how to play

Outdoor Giant Checkers: Rules, Setup & How to Win

Giant checkers is plain old checkers blown up to patio scale: a big roll-out mat or interlocking-tile board and oversized pucks you set, slide, and stack by hand. The rules are exactly the standard American checkers rules, so anyone who played as a kid already knows how. What the giant version changes is the feel. You are walking around the board, reaching across to jump a piece, and it turns into a relaxed lawn-and-patio game that pairs naturally with a drink and good company. Here is the full setup and rule set, plus how much room you actually need.

2 (or teams calling moves) PLAYERS AGES 6+ 3 min SETUP About 6 by 6 ft for a large mat
Gear check

What you need

  • A giant checkerboard: a roll-out mat or interlocking foam tiles with 64 squares (8 by 8)
  • 24 oversized pieces, 12 of each color, usually red and black
  • A flat patch of lawn, patio, or deck big enough for the board plus room to walk around it
  • Two players, or two teams taking turns calling the moves
  • A breeze-free spot, since a light mat can shift on grass
The playbook

How to play outdoor giant checkers:

  1. Set up the boardLay the board so each player has a dark square in their near-left corner. Place your 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows closest to you. Both players use only the dark squares for the whole game.
  2. Move diagonally forwardPlayers alternate turns, and one move means sliding a single piece one square diagonally forward to an empty dark square. Regular pieces, the ones that are not yet kings, can only move forward, never backward or sideways.
  3. Jump to captureIf an opponent's piece sits diagonally next to yours with an empty square directly beyond it, you jump over it and remove it from the board. You jump forward over a single piece into the empty square on the far side.
  4. Chain your jumpsIf your piece lands and another capture is immediately available, you must keep jumping in the same turn. A double or triple jump can clear several of your opponent's pieces in one move, which is where the game is won.
  5. King meWhen one of your pieces reaches the far row, your opponent's back row, it is crowned a king by stacking a second piece of your color on top. A king can move and jump both forward and backward, which makes it much stronger.
  6. Win the gameYou win when your opponent cannot make a legal move, either because all of their pieces have been captured or because every remaining piece is blocked. If neither side can make progress, players can agree to a draw.
Keeping score

Scoring

  • There is no point scoring in checkers; you win by capturing or blocking all of your opponent's pieces
  • Each captured piece is simply removed from the board
  • Reaching the opponent's back row crowns that piece a king (stack a second piece on top)
  • A king moves and jumps diagonally in any direction, forward or backward
  • A player who cannot make any legal move loses the game
  • If both players are stuck with no way to make progress, the game is a draw
Set it up right

Distance & setup

set it up rightGiant checkers has no throwing distance. What matters is floor space. A large roll-out board runs roughly 5 to 6 ft on a side, so give yourself about 6 by 6 ft total plus walking room around the edges, since you move pieces by reaching or stepping in. A flat patio or deck keeps the board from wrinkling, and on grass pick a level, mowed spot so the mat lies flat and pieces sit square on their squares.
House rules

Fun variations

  • Forced-capture rule (standard tournament play): if a jump is available you must take it. Many casual games drop this so beginners are not punished for missing a jump.
  • Team play: two players a side take turns calling moves out loud, which makes it a fun group game at parties.
  • Crazy checkers: any piece can move backward from the start, speeding up the action for a quick round.
  • First-blood mini game: shrink to the inner squares and play to the first three captures for a fast warm-up.
The rulebook desk

Outdoor Giant Checkers: rules FAQ

What are the rules for giant checkers?

Giant checkers follows standard checkers rules, just on an oversized board. Each player gets 12 pieces on the dark squares, moves diagonally forward one square at a time, and jumps an adjacent opponent's piece into the empty square beyond to capture it. Reach the far row to crown a king, and win by capturing or blocking all of your opponent's pieces.

How big is a giant checkers board?

Most giant checkers boards are roll-out mats or interlocking tiles that run roughly 5 to 6 ft on a side. The pieces are oversized pucks several inches across. Give yourself about 6 by 6 ft of flat space plus room to walk around the board, since you move pieces by reaching in.

How many pieces are in giant checkers?

A full giant checkers set has 24 pieces, 12 of each color, exactly like standard checkers. Each player starts with their 12 pieces on the dark squares of the three rows nearest them. When a piece is kinged, a second piece of the same color is stacked on top, so keep all 24 handy.

Can you jump backwards in giant checkers?

Only kings can jump and move backward. A regular piece moves and captures diagonally forward only. Once a piece reaches the opponent's back row and is crowned a king, it can then move and jump in any diagonal direction, which is what makes kings so valuable.

What is the difference between giant checkers and regular checkers?

The rules are identical. The only difference is scale. Giant checkers uses a large mat or tile board several feet across and oversized pieces you handle by hand, so it plays as a walk-around yard and patio game rather than a tabletop one.

grab a set

Ready to play?

Grab a set and start your league this weekend. We ranked the best outdoor giant checkers: sets for every budget.

See our top outdoor giant checkers: picks → Printable rules card