Alquerque Strategy: 5 Tips

Alquerque is draughts with a denser web of lines, so combinations come thick and fast. New here? Read the rules first.

1. Force with the compulsory capture

Your opponent must jump when they can. Offer a piece where the jump lands them on a point you can jump twice from. Every good player's attack is built on this.

2. Value the diagonal points

Points with eight lines (the centre, the corners, the edge midpoints) see more of the board. Pieces there move and capture in more directions, and they block more of the enemy's lines.

3. Keep the back row solid early

Pieces on your back points can't be jumped from behind. Advance from the middle first and keep the back as a wall until the exchanges begin.

4. Count before you offer

Before giving up a piece, count exactly what you take back along the chain and what your opponent can take afterwards. A two-for-one that leaves you open to a three-for-two is a loss.

5. Simplify when ahead

With an extra piece, trade one for one. Fewer pieces make the advantage decisive, and the forty-move rule means you can't dawdle.

Last updated 2026-10-21