What are the best moves to make when playing with white checkers. How to start a game of checkers to win quickly? How to win at checkers - central control

The popularity of checkers is quite understandable - basic rules This board game is relatively simple (compared to chess or backgammon, for example). Why are we talking about “basic” rules: there are an incredible variety of types of checkers games - Russian, Brazilian, Spanish, Stavropol, everyone’s favorite from childhood, giveaways, and so on. and so on. Checkers are even divided according to the size of the board - 8 by 8 cells or 10 by 10 (64 and respectively), but they all adhere to the basic canons, more about them below.

Basic rules of the game

Let's start with the option in which playing field is black and white colors. Two opponents play, each of whom owns 12 checkers (white or black) for the duration of the game. The following rules are established in checkers:

  • The opponents place their checkers on black squares in three rows;
  • The opponents take turns moving their checkers forward and occupying free cells. The task is to take as many “enemy” checkers as possible. When one player has no checkers left, he has lost and the game is over. Also, the game ends if the pawns of one of the players are locked in the corner and cannot make any more moves;
  • A checker is captured if there is an enemy checker in front of your checker, and a free black cell behind it. In this case, your checker jumps over someone else’s to a free black square, thereby “eating” the opponent’s checker, which is immediately removed from the board:
  • In one battle, you can “eat” as many checkers as there are on the way (according to the conditions stated above);
  • The penetration of a checker into the last row of the opposite “enemy” side turns it into a “king” - an inverted checker that can move along the black squares to any distance and hit the opponent’s checkers along the entire length of the row;
  • Both “queens” and ordinary checkers can hit the opponent’s checkers both forward and backward.
  • Skipping a fight is not allowed.

A draw is quite possible in this game: friendship will win if neither player has a chance to win. Also, a draw is declared by agreement if the same moves are repeated three times by one player.

Winning at checkers is a completely different matter. Victory depends only on your ability to think strategically and knowledge of basic tactics. Unlike many others board games(for example, backgammon), little depends on luck in Russian checkers.

So, if the question arises of how to win at checkers, it is enough to familiarize yourself with the standard techniques that will significantly increase your chances of becoming the winner of the game.


Secrets of winners: how to learn to play checkers without defeat?

The first thing that is required is “building up” experience. Why during gameplay follows:

  • carefully watch your opponent’s moves, especially if you have a professional player in front of you.
  • be able to analyze your own game: do not disdain to record your moves so that you can review the notes at your leisure and reflect on the correctness of your tactics.
  • Being able to identify and admit mistakes will help prevent them from happening in the future.

In fact, if you are wondering when playing checkers how to win with white or black, there can be only one piece of advice - practice. This is the most effective and effective way consolidation of information. And even if you read dozens of books about checkers, you cannot do without a live game.
How not to lose?

If it is important for you to learn how to win at checkers, you need to think carefully about your moves (especially the first ones, which set the tone for the game). The most common moves at the start of the game are c3 - d4 and c3 - b4. E3 - d4 and g3-f4. However, not all of them can guarantee a good ending. But the move e3-f4 is considered the most “pillar” - after it it is difficult to develop any tactics, the checkers turn out to be clogged and the game comes to a dead end.

In order not to lose as a result, you must also be able to sacrifice: sometimes your opponent, in joy, hits one of your checkers, and thereby exposes several of his own to the battle. In addition, often in a battle of three or more pieces, the checker immediately goes into kings.


  1. Try not to leave the front checkers without reliable cover, always provide it.
  2. During the game, try to move your checkers to the kings, but do your best to prevent your opponent from doing this.
  3. Don't rush, think carefully about your move, even if it seems winning.
  4. Don't go overboard on defense.
  5. Occupy the center of the playing field with your checkers - a checker driven into a corner is much weaker than the “center” one.
  6. Develop your strategy and stick to it throughout the game.


Helpful authors

It’s not bad for the future winner of checkers tournaments to read and analyze the books of famous grandmasters, whose experience you can listen to - Evgeniy Kondrachenko, Eduard Tsoukernik, Viktor Litvinovich, Vasily Naumik and Igor Parchuk.

Decide on positions, practice, and soon you will definitely achieve your goal, reducing the number of lost games to a minimum.

Knowing the simplest traps will help you win quickly already at the very beginning of the game.

In this material we will look at how to correctly start a game of checkers, and what you can hope for in the very the beginning of a checkers game. This information is recommended primarily for novice players, since qualified checkers players, of course, know about this.

It turns out that you can win at checkers after the second move! Of course, you won’t be able to win kings in such a short period of the game and you won’t be able to eat many of your opponent’s checkers. But winning one or two checkers from your opponent is quite possible.

It should be noted that, having an advantage of even one checker already in the very beginning of the game, You can safely count on victory, since any positional compensation for this checker after several initial moves the opponent is unlikely to be able to get it. In this situation, all you have to do is play this game carefully and without unnecessary risk until victory.

