1. Checkers Fundamentals

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To play checkers badly is quite easy; and that is the way most people do play it.

Even if you don't play a perfect game of checkers, you can still enjoy the game. But checkers as the experts play it, with all its richness of ideas and exquisite economy of force, is much more fun. It is always more gratifying to play expertly and to win, than it is to flounder. That is why this book has been written. Its purpose is to enable you to play like an expert so that you will derive greater enjoyment and keener appreciation of the beauty of the game.

Checkers is played by two opponents. The checkers are placed on a board which has 64 squares, colored alternately light and dark. Only the dark squares are used.

Each player starts with 12 men. One set of men is known as Black, the other as White. (In practice, the two most common color combinations are black for the dark color and red for the light—or, sometimes, red for the dark and white for the light color.)

Whatever the actual colors used, Black is the official name for the dark color and White for the light color.

Note that when you set up the men at the beginning of a game, a dark single-corner square is at each player's left.

In order to describe and record moves, it is customary to number the 32 squares on the checkerboard which are in use during a game. Diagram 1 shows how these squares are num­bered.

To record a move, you give the number of the square on which a man stands, followed by a dash and the number of the square to which it moves. For example, 11—15 means, "the man on 11 moves to 15."

In this connection, here is a word of advice which will help you become a proficient student of checkers and will also increase your playing skill enormously while at the same time giving you a finer imaginative grasp of the game. When you buy a checkerboard, get one

Diagram 1 (the numbered board)
Black

8 WHITE

with numbered squares. These are available in many stores and cost no more than the ordinary, unnumbered boards.

Constant use of the numbered checkerboard will make the numbering system second nature to you, so that you will be able to read off the moves effortlessly and concentrate fully on the material you are studying.

If you find it impossible to obtain a numbered checkerboard, you can number the squares on an ordinary checkerboard to achieve the same effect.

Here are some points about the checker notation that you will find useful. The actual moves played are arranged in two vertical columns, with Black's moves in the left column and White's moves in the right column.

When you are studying the play following a diagramed position, it is a good idea to first go through the main play in the columns (described as the text play or the text con­tinuation ). This will give you a good over-all picture of the sequence of moves and their main objective. Then, when you have studied this part, you can turn to the notes to the play and consider the alternative moves that have been discussed in the course of the play.

When these alternative lines are given, the sequence of moves is in sentence or paragraph form. In such cases, in order to make it easier for the inexperienced reader to follow the play, all Black moves are preceded by three dots.

You will also need to be familiar with the following symbols:

!    Good move
!!   Very fine move
?    Weak move
??   Very weak move
(K) Becomes a King

Diagram 2 shows how the checkerboard looks when the men are set up ready for starting play.

Diagram 2 (the opening position)
BLACK

WHITE

Note that the Black men are set out on squares 1 to 12. The White men occupy squares 21 to 32.

All these men move in a diagonally forward direction. Black men move toward the White side ("down the page"), while White men move toward the Black side ("up the page").

Each man can move forward one square to the right or left (to another dark square), provided that the square is un­occupied.

Black always makes the first move. Which moves are available to him at the very start? Obviously, at the very beginning, only four of his men can move. These are the men on 9, 10, 11, and 12. The moves available to Black, then, are . . . 9—13 or ... 9—14; or ... 10—14 or ... 10—15; or ... 11—15 or 11—16; or... 12—16.

Once Black has made his first move, White makes his first move. And so the game goes on, each man moving in turn. To make his first move, White has a choice of moving any of the men on 21, 22, 23, or 24.

You win a game of checkers by capturing all your opponent's men or putting them in a position where they are all blocked and cannot make any move.

Diagram 3 (Black to play)

BLACK

WHITE

A basic rule of the game is: In checkers, CAPTURES ARE COMPULSORY. Of course, if more than one capture is pos­sible, you have the option of making the capture which you deem most advantageous.

Now, let us see how capturing is achieved. Diagram 3 illus­trates this point. Black has played . . . 11—15 and White has played 22—18 in reply. (This is known as the "Single Corner" Opening.)

It is Black's turn to play. His man on 15 captures the White man on 18 by leaping over it and coming to rest on 22. The captured man on 18 is removed from the board.

White now captures the Black man on 22. White can do this by either 25—18 or 26—17. Each side has captured a man and thus material is even.
Clearly, in order for a capture to be possible, the square immediately behind the man to be captured must be empty.

Sometimes there are positions in which a whole sequence of captures is possible in a single move. This comes about because a number of vulnerable men have empty squares immediately in back of them. See Diagram 4 for examples of this.

If it is White's move, his man on 32 can capture all three Black men on 27, 18, and 9. Thus White plays 32—23—14—5 all in one move. (We would write this simply 32—5.)

On the other hand, if it is Black's move, his man on 3 can capture the White men on 7, 15, and 24. This move (. . . 3— 10—19—28) would simply be written as ... 3—28.

When one of your men reaches the last row, it becomes a King. Thus, when a White man reaches any of the squares 1, 2, 3, or 4, it becomes a King; and when a Black man arrives at any of the squares 29, 30, 31, or 32, it likewise becomes a King.

Diagram 4

BLACK

WHITE

To show that you have a King, another man of the same color is placed on top of the newly "crowned" man.

Kings are extremely powerful because (although they can move only one square at a time) they can move forward or backward. They can also capture forward or backward and can make multiple captures in a single move if the opponent's men are set out in a vulnerable formation. In making such multiple captures they can move backward and forward all in one move. This is shown in Diagram 5.

