Tips checkers

For the rules of checkers/draughts, see GameHelpCheckers

General

• Be aggressive, you are more likely to win. Playing to the board sides are safer though without reward.
• Forward- always forward, it's alright to lose pieces as long as you take the opponent's, save your kings.
• Balance your position, good practice is to have as many pieces on your right half of the board as on the left half. If you see a big imbalance in your opponents position you can try to empty the emptier half even more and advance to a king.
• Safety in numbers, don't leave your pieces alone, move them one after another to protect them. Having lots of holes between your pieces opens you up combinations.
• Protect your rear, such that the opponent cannot do a combination to your last row, protect your forward pieces.
• Sacrifice when needed. Draw out your opponent so you can get 2-1 trades the following turn, don't expose your kings without reward.
• Each king you get is a huge bonus, try to get as many as possible and don't waste them, sacrificing several (generally up to 2) pieces for a king can be alright.
• Don't forget to block your opponent when possible, you make not only that piece vulnerable but fail to protect it with a counter and give your opponent the chance to take multiple of your pieces in one turn.

International draughts

• Keep your pieces together, don't make big holes. See if there are any combinations possible.
• Keep your back line in place, unless absolutely necessary. That way they cannot make kings.
• Pieces in the centre can move multiple directions, while pieces at the border are safer for combinations they are more limited in their movements.