Play Brazilian Draughts Online
International rules squeezed onto an 8x8 board - the perfect bridge gameEnjoy a free, no-signup game of Brazilian Draughts right in your browser. International rules squeezed onto an 8x8 board - the perfect bridge game Face a computer opponent tuned to three strengths - Easy, Medium and Hard - or invite a friend to a live game on a shared board. Nothing to install, nothing to pay: just open the board and start moving.
Brazilian belongs to the Latin branch of the draughts family and is played on a 8×8 board with 12 per side. Adopts the full FMJD international ruleset on the familiar 64-square board. Below the board you will find the full rules, a step-by-step how-to, strategy tips and answers to the questions players ask most.
About Brazilian Draughts
Brazilian Draughts is the ingenious compromise that runs the complete International ruleset on the standard eight by eight board. Each side lines up twelve men on the dark squares, exactly as in American Checkers, but everything about how they fight is borrowed from the ten by ten game. Men advance forward yet capture in both directions, kings fly along open diagonals, and the mandatory maximum-capture rule forces you to take the line that removes the most pieces. This blend makes Brazilian Draughts a favorite bridge for players moving from simple checkers toward the international game. The small board keeps positions sharp and easy to read, while the flying kings and majority rule introduce the deep combinational themes of world-championship draughts. It is enormously popular in Brazil and increasingly online, where its quick tactical games suit fast time controls.
Brazilian Draughts at a glance
| Goal | Capture or trap all of your opponent's pieces under international rules. |
|---|---|
| Board | 8×8 |
| Pieces | 12 per side |
| Kings | Flying (long-range) |
| Capturing | Forced; men both ways; maximum |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Family | Latin checkers |
| Good to know | Adopts the full FMJD international ruleset on the familiar 64-square board. |
How to play Brazilian Draughts
Set up the board
Place twelve men on the dark squares of your three back rows, just like American Checkers. The layout is familiar, but from here on every rule follows the international tradition rather than the English one.
Moving your men
Men slide one square diagonally forward onto an empty dark square. Forward movement is the only walking direction, though a man's ability to capture backward means it still guards the squares behind it.
Capturing pieces
Jump an enemy piece in any diagonal direction and land beyond it. Capturing is compulsory, and when several lines exist you must play the one that seizes the maximum number of pieces on the board.
Crowning kings
A man promotes to a flying king only if it finishes its move on the far back row. Passing over the back row during a longer jump does not crown it, so timing your promotion is part of the skill.
Winning the game
You win when your opponent has no remaining piece or no legal move. Flying kings and the maximum rule mean that a single well-calculated combination can decide the entire game on this compact board.
The story of Brazilian Draughts
Brazilian Draughts arose as Brazil embraced the international game but retained affection for the compact eight by eight board long familiar from Portuguese and other draughts traditions. The solution was to run the full international ruleset on the smaller field, producing a fast and tactical hybrid.
Through the twentieth century the variant became a national pastime and a competitive discipline in its own right, with clubs, tournaments and a growing body of local theory. Its accessibility helped it spread beyond Brazil to other Portuguese-speaking communities.
In the internet era Brazilian Draughts found a huge new audience on online servers, where it is often offered alongside Russian and International rules. Its blend of familiar board and international depth keeps it one of the most popular 64-square variants played today.
Brazilian strategy: how to win more games
- Treat the small board as a pressure cooker; short forcing sequences appear constantly.
- Fight for the main diagonal so your future flying king rules the longest line.
- Use backward captures to hold squares your men cannot occupy.
- Support advancing men so any enemy jump into your camp rebounds as a larger recapture.
- Promote onto an open diagonal where a flying king immediately dominates.
- Simplify into king endings when ahead, since the maximum rule often lets a king herd enemy men.
Advanced Brazilian tactics
- Set up majority-rule traps where your opponent is compelled to make the very capture that loses.
- Calculate flying-king combinations that thread across the board to a decisive shot.
- Learn the classic three-versus-two king ending that transfers directly from international theory.
- Time waiting moves so your opponent must break a solid formation into a losing capture.
- Exploit the compact board to engineer double-threat positions no single move can parry.
- Recognize breakthrough sacrifices that hand over a man to force a promoting recapture.
- Study international opening ideas and adapt their central logic to the smaller field.
Common mistakes to avoid in Brazilian
- Playing it like American Checkers - which misses that men capture backward too, so instead check both directions for every man before you assume a piece is safe.
- Skipping the maximum-capture obligation - which is illegal and can cost the game, so instead line up all capture options and take the longest one every time.
- Letting a flying king roam an open diagonal on the small 8x8 board - which turns one king into a board-wide threat, so instead block long lines before promoting the enemy.
- Mishandling your own flying king by trading it off cheaply - which throws away your best endgame weapon, so instead use its range to fork men from a safe distance.
Brazilian variations and related rule sets
Brazilian Draughts FAQ
How is Brazilian Draughts different from American Checkers?
The board and starting position are identical, but Brazilian uses international rules: men capture backward, kings fly, and you must always take the maximum capture. It is a much sharper game.
What rules does it share with International Draughts?
Nearly all of them. Backward captures for men, flying kings and the mandatory maximum-capture rule all come straight from the ten by ten international game.
Why is it a good bridge variant?
It teaches the flying king and the majority rule on a familiar 64-square board, so players can learn international ideas without also adapting to the bigger ten by ten field at the same time.
Do men have to take the biggest capture?
Yes. When multiple capturing lines are available you must choose the one that removes the greatest number of pieces, exactly as in international play.
How do kings move in Brazilian Draughts?
Kings fly, sliding any number of empty squares along a diagonal and landing on any free square beyond a captured piece. This long range makes them dominant on the small board.
When is a man promoted?
Only when it ends its move on the last row. If a jumping man crosses the back row and continues capturing, it remains a man and does not receive a crown.
How many pieces start the game?
Twelve per side, placed on the dark squares of the first three rows, matching the standard eight by eight setup.
Is Brazilian Draughts popular?
Yes, it is widely played in Brazil and features in online draughts servers, where its fast, tactical games make it a favorite for blitz play.
Can men capture kings?
Yes. Unlike Italian rules, Brazilian Draughts lets men jump kings freely, as long as the jump follows the maximum-capture requirement.
Are combinations common?
Very. The mix of backward captures, flying kings and the maximum rule produces frequent forcing shots even in the opening and middlegame.
How long is a typical game?
Shorter than international draughts because the board is smaller, but still rich enough to reach instructive king endings. Blitz games can finish in a couple of minutes.
Is the maximum rule the same as International Draughts?
The counting is the same, but note that Brazilian, like the international game, breaks ties by allowing either line and does not add the Italian king-count priorities.
Keep learning
- International rules explained
- How kings work
- Full rules for every checkers variant
- The complete checkers and draughts glossary
Last updated .