How To Set Checkers | Start With The Board Facing Right

Setting up checkers takes less than a minute, yet a small setup slip can wreck the whole game. A board turned the wrong way flips openings. Pieces on the wrong color squares kill legal moves. Even the “who goes first” question can turn into a debate if the start position looks off.

This walkthrough gets you to a clean, tournament-style starting position. You’ll see the fastest setup method, a quick self-check, and the two most common board types you might run into: the standard 8×8 checkers board and the 10×10 international draughts board.

What You Need Before You Set The Pieces

You only need two things: a board and two sets of pieces in contrasting colors. Most home sets use red and black, red and white, or black and white. Any pairing works as long as you can tell sides apart at a glance.

Choose The Right Board Size

Most people mean the standard American checkers setup. That uses an 8×8 board with 12 pieces per player. Some clubs and apps use a 10×10 board with 20 pieces per player. Both are “checkers” in everyday talk, yet the setup is different.

• 8×8 board: 12 pieces per side, pieces start in the first three rows.
• 10×10 board: 20 pieces per side, pieces start in the first four rows.

Use Only The Dark Squares

In checkers, pieces live on the dark squares only. Light squares are “dead space” during play. If your pieces are sitting on light squares, you’ll feel stuck right away because diagonal moves won’t line up.

Set The Board The One Way That Always Works

Before you touch a single piece, fix the board orientation. This is the step that most beginners miss, especially when the board comes from a chess set and gets rotated during storage.

Put A Dark Corner Square On Your Left

Sit across from your opponent. Look at the corner square closest to your left hand. That square must be dark. If it’s light, rotate the board 90 degrees. Now both players should have a dark corner square on the left.

If you like a second visual check, look at the near-right corner. On a correctly oriented 8×8 board, that near-right corner shows the “double dark” corner pattern people mention in casual rules talk.

Make Sure The Dark Squares Form Your Diagonals

When the board is facing right, the dark squares line up into clear diagonals that run toward your opponent. Those diagonals are the lanes your pieces will use from move one. If the diagonals feel “tilted wrong,” that’s usually a rotated board.

How To Set Checkers Board For The Standard 8×8 Game

Now that the board is facing right, placing pieces is a simple fill pattern. You’re going to occupy every dark square in your first three rows, leaving the two middle rows empty.

Step 1: Pick Sides And Count Pieces

Each player starts with 12 pieces. Count them once. Missing a piece is common with older sets, and it’s far easier to fix now than after a few moves.

Step 2: Fill Your First Three Rows On Dark Squares

Start on the row closest to you. Place a piece on every dark square in that row. Do the same for the second row. Do the same for the third row. That’s four pieces per row on an 8×8 board, three rows total, so 12 pieces.

Step 3: Leave Two Empty Rows In The Middle

After both players place pieces, there should be a clear “buffer” of two empty rows across the center of the board. That open space is where the first exchanges and traps happen.

Step 4: Do A Ten-Second Start Position Check

Scan from your side to your opponent’s side. You should see three filled rows, two empty rows, then three filled rows. Every piece should sit on a dark square. Corner test still holds: dark square on your left.

If you want to match a common printed-rules reference for the classic 8×8 setup, the piece placement and board orientation described in Hasbro’s checkers instructions shows the same “dark on the left” board position and the “first three rows” start layout.

Setup Check	What You Should See	Fix If It’s Wrong
Corner Color	Dark square at your left-hand corner	Rotate the board 90 degrees
Playable Squares	All pieces sitting on dark squares	Move any piece off light squares
Piece Count	12 pieces per player	Find missing pieces or swap in tokens
Rows Filled	Three rows filled on each side	Shift pieces so only the first three rows are occupied
Middle Space	Two empty rows in the center	Clear the center rows fully
Even Spacing	Four pieces per row (on dark squares)	Re-seat pieces row by row
Opposite Colors	Colors clearly contrasted across the board	Swap sides if pieces look too similar
Facing Each Other	Both sides mirrored across the center	Reset one side using the row fill pattern
Stable Board	Board doesn’t slide when you reach	Use a mat, cloth, or non-slip surface

Why The “Dark On The Left” Rule Matters

Checkers moves are diagonal. The board’s color pattern is the map for those diagonals. When the board is rotated the wrong way, your starting layout can still look neat, yet the diagonals no longer match the standard reference positions people learn from books, clubs, and apps.