Let's move on to examples.

Example 1. The game starts like this: 1.cd4 hg5 2.bc3 and already on the second move Black can make a mistake: 2…de5?

White's move

3.gf4! e:g3 4.h:h6 and White has an extra checker.

Example 2. 1.ef4 dc5 2.fe3 cd4?

White's move

Black expects to win two white checkers at once after 3.c:e5? f:h4 x

However, the player playing White has the opportunity to win Black's checker: 3.e:c5 b:d4 4.c:e5 f:d4 5.fg5! h:f4 6.g:c3 and bring the game to victory.

When playing black, you can also count on similar mistakes from your opponent.

Example 3. 1.cd4 hg5 2.dc5?

black move

This is a mistake, by the way, quite common among novice players and allows Black to win a checker: 2…d:b4 3.a:c5 b:d4 4.e:c5 gf4! 5.g:e5 f:b6.

Example 4. 1.gh4 fe5 2.hg3?

black move

And here Black wins a checker already on the second move: 2…ed4! 3.e:c5 b:d4 4.c:e5 d:h2, practically ensuring that he wins this game in the future.

From the examples considered, novice players should draw a very important conclusion for themselves: in order to win, you need to learn see and play in the game(at least similar to those discussed above).

These skills will also help you avoid your own mistakes and not allow your opponent to win your checkers and carry them out. You will learn how to learn this from various materials site, .

When creating traps, as well as throughout the entire game of checkers, you must remain vigilant and timely unravel your opponent’s counter plans.

Here is another interesting example of a trap in the opening: one of the players creates a trap for the other, but he himself falls into the trap prepared by the opponent.

Example 5. 1.cd4 ba5 2.bc3 cb6 3.gh4 dc5 4.hg3 bc7?

White's move

With his last move, Black prepared a trap: now White can’t play 5.ab2? because of 5…ab4! 6.c:a5 fg5 7.h:f6 x

But it turns out that White is also not averse to winning the game at the very beginning of the game, and their trap has already worked: 5.cb4! a:e5 6.ed4 c:e3 7.d:b8 x

Advice: striving win quickly, don’t let your opponent do the same!

The examples considered are quite simple. There are many such traps at the beginning of a game of Russian checkers, but there are also more complex ones. One example of a complex trap that even a beginner can fall into can be found (in the comments to White's fifth move).

Trap at the beginning of the game - for White

Trap at the beginning of the game - for black

Traps at the beginning of the game are another way to win at checkers, which is often found in practical game, especially among beginners. The topic of traps at the very beginning of a game of checkers will definitely be continued, stay tuned.

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Are you ready to beat your family and friends at checkers? Learn the basics and you'll have a big advantage when playing with other checkers fans. If you're ready to start getting better at checkers, this article will walk you through some strategies that will increase your chances of winning. In addition, we will tell you how to play in tournaments and constantly improve your skill level.

Steps

Part 1

How to increase your chances of winning

    Try to win the queens more checkers than your opponent. In checkers, whoever has more kings has an advantage. Therefore, set a goal for yourself to get as many queens as possible - this will increase your chances of winning.

    • To put this advice into practice, move your checkers to an area of ​​the board where your opponent has fewer checkers or where his checkers are more scattered and vulnerable. If possible, insure the advanced checker with neighboring checkers, even at the cost of their sacrifice, in order to increase the chances of holding the king.
    • In the second part of the article we will tell you how to “redirect” the enemy’s checkers and get into the kings.
  1. Do not move the last row of checkers for as long as possible. Your opponent won't be able to make a king if the last squares are occupied by your checkers, so this strategy will prevent him from gaining an advantage in the early stages of the game. And when you finally start moving the last row of checkers, you will have more options for moves.

    • You won't be able to hold the last row all the time. When you have few checkers left or there is an opportunity for a profitable exchange of checkers, do not be afraid to move the checkers of the last row.
  2. Move checkers in compact groups and pairs. Two checkers “in tandem” stand next to each other diagonally. Keep the checkers close enough to each other that in one move you can make a tandem move, making it more difficult for your opponent to capture your checkers.

    • “Follow” the previously advanced checker before moving it further, covering it. Securing a forward-moved checker with two checkers is even more reliable, since you can protect it from being hit from both sides.
    • In the second part we will tell you how to set “pair traps”.
  3. Exchange checkers when it suits you. Obviously, it is beneficial for you to exchange one of your checkers for two of your opponent’s checkers, but even exchanging one checker for one is beneficial if you have more checkers on the board than your opponent.

