in chess, with “square 1” for checkers being the chess notation of b8. This allows you to follow notation in books just like you do for chess. Here are two videos, first one shows black on the proper squares and choosing black to play, white still moves first (named: Checkers1\_black on proper squares). The second one has black on the wrong squares, the ones white used in the first video, but black square one is the wrong square for blacks checker 1. I choose to play black and it moves “blacks” checker but it still has the white checker count highlighted because it is trying to move a white piece (named: Checkers2\_black on wrong squares). I had to use Google Drive since Imgur won’t allow videos over 1 min. First video: > **[Checkers1\_black on proper squares.MOV](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g4fA4Gj-BclLEunJP_qzAn8OGqqd3PSH/view?usp=sharing)** > > Google Drive file. Second video: > **[Checkers2\_black on wrong squares.MOV](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-lzLJrNfNwQg6fDJsOQ2WufN0LckzmzL/view?usp=sharing)** > > Google Drive file. Please let me know if you need more info to correct this. ---
**Author:** ![DavidS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@DavidS](https://community.playchessup.com/u/DavidS)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2025, 3:32am UTC](https://community.playchessup.com/t/checkers-rules-implementation/2723/4 "2025-02-18T03:32:05Z")
Unfortunately, the fact that they sold the v1 board with expensive checkers but not a forced capture mode leads one to believe that checkers was not a priority. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.playchessup.com/jeff/32/3_2.png) [@Jeff](https://community.playchessup.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2025, 4:12am UTC](https://community.playchessup.com/t/checkers-rules-implementation/2723/5 "2025-02-18T04:12:57Z")
The board is rotationally symmetric. So to emulate playing black and black going first: 1. Put the black pieces on ranks 1-3 2. Click “play as white” You will be black checkers and move first If you instead want the AI to play black and move first 1. Put the black checkers on ranks 1-3 2. Turn the board upside down 3. Click “play as black” The AI will be black and move first. In either case - the display showing piece counts will be color reversed. The board does not distinguish between white and black checkers, it considers white ranks 1-3 and black ranks 6-8. So you can trick it. ~~ The other way to look at it is just that our white = black per the checkers rules. We keep the chess convention of white first because it is easier for people move from chess. The colors could be anything / it is arbitrary. If we made black move first, then I expect more people would be confused. There is no wrong position for the pieces - as the board is rotationally symmetric. The bottom left square is occupied by a checker no matter which side or color you play as. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.playchessup.com/jeff/32/3_2.png) [@Jeff](https://community.playchessup.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2025, 4:28am UTC](https://community.playchessup.com/t/checkers-rules-implementation/2723/6 "2025-02-18T04:28:16Z")
Short version - yes we have the white/black convention reversed. But it is on purpose and it does not change he theory/play.