Diagram 5

BLACK

WHITE

If it is Black's move, his King on 17 can capture the White men on 14 and 15 and the White King on 24 all in one move. Black plays . . . 17—10—19—28 (written . . . 17—28) in a single move. This wins at once, as it removes all the remaining White men.

On the other hand, if it is White's turn to play, his King on 24 can capture the Black men on 27 and 26 and the Black King on 17. This move would be 24—31—22—13 (written 24—13), and it would win the game at once as all the Black men would disappear from the board.

Capturing in checkers, as you will see, is a duty as well as a privilege. The beginner easily forgets that there are times when capturing is most unwelcome. Thus, you may have to capture

a hostile man only to find that in consequence you lose two— or maybe even three—of your own men in reply.

This suggests two thoughts. One is that when it is your turn to move, you must use some foresight to watch out for traps. Can your opponent answer your intended move with a trap that will offer you a man and enable him to get two in return? (This is the famous "two-for-one shot," described in detail in the next chapter.)

Your second thought on this subject should be that in situa­tions where it is your turn to play, you may be in position to execute the two-for-one shot yourself. That is, you may have an opportunity to offer one of your own men, forcing your opponent to capture, and then proceed to capture two of his men in reply.

Many games, especially those between beginners, are decided in this way.

Diagram 6 (what result?)

BLACK

WHITE

Occasionally games end in a draw; no decisive result is achieved. (The percentage of draws among well-matched ex­perts is much higher than it is among inexperienced players who are likely to "blow" the game with one catastrophically bad move.) The draw generally becomes apparent toward the end of the game when material is even and greatly simplified and neither side can force a win.

It would be a great mistake, however, for the beginner to assume that all greatly simplified positions where material is even are necessarily drawn. Consider the situation in Diagram 6, for example.

If it is White's turn to play, he moves 15—10! and wins on the spot, as Black must play . . . 2—6 (allowing the winning capture 10—1), or ... 2—7 (allowing the winning capture 10—3). We say that White has the move—he controls Black's last move. (See the discussion beginning on page 46.)

On the other hand, if it is Black's turn to move in Diagram 6, he plays . . . 2—7! and wins at once. For White must either play 15—10 (allowing the winning capture . . . 7—14), or 15—11 (allowing the winning capture . . . 7—16). Here Black has the move.
Similar considerations apply to the endgame of King vs. King, except that the possibilities are more complicated. Diagram 7 gives us a good insight into this endgame. (Here is a basic point for you to remember: be wary of getting a King boxed into the side squares or single-corner squares. The reason for these precautions will immediately become apparent.)

If it is Black's turn to play in Diagram 7, he wins at once with . . . 23—19! His move bottles up the White King. (This is perhaps the most frequent way of winding up a game of checkers.) Now White can play only 20—16 (allowing the winning reply . . . 19—12) or 20—24 (allowing the winning reply. . . 19—28).

Diagram 7 (what result?)

BLACK

WHITE

Now, suppose that in Diagram 7 it is White's move. What should the result be? White will win or draw, depending on whether Black makes the right or wrong reply. If Black makes the right reply, he draws. If he makes the wrong reply, he loses.

Both procedures lead to endgames of fundamental impor­tance.

First, let us see what happens if Black plays correctly.

BLACK                        WHITE
---------                          20-24

Now Black's proper course is to head for the double corner made up of 1 and 5. Once he gets access to this corner, he is safe.  (On the other hand, after . . . 23—26?? White wins by 24—19 or 24—27 as Black never reaches the double corner.)

BLACK           WHITE
23-18!             ---------

Correct. Black heads for the double corner.

--------                        24-19

Now . . . 18—22?? loses for Black, as White replies 19—15! (or 19—23!) heading Black off from the double corner. (In that case, White will win by forcing the Black King into a side square.)

18-14!             19-15

Here too Black can go wrong by now playing . . . 14—17??, which allows White's winning reply 15—18!

....                   14-9!               --------

Now Black is safe—if his next move is the right one.

--------             15-10

The last chance for Black to go wrong: if he now plays . . . 9—13??, White wins with 10—14, bottling up the Black King, which will be captured next move.

      .....                         9-5!                 --------

This establishes the draw, as Black can play . . . 5—1 followed by ... 1—5 followed by endless repetition of these moves.

Now let us return to the position of Diagram 7 and see how Black loses by force if he answers 20—24 incorrectly.

BLACK           WHITE
--------                    20-24
23-26??              --------

This is wrong. White must now win.

BLACK           WHITE
--------                  24-19

Here 24—27 also wins for White. (Play out all the alternative lines to make sure you understand the winning process in all its detail.)

       ................             26-22                ---------

If instead . . . 26—31, White wins at once with 19—23.

--------              19-23

If Black now tries 22—25, 23—26 (23—18 also wins); . . . 25—29 (. . . 25—21 loses to the same reply), 26—22 and Black is trapped in the single corner.

            22–17              3-18!

Just to make sure you understand the winning process, note that 23—26? would be all wrong, as Black could then run away to the double corner with . . . 17—14! or ... 17—13!

       ................             17-13               --------

Or ... 17—21, 18—22 and White wins.

--------             18-14

White wins. Study this ending until you have mastered it thoroughly, for it is one of the basic winning procedures in checkers.

You are now familiar with the rules of checkers and with some of the elementary winning methods. We are ready to study some of the simple checker tactics which are at the heart of winning checker play.

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