    • For example, if you have 5 checkers and your opponent has 4, the forces on the board are almost equal. But when you exchange three more checkers equally, you will have a double advantage over your opponent (2 to 1)!
  4. Control the center of the board. Keep a few checkers close to the center, and at any time you will be able to quickly transfer forces to one of the flanks, which should be focused on. Likewise, try not to allow your opponent's checkers to occupy the center of the field in order to deprive him of his advantage.

Part 2

Game tactics and strategy

    Sacrifice checkers to gain an advantage. According to the "obligatory hit" rule, your opponent must take your checker if he has the opportunity. Calculate the consequences of your moves by imagining what position will be created on the board after taking your checker, and thereby determining whether it is worth putting it under attack.

  1. Use "pair traps". For this type of trap, the checkers on the board must be placed in a certain way. The first checker (1) occupies the extreme right or left cell diagonally, and your second checker (2) is located directly in front of it on the same diagonal. Further along this diagonal there is an empty cell, followed by the opponent’s checker (let’s call it A), followed by another of his checkers B.

    • Move checker 2 towards the opponent’s checkers, exposing it to the blow of checker A.
    • According to the mandatory hit rule, your opponent must use checker A to hit your checker, but he cannot then hit your checker 1, since it is at the edge of the board.
    • After the enemy takes your checker 2, you can take his checker A with your checker 1.
    • According to this standard scenario, a not very interesting exchange of one checker for another occurs. However, you can set such a trap, "waiting" for an opportunity for a double strike.
  2. “Redirect” your opponent’s checkers. To do this, from the very beginning of the game, decide that six of your checkers on one side of the board will be group A, and six on the other will be group B. This will be useful to you in determining which checkers should be played at a particular stage of the game.

    • At the beginning of the game, try to move exclusively with checkers of group A, moving checkers of group B only if there are no good moves for checkers of group A.
    • When entering into an exchange with your opponent, try to exchange checkers from group A, leaving group B untouched.
    • After a few exchanges, your opponent's checkers will most likely be concentrated on the half of the board where Group A checkers were. Now start pushing forward Group B checkers: this will put you in a good position to break through the weakened defenses on that part of the board into kings.

Have you found a partner to play checkers? Is the checkerboard positioned correctly (black corner field on the left)? Have you placed white and black checkers? Do you remember how checkers move?

If so, then you can start. To a person who has just learned play, it doesn’t matter which one checkers start off. And, indeed, you can start with any checker and try all the first seven possible moves. But then every checkers player begins to understand that not all first moves are equal.

Which checker should I start with?

No matter which white checker you move, your move is not wrong. It just depends on the first move Start games of checkers, which, as in chess, is called an opening. The choice of the first moves of an experienced checkers player depends on many factors: on what opponent he is playing with in the actual game; on what kind of beginnings he himself likes to play; from your tournament position, or even from your mood.

But out of seven possible answers for the player playing black, even the first two moves can be losing. For example, * your partner played l.gf4 with white, and you answered 1. …dc5. Next 2. fg3 hg5? And Black immediately lost his checker: 3. ed4 с:сЗ 4. d:h6. If in chess you can lose even the strongest piece, but win by checkmating the king, then in checkers it is enough to be left without a checker to lose the entire game.

Theory and practice checkers game suggest that it is best to develop your left flank, and therefore the most popular first move for White is l.cd4. Why? And look carefully at the column of three checkers on the left flank al, b2, сЗ. How to quickly introduce it into battle, especially the checker from the al field? So they start doing this from the very first move cd4. But this does not mean at all that now you are obliged to start the game only with this move. If you play the same opening over and over again, you will, of course, learn it quite well and you will probably have some good tournament results. But, on the other hand, you impoverish yourself by choosing only one opening out of many. Your opponents will adapt to this start and may prepare an unpleasant surprise for you.

Since after several moves there is great amount the most different options positions, then there are many beginnings.

The most important rule when playing an opening, and in the future, is that there is not a single ill-considered move. Each move must be subordinate to a single goal - the rapid and harmonious development of your checkers according to the chosen game plan.

Strive to capture the center of the checkerboard from the very first moves, since capturing the center creates a positional advantage. After all, the central checkers are more active than the side checkers. For example, white's two central checkers can hold back the opponent's four side checkers when black moves (diagram 12). Black sacrifices checker 1. ...hg5, and both sides move checkers to kings, a draw.

There is also an interesting position in Diagram 13. Here, too, Black has a move and a double advantage, but there are two side checkers. The result is the same - a draw. To achieve it, Black is again forced to sacrifice a checker: 1. ...ba5 2.bc5 ab6 3.c:a7 ab4 4.ab8 bc3 5.cb2 (but not cd2!) and, as a result, it is also a draw.

There should be close interaction between individual checkers, between the center and the flanks.

At first, we do not recommend moving the checkers of the first and eighth ranks unnecessarily. This especially applies to the checker of white el and black d8, which players call “ gold checkers" Why? But because these cells, firstly, are king fields, and secondly, by freeing them, you create more opportunities for your opponent to break into kings compared to the exit of checkers from other king fields.

Do not play with only one flank, but, capturing the center, harmoniously develop the checkers of both flanks.

Here we must stop and make one important note. It is not advisable to start learning the game of checkers with a full set of checkers without mastering the basics of the game.

Therefore, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the section for beginners “Making the best moves”, in which, step by step, you will learn how to choose the optimal continuation from a variety of possible ones. Here we will go from simpler to more complex, explaining selected examples and offering several tasks for independently choosing the best move.

Checkers is a game with a long history. Yes, they changed, which led to the modern look. Perhaps the most popular type of game is Russian checkers. And there are also Chinese, giveaway, hundred-cell ones. Before getting seriously involved in a game like checkers, you should study its rules. They're pretty simple. Even children can understand them. Those who like to think about various combinations of the game of checkers will be especially interested.

Rules of the game

The game board is divided into 64 shaded squares: 32 dark and 32 light. The shape of the checkers should be flat and round. The color of the figures is also dark and light. Regardless of the shade of the checkers, the game is played only on squares painted black. Each player has 12 pieces at his disposal.

The checkers are located on the bottom 3 rows. The division of figures goes into simple and so-called queens. When a checker reaches the enemy's extreme row, it turns into a king. If a simple figure can move diagonally only one cell, then its “senior in rank” “sister” can move as many filled cells as desired, but only diagonally.

As a rule, the one who placed the white checkers starts the game first. Combinations in checkers also imply such a development of events, which many people forget: if a participant in the “battle” touches a piece, then he must move it. It will no longer be possible to exchange it for another.

If next to the white piece there is a black one and after it there is an empty cell diagonally, then the light “rival” is obliged to take the dark checker, even to its detriment. The goal of the game is to clear the field of all enemy “warriors”. It must be remembered that the king's possibilities are limitless, since she can move in any direction and remove pieces from the territory, no matter how many.

Win, lose, draw

Victory is possible in cases where combinations in checkers lead to the following developments:

  • The opponent admitted defeat.
  • One of the players has no moves, which is why he cannot continue the “battle”.
  • One of the participants was left without checkers.
  • If one of the players breaks the rules or does not follow them.

In addition to this development of events, an outcome called a “draw” is possible. This happens if:

  • There is no way for any of the participants to win.
  • When a player invites his opponent to end the game in a draw, and the other agrees to this condition.
  • After 15 moves, the participants in the game moved only queens and did not remove a single opposing piece.
  • The same combination appears on the playing field for 3 turns in a row.

Basic strategies leading to victory

  • It is not enough to build various combinations in checkers; the enemy can easily break them. It is important to try to win the kings much earlier than your opponent. In this case, the chances of winning increase.
  • It is important not to lose your “fighters”, since numerical superiority is always a “plus” to victory.
  • Checkers is a game that forces you to think several moves ahead. The player's task is to unravel his opponent's plan. It is advisable to predict his future movements and upset his plans.
  • The player must calculate his moves in advance. The more accurately everything is thought out, the higher the likelihood of winning.
  • You can build various combinations in Russian checkers if you move your pieces to the center. Then the number of moves increases significantly.
  • Experienced players advise using the “giveaway” tactic. Its essence is not to give in and lose, but to sacrifice some pieces in order to win.

  • The “lyubka” strategy involves the following option: one player’s checker is sandwiched between its two “rivals”. At the same time, she has a chance to remove one of the opponent’s pieces from the field.
  • Blocking an opponent is a well-known tactic. You need to place as many of your checkers as possible near your opponent’s pieces in such a way that he does not have the opportunity to move.

Preparation for the tournament

If you learn various combinations in checkers, this will not be a 100% guarantee of winning the tournament. It is important to learn some points that will be the key to winning.

1. Any tournament is always held according to certain rules. The player's task is to find out which ones.

2. You should constantly train and memorize the so-called openings (certain sequences of moves at the beginning of the game). It will be useful to consider the options for placing pieces in the middle or end of the game.

4. You should study special literature that matches the player’s skills. It is recommended to pay attention to books, articles in magazines, recently published. They describe various options games that took place shortly before the scheduled tournament.

  • Losing is not a reason to be upset. It is important to learn a lesson from this, remember it and not repeat the mistakes.
  • If a player is just starting to play checkers, combinations for beginners are what you need to get practice.
  • You should keep your last row intact for as long as possible. Thanks to this tactic, the opponent will not be able to carry out the king, which means his chances of winning are reduced.
  • The figures should be moved in pairs or groups so that the result is a kind of triangle. In such a case, the opponent will not be able to knock out any of the checkers.

As you can see, it is not for nothing that the presented game arouses enviable interest among many people. Everything is simple here. The main thing is to calculate everything in advance.