Russian Draughts is a browser-based board game that runs instantly, with nothing to install. The core of it is chess & checkers. There is no sign-up, no launcher and no wait — press play and you are in.
About Russian Draughts
Russian checkers/Draughts (Shashki or Russian shashki) is the most popular type of draughts played in Russia, Eastern Europe and Israel. The goal of the game is to capture all the opponent’s pieces or prevent him to make a move. - The King can move diagonally to any free square, backward or forward. - If after capturing an enemy’s piece you still have an allowed a jumps move then you must continue the jump sequence (jump is mandatory). - The jump with a simple piece is done both forward and backward.
How to play Russian Draughts
Getting started takes about ten seconds. Load the game above and it fills the player in portrait. On a phone you can play one-handed; on desktop the frame stays centred so nothing is cropped. If a round goes badly, restart — attempts are cheap and it is usually the fastest way to improve.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse | Navigate menus and interact |
| Arrow keys / WASD | Move |
| Spacebar | Primary action |
On mobile: Tap and swipe directly on the screen. The game is built for portrait, so you can play one-handed without rotating your phone.
Why it is worth playing
What keeps Russian Draughts worth returning to is how quickly a single round resolves. It respects your time — you are never more than a click from another attempt.
At a glance
- Free to play with no account required
- Runs in the browser — nothing to download or install
- Portrait layout, comfortable one-handed on mobile
- Keyboard and mouse on desktop, full touch support on mobile.
- Chess & Checkers gameplay — The oldest strategy games there are
- Added to our catalogue from a 2022 release
Frequently asked questions
Is Russian Draughts free to play?
Yes. Russian Draughts is completely free and runs in your browser. There is no purchase, no subscription and no account needed — open the page and play.
Do I need to download or install anything?
No. Russian Draughts is an HTML5 game that runs inside the page itself. There is nothing to install, no plugin and no launcher — it loads like any other web page.
Can I play Russian Draughts on my phone?
Yes. Tap and swipe directly on the screen. The game is built for portrait, so you can play one-handed without rotating your phone.
What are the controls for Russian Draughts?
Keyboard and mouse on desktop, full touch support on mobile. Mouse — navigate menus and interact; Arrow keys / WASD — move; Spacebar — primary action.
Can I play Russian Draughts fullscreen?
Yes. Use the fullscreen button in the top-right of the game player to expand it to the whole screen, and press Escape to come back out.
What kind of game is Russian Draughts?
Russian Draughts is a board game built around chess & checkers. If that is the sort of thing you enjoy, the related games further down the page are picked using the same tags.
