Definition & Meaning of "Russian checkers"

What is "Russian checkers"?

Russian Checkers, also known as Shashki, is a two-player board game played on a square 8x8 grid, similar to checkers. Each player starts with 12 pieces, placed on the dark squares of the first three rows closest to them. The goal is to move all of one’s pieces across the board and capture the opponent’s pieces. Players take turns moving their pieces diagonally, and when a piece lands on an opponent’s piece, it is captured and removed from the board. A key difference from regular checkers is that in Russian Checkers, players can move multiple spaces at once, allowing for longer jumps and faster progress. The game ends when one player has no pieces left or can no longer make a legal move.