---
title: Pool Checkers
slug: pool
board: "8×8"
players: "2"
parent: draughts
order: 10
win: Capture or block all opponent pieces
special: Men capture both directions. Flying kings. Mid-jump promotion. Free choice. US federation since 1966.
engine:
  topology:
    type: grid
    rows: 8
    cols: 8
  players: [white, black]
  setup: "1b1b1b1b/b1b1b1b1/1b1b1b1b/8/8/w1w1w1w1/1w1w1w1w/w1w1w1w1"
---

## Pool Checkers

The American tournament variant, governed by the American Pool Checkers Association since 1966. Combines backward captures for men, flying kings, and mid-jump promotion with free choice between captures (no majority rule). More aggressive than English Draughts due to backward capture, more forgiving than International due to free choice.

{{svg:english-board.svg "Pool Checkers — starting position"}}

### Setup

**Board:** 8×8 checkered board, dark squares only. Same layout as English Draughts.

**Pieces:** 12 men per player on dark squares of the three nearest rows.

**First move:** Black moves first (note: opposite convention to most variants).

### Rules

- **Men movement:** Men move diagonally forward only, one square at a time.
- **Men capture:** Men capture diagonally by jumping over an adjacent opponent piece. Men can capture both forwards AND backwards.
- **Mandatory capture:** Captures are compulsory.
- **Free choice:** When multiple capture sequences exist, the player may freely choose. No majority rule.
- **Mid-jump promotion:** If a man reaches the back row during a multi-jump sequence, it is promoted to a king immediately and continues capturing as a king in the same turn.
- **Immediate removal:** Captured pieces are removed from the board immediately after being jumped.

### King Promotion

- **Flying kings:** Kings move any number of unoccupied squares diagonally in any direction.
- **King capture:** Kings capture by jumping over a single opponent piece at any distance along a diagonal, landing on any open square beyond.

### Winning

A player wins when their opponent has no legal move: all pieces captured or all pieces blocked.

### Draws

The game is a draw when:

- Both players agree.
- The same position repeats.
- Neither player can force a win.

### Strategy

Backward captures for men make every piece a threat in both directions, reducing the safety of the back row. Mid-jump promotion combined with free choice allows creative sacrifice sequences: you can choose a shorter capture that promotes to a king mid-jump rather than a longer but purely pedestrian sequence.

### Attribution

Traditional variant. Public domain. Governed by the American Pool Checkers Association (est. 1966). Source: Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA).