How to Win at Checkers: Strategy for Beginners
To win at checkers, control the centre, keep your back row at home as long as you can so your opponent can't crown, and move pieces in pairs so none can be jumped. Then use the forced-capture rule: offer a piece your opponent must take, so you can jump back two. Crown a king early and trade pieces when you're ahead. Against perfect play nobody can force a win: checkers was solved in 2007 and is a draw.
1. Control the centre
Pieces in the middle of the board have two forward moves and can support each other in both directions. Pieces on the side edges have only one move. Early in the game, aim your men towards the centre squares and try to stop your opponent settling there. A strong centre lets you choose where the fighting happens.
Edges still have a use: a piece on the side of the board can't be jumped, because there's no square beyond it to land on. That makes edge pieces safe stepping stones, just not very active ones.
2. Guard your back row
Your back row is your opponent's crowning row. As long as your pieces sit there, their men can't land on those squares and become kings. Beginners often move their back pieces first because they're the furthest from the action; that's exactly backwards.
You don't need to keep all four forever. Many players keep two back-row pieces until late in the game and develop the rest. When you do start moving them, make sure the opponent's men are still far away.
3. Keep your pieces backed up
A piece can only be jumped if the square diagonally behind it (from the attacker's point of view) is empty. So move in pairs and triangles: a piece with a friend directly behind it is safe from that side. Before every move, check the square you're leaving: does it open a landing square for an enemy jump?
4. Use forced jumps to win two for one
Because captures are compulsory, you can choose your opponent's move for them. Offer one piece in a spot where taking it pulls their piece onto a square you can jump, ideally as a double jump. Checkers players call this a shot, and it's how most games between beginners are won and lost.
The flip side: before you move, ask what jump am I forcing on myself next turn? Your opponent can set the same traps. If a move lets them offer you a piece that leads your man somewhere bad, choose another move.
5. Crown a king, then use it
A king moves both ways, so it can attack men from behind, where they can't fight back, and retreat when it's in danger. Look for a clear path to the far row once the board starts to open up, and when you get a king, bring it back into play straight away rather than leaving it in the corner.
6. Trade when you're ahead
If you're a piece up, swap pieces one for one. Being 4 against 3 is a much bigger edge than 12 against 11, and with fewer pieces on the board it's harder for your opponent to set up shots. If you're behind, do the opposite: keep pieces on the board and look for tactics.
7. Know the double corner in the endgame
Each player has a double corner on their right: two playing squares side by side next to the corner. A lone king hiding there can shuttle between the two squares, which makes it awkward to trap. If you're the one behind, head for a double corner; if you're ahead, try to keep the enemy king out of it and drive it towards a single corner (the lone dark square in each player's left-hand corner) or the edges.
Is checkers solved?
Yes. In 2007 a team at the University of Alberta led by Jonathan Schaeffer published a proof in the journal Science that checkers is a draw with perfect play by both sides. Their program, Chinook, can't be beaten: the best you can do against it is draw. The team started the project in 1989 and ran computations on dozens of computers for years; the game has around 500 billion billion (5 × 10²⁰) possible positions, though the proof only needed to search a small fraction of them.
Chinook already had history: in 1994 it became the first computer program to win a human world championship title in any game, after its match with Marion Tinsley, widely considered the greatest checkers player ever, ended when Tinsley withdrew because of illness.
What it means for you: there's no secret sequence that always wins. People make mistakes, though, and the ideas above are how you make fewer of them than your opponent.
Common beginner mistakes
- Emptying the back row early, which lets the other side crown easily.
- Leaving lone pieces with empty squares behind them.
- Forgetting that jumps are forced, and walking into a two-for-one shot.
- Rushing one man forward on its own. It usually gets surrounded and jumped.
- Trading when behind, which only makes the gap count for more.
Practise these ideas against Hop on GameLake. Easy slips up often, Medium less, and Hard looks many moves ahead and doesn't slip. Stuck? Teach me highlights a good move and tells you why, whether it's a safe jump, a trade or a reason to keep your back row. New to the game? Start with how to play checkers.
Frequently asked questions
Is checkers a solved game?
Yes. Jonathan Schaeffer's team at the University of Alberta proved in 2007 that checkers is a draw if both players play perfectly. Their program Chinook can't lose.
Who solved checkers?
A University of Alberta team led by Jonathan Schaeffer, using the program Chinook. The result was published in Science in 2007.
Is there a trick to always win at checkers?
No. With perfect play checkers is a draw, so no strategy wins every time. Controlling the centre, keeping your back row and setting up two-for-one shots wins most games against people.
Is it better to go first or second in checkers?
With perfect play it doesn't matter, because the game is a draw. In casual games, preparation and avoiding mistakes matter far more than who moves first.
What is a shot in checkers?
A move that gives away a piece on purpose, forcing your opponent to jump it, so that you can jump back and take more pieces, usually two for one.
Should I move my back row in checkers?
Keep at least some of it as long as you can. Pieces on your back row stop your opponent from crowning kings.