That mismatch shows up fast. Openings you meant to copy won’t line up. Early captures might feel “off” because your pieces are not where you think they are relative to common diagrams.

A Simple Memory Trick For Setup

Here’s a clean way to lock it in without relying on fancy terms:

• Dark corner on your left.
• Pieces only on dark squares.
• Three filled rows on your side for 8×8.
• Two empty rows in the middle.

Which Color Moves First

House rules vary, so decide before the first move. Many printed sets say one color goes first, and many clubs use “dark moves first.” If you’re using a boxed set, follow the sheet that came with it so both players share the same baseline.

If you’re teaching a new player, the cleanest approach is to choose a standard and stick with it for a while. Consistency helps the learner spot patterns like trades, forks, and safe advances.

How To Set Up A 10×10 Draughts Board

Sometimes you’ll open a set and find a larger board, or you’ll join a group that plays international draughts. The first surprise is the board size. The second is the starting rows.

Board Facing Rule Still Applies

You still place the board so the first square at your left-hand corner is dark. On a 10×10 board, players often describe this using the “long diagonal” orientation. The official wording and the left-hand dark square guidance are stated in the FMJD rules for international draughts, which is the standard used in many formal events.

Piece Count And Starting Rows

On a 10×10 board, each player starts with 20 pieces. You place them on the dark squares in your first four rows. That creates two empty rows in the center, just like the 8×8 game, yet the “filled zone” is deeper because the board is larger.

Fast Placement Pattern

Each row has five dark squares. Fill five dark squares in row one, then five in row two, then five in row three, then five in row four. That’s 20 pieces. Your opponent mirrors the same pattern from the far side.

If you’re switching between 8×8 and 10×10 play, it helps to say the setup out loud while you place pieces: “dark on the left, fill four rows.” It keeps you from stopping at three rows out of habit.

Problem You Notice	What It Usually Means	How To Fix It
No legal moves on turn one	Pieces placed on light squares	Reset pieces onto dark squares only
Center rows are not empty	Rows filled too far forward	Clear the two middle rows completely
One side has 11 or 13 pieces	Miscount during placement	Count pieces, then refill row by row
Both players’ left corners are light	Board rotated the wrong way	Rotate board 90 degrees until left corner is dark
Pieces look “staggered” oddly	Mixed rows or skipped dark squares	Place pieces by filling each row’s dark squares in order
You filled three rows on a 10×10 board	Using the 8×8 habit	Add the fourth row so you have 20 pieces
Board edges feel reversed in diagrams	Board facing mismatch	Re-check the left-hand dark corner rule
Pieces slide during setup	Smooth table surface	Use a cloth, mat, or stable board base

Small Setup Choices That Make Games Smoother

Once your board and pieces are correct, a few tiny habits make play cleaner, especially with kids, classrooms, or casual tournaments.

Keep Kings Separate

Many sets include extra pieces that serve as king markers by stacking. Decide your method before play starts. If you stack, keep a small pile of spare pieces within reach so you don’t hunt for a marker midgame.

Use A Clear Piece Color Rule

If your set uses two similar colors, like dark brown and black, assign sides based on light conditions. You want both players to see threats and captures without squinting. A clean setup is not just neat; it prevents disputes.

Agree On Jump Rules Up Front

Some groups require captures when a jump is available. Some groups treat captures as optional. Decide before move one. If you’re using a printed rules sheet, follow it. That keeps the game fair and stops midgame arguments.

Quick Reset Method When Pieces Get Bumped

If someone brushes the board and pieces scatter, you can restore the start position fast:

1. Rotate the board until your left corner square is dark.
2. Clear all pieces off the board.
3. Count 12 pieces per side for 8×8, or 20 per side for 10×10.
4. Fill the first three rows (8×8) or first four rows (10×10) on dark squares.
5. Check that the two middle rows are empty.

That full reset is usually faster than trying to “repair” a half-broken position.

Ready To Start Playing

When the setup is right, checkers feels crisp from the first move. Diagonals line up. Moves are easy to spot. Captures make sense. If something feels off, go back to the two checks that solve most issues: dark corner on your left, and pieces only on dark squares.

Once you can set the board without thinking, you can put your attention where it belongs: planning trades, spotting jumps, and keeping pieces safe as they cross into king row.