How many checkers are there

The king is much more valuable than a regular checker. Don't trade pieces if it will make it easier for your opponent to king a piece. Trade one for two. Give up one of your pieces if it means you can capture two of your opponent's pieces in return.

Focus on the kings. You should focus on crowning as many of your pieces as possible, as well as on keeping your opponent from crowning his pieces. This should be a priority as you advance in the game. However, don't crown your pieces if it means losing several checkers on the way. Be strategic about knowing when to crown your piece. Block your opponent. Try to keep his active pieces blocked if you can, so he will be forced to play with pieces such as those in the back row.

If all your opponent's pieces are blocked and cannot move, then he will lose. Keep practicing. Though there's no foolproof way to win at checkers every single time. The more you play, the more you'll understand how to strategize. If you want to be a checkers expert, you should try to play as much as you can to improve your game. This will challenge you and will force you to pick up your game. Watch an expert. Watch an expert checkers player, either in person or on television.

You'll pick up a lot of pointers just by watching an expert maneuver their pieces around the board. Pay attention to what the expert does in certain situations. Some checkers experts have written about their strategies and reading about them may help you to improve your game. Sample Checkers Strategies. Not Helpful 19 Helpful The same way you capture any other checker. It's just more tricky since the king has more flexibility to move around, and you have to be careful so it doesn't capture you first.

Think carefully about your moves. Not Helpful 22 Helpful Traditionally, no. The kings can still move only 1 space, but the difference between kings and regular checkers is that kings can move in any direction.

Not Helpful 16 Helpful Jumping your own chips is an illegal move. Always jump the opposite color chip, never the same color. Not Helpful 34 Helpful Yes, although it is very tricky. Do make sure your own pieces are not captured first. Not Helpful 14 Helpful You do not have to move the checkers on the back line, and this may be used as a defensive tactic to prevent your opponent from getting "kinged.

Not Helpful 24 Helpful Only the king can be moved backwards, but a piece can be moved as many times as you need. When it reaches the other side of the board, can only be moved sideways, besides the king. Not Helpful 27 Helpful Not Helpful 25 Helpful Does a king have to jump an opponent's piece if it has the opportunity to do so, even if it makes the king vulnerable?

Not Helpful 29 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

Keep your back row until most of your opponents checkers are lined up in front of them. Then you can jump a lot of pieces! Helpful 8 Not Helpful 0. When your pieces are on an edge of the board, they can't be jumped.

Use this to your advantage. Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Related wikiHows How to. How to. More References 4. About This Article. Tested by:. Co-authors: Fortunately, learning how to play checkers doesn't require an understanding of AI, just a sharp mind and a willingness to learn.

While rules vary from country to country, these rules apply to American Checkers, a game that is played at every level by both children and adults. Checkers is played by two players. Each player begins the game with 12 colored discs. Typically, one set of pieces is black and the other red. Each player places his or her pieces on the 12 dark squares closest to him or her.

Black moves first. Players then alternate moves. The board consists of 64 squares, alternating between 32 dark and 32 light squares. It is positioned so that each player has a light square on the right side corner closest to him or her. A player wins the game when the opponent cannot make a move. In most cases, this is because all of the opponent's pieces have been captured, but it could also be because all of his pieces are blocked in.

Moves are allowed only on the dark squares, so pieces always move diagonally. Single pieces are always limited to forward moves toward the opponent. A piece making a non-capturing move not involving a jump may move only one square. A piece making a capturing move a jump leaps over one of the opponent's pieces, landing in a straight diagonal line on the other side. Only one piece may be captured in a single jump; however, multiple jumps are allowed during a single turn.

When a piece is captured, it is removed from the board. If a player is able to make a capture, there is no option; the jump must be made. If more than one capture is available, the player is free to choose whichever he or she prefers. When a piece reaches the furthest row from the player who controls that piece, it is crowned and becomes a king.

One of the pieces which had been captured is placed on top of the king so that it is twice as high as a single piece. Official tournament checker boards are 16 inches wide with alternating green and buff squares. Each player starts out with 12 playing pieces.

Each player starts with their pieces laid out on the 12 dark squares nearest him or her. Official tournament checker pieces are one and one quarter to one and a half inches in diameter.

Before the first move is made, either player can adjust the position of any piece on the board. The player who adjusts a piece without intimation can be warned for the first offence, but will forfeit the game on the second offence.

If the player whose move it is touches a piece that can be played, the player must move that piece or forfeit the game. If any part of a playable piece is moved over the angle of its square, the piece must be played in that direction. Pask , p. In the case where there are different jump sequences available, the player may chose which sequence to make, whether it results in the most pieces being taken or not. Hopper , p.

Pike says it has been abolished. The idea of the huff was that if a player refused to make an available jump, the opposing player could remove the piece that should have jumped.

In modern checkers, all jumps must be taken. Reinfeld does not mention forced jumps in his rules, however, elsewhere in the book, p.