Checkers Strategy: 8 Tips to Win More Games

These tips assume you know the rules. Square numbers follow the standard 1–32 numbering with Dark starting on 1–12. You can show the numbers on the kawu board in settings.

1. Keep your back row as long as you can

Your opponent can't crown a man while your back row is guarded. For Dark, the classic setup keeps men on 1 and 3 (the "bridge"); for Light, on 30 and 32. Together they cover every crowning square. Don't move these pieces early unless you have to.

2. Take the centre

The squares 14, 15, 18 and 19 are the middle of the board. Pieces there restrict the opponent's moves and can support each other. The most popular first move, 11-15, heads straight for them.

Pieces on the side squares (5, 13, 21 on the left edge; 12, 20, 28 on the right) are safe from capture but do less.

3. Move in groups

A man with a friend directly behind it can't be jumped from the front, because the landing square is occupied. Advance pieces in pairs or small triangles. A lone piece far in front of the others is a target.

4. Watch for "shots"

A shot is a sacrifice that forces your opponent to capture and opens a bigger capture for you, often a two-for-one. Because captures are mandatory, your opponent can't refuse. Before every move, ask yourself two questions:

• After my move, can my opponent give up one piece to make me jump into a multi-jump for them?
• Can I do that to them?

Try the game's Hint button in tricky positions. The computer looks several moves ahead, including every forced capture.

5. Trade when you're ahead, avoid trades when you're behind

When you are a piece up, exchanging one for one makes your advantage bigger in proportion: 8 against 7 is close, 3 against 2 is usually a win. When you are behind, keep pieces on the board and look for complications.

6. Count tempo in the endgame

In the endgame it matters who has to move, because a blocked position can force a player to give a piece away. Count how many free moves each side has left. Saving a spare move, or "tempo", far from the action can win a position that looks equal.

7. Use your kings actively

A new king belongs in the middle of the board, not on the edge. From the centre it attacks men from behind, where they can't capture back, and it can come home to defend.

8. Know the basic king endings

• One king against one king is a draw.
• Two kings against one is a win. The lone king hides in a double corner (squares 1–5 or 28–32), where it can shuttle between two squares. Bring both kings close, take the opposition, and force it out.
• Three kings against two is usually a win too, by forcing an exchange into two against one.

Practise against the computer

• Easy looks only two moves ahead and sometimes picks a weaker move. It is good for learning shots.
• Normal looks six moves ahead and rarely leaves a piece hanging.
• Hard searches as deep as it can in about a second, usually more than ten moves. It is a serious opponent.

Undo is allowed against the computer. Use it to replay a position where you lost a piece and find the better move.

Last updated 2026-10-17