Checkers strategy guide
Capture all of your opponent's pieces, or leave them with no legal move.
The rules in brief
- Play is on the dark squares of an 8×8 board. Black moves first.
- Men move one square diagonally forward. Kings move one square diagonally in any direction.
- Capturing is compulsory: if you can jump an enemy piece, you must. When several jumps are available you may choose which.
- A jump that can continue must be completed as a multi-jump.
- A man reaching the far row is crowned a king, and the move ends there.
- A player who cannot move loses. A draw is declared after threefold repetition or 80 half-moves in a row with no capture and no crowning. Draws do not clear a level.
Strategy
- Forced jumps are weapons
- Because jumps are compulsory, you can offer a piece to pull an enemy man onto a square where you take two back.
- Keep your back row
- Pieces on your own back row stop enemy men from crowning. Move them late.
- Control the centre
- Central men support each other and restrict your opponent's routes.
- Kings need room
- A king is strongest with open diagonals. Crown early when it is safe and bring the king back into play.
- Trade when ahead
- Each even exchange makes a material lead count for more.
What each level teaches
- Mandatory Jump: Identify and complete a compulsory capture.
- First Promotion: Work toward crowning a man.
- Keep the Centre: Coordinate central pieces and their support.
- Capture Order: Choose between legal capture chains.
- Trade with Purpose: Assess exchanges and promotion lanes.
- King Activity: Use a king to control several routes.
- Break the Formation: Find a route through defended squares.
- Precision Endgame: Convert a middlegame with limited thinking time.
- Narrow Escape: Calculate opponent replies before committing.
- Endgame Final: Finish against stronger replies without takebacks.