Are you ready to defeat friends and family in checkers? Learn the basic rules of this game and you will have a great advantage over your opponents on an amateur level. If you are able to play at a higher level then know that there are specific strategies that can increase your chances of winning. You can also consider joining a tournament or "studying" with an expert to improve your game.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Increase the Odds of Victory
Step 1. Make an effort to promote the highest number of checkers to checkers
In this game, whoever has a greater number of ladies also has a greater advantage. Try to promote as many pieces as you can to be more likely to win the game.
- To put this advice into practice, try to bring your piece to an area where there are few opposing pieces or they are laid out very wide. If you can protect this pawn by sacrificing others, then you have a much better chance of making it a lady.
- You can read the strategies section to learn how to "avoid the opponent" and overcome an enemy checker.
Step 2. The last row must remain intact until you are forced to move the pieces that compose it
It will be impossible for your opponent to have ladies if your back row is fully occupied. This strategy allows you to avoid the other player having too much advantage at the start of the game. Also, as soon as you start moving the pieces in the back row, you will have more movement possibilities.
Remember that you cannot keep the last row intact forever. When you have few pieces or you see the opportunity for a favorable trade, you should not hesitate to move these pieces as well
Step 3. Advance the pieces in tight groups or in pairs
In this second case we speak of "tandem" movement, because the pieces are next to each other on the diagonal. If you keep the pieces close together, the opponent will have a much harder time catching them.
- "Follow" one piece just moved by another, so there will be less room for opposing captures. If you can put two pieces "in tow" then you are even safer, as you can block grips from two directions.
- Read the section dedicated to strategies to learn how to create a "trap with two pieces".
Step 4. When you are ahead, sacrifice pieces
It goes without saying that losing a piece to "eat" two opponents is always advantageous, but sometimes even an even exchange has its benefits, if you have more pieces than the other player.
For example, if you have five checkers and your opponent only four, then the situation on the board is almost equal. But when you sacrifice three of your pieces to capture as many as your enemy, then you will end up with twice as many pieces as the other player (two against one!)
Step 5. Take control of the board center
If you have some pieces in this area of the "playing field" then you will have more options available and faster movement to reach the part of the board you are interested in. Also, if you occupy the center, you prevent the opponent from doing the same and deprive him of an advantage.
It takes some practice to figure out how many pieces you need to use to occupy the center zone in a given game. As a general rule, you should try to occupy enough positions so that the opponent cannot approach safely from any side, except on the extreme side edges. When you have achieved this, do not increase the number of tokens in this section, otherwise you "clog" the board and reduce your range of movement
Part 2 of 3: Strategies for Capturing the Pawns
Step 1. Sacrifice pieces for advantages
The rule of "compulsory catch" requires the player to "eat" an opponent's piece if the opportunity arises. Consider what the layout of the board will look like, if you have decided to force your opponent to eat one of your pieces, because you may find that the piece is worth sacrificing.
- If you are trying to promote a checker to checkers, but your opponent is chasing it, then you can sacrifice a less important piece to divert the other player's attention from your "future checkers".
- If you have pieces arranged diagonally and you bring one forward to force your opponent to grab, the enemy piece could end up next to yours in a row. In this case, be careful not to expose yourself to multiple outlets.
Step 2. Try the "two piece trap" strategy
In this case you have to wait for the pieces to arrange themselves according to a particular pattern on the board. Your piece number 1 should be in the leftmost or rightmost column, near the edge of the playing field. Your second piece, on the other hand, should be one row ahead of number 1 and laid diagonally. Along the same diagonal there should be an empty space and then an enemy piece (piece A) followed by another opponent piece (piece B), one row back.
- Move your piece number 2 towards the opponent, so as to expose him to capture.
- The mandatory catch rule requires the opponent to jump and eat piece 2, but cannot do the same with piece 1, since it is on the edge of the board.
- Once your opponent has captured piece number 2, you can use number 1 to skip piece A.
- The scenario just described shows an unexciting au pair exchange. However, after setting up the trap, you can wait for the opportunity for a double capture to arise.
Step 3. Try to "avoid the opponent"
In this case you have to divide your pieces into two groups, one on the right (A) and one on the left (B). You can use these terms to determine which pieces to move during the various phases of the game.
- Move the pieces of group A only at the beginning of the game, relying on those of the other group only when it is not useful to move the first ones.
- As you start capturing and losing tokens, make sure you "sacrifice" more those in Group A whenever possible.
- After a few tricks, your opponent will be focused only on one part of the board, that of group A, so you can take the opportunity to bring forward the B pieces and occupy solid positions and then promote the pieces, once the opponent has exhausted. its defenses.
Part 3 of 3: Preparing for a Tournament
Step 1. Decide which regulation to follow
In some tournaments the basic rules of international checkers are valid, in others there is the rule of three moves, which limits the possibilities of movement of the players in the opening phase, forcing them to a series of three moves in sequence (all this in order to limit the possibility of a draw game between two experienced players).
Step 2. Study a strategy manual that is suitable for the rules you intend to respect and your level of play
The most up-to-date texts contain quite modern strategic suggestions, but for a novice they are not very important. Browse some text in the library or bookstore to find a useful and fun guide to read.
Step 3. Practice and memorize specific opening sequences
If you need to stick to the three-move rule, find a manual that explains specific openings. If you have to play in an international checkers tournament, choose the opening you prefer and practice playing, so that you can face any opponent reaction.
You will find that it is also useful to memorize the provisions on the board in the middle of the game or at the end of the game; however, there is little chance of encountering a specific situation during a tournament, whereas standard opening arrangements are indeed more likely
Step 4. Play against the strongest opponent you can find
If you compare yourself with experienced players who are willing to share their knowledge with you, then you will have a better chance of improving. This could mean signing up for a tournament or finding an expert in your area; the stronger your opponent, the more you will learn.
Advice
Study the opponent. Often a "mistake" on the part of an experienced player is actually a trap. Evaluate the situation well before capturing an available piece
Warnings
- Do not advance a single piece by itself, if you have other supporting ones. At the start of the game, when you still have a lot of pieces, you should use them to protect each other.
- Don't play in a hurry. When the possibility of capturing opposing pieces arises, an inexperienced player is tempted to take advantage of the advantage immediately, but this often means falling into a trap, especially with a "seasoned" opponent.
- Don't set the game too defensive. The rule of the obligation to take, in the end, requires you to abandon a defensive attitude. Attempting to promote your checkers to checkers is much more effective than trying to prevent your opponent from doing the same at your expense.
