Checkers Strategy Basics
Fight for the center
Just as in chess, the middle of the board is where your pieces have the most options. Pieces pushed toward the center control more squares and can swing to either side, while pieces stuck on the edges have fewer moves and are easier to trap. Steer your men toward the central squares in the opening rather than crowding the rim.
Hold your back row early
The row of pieces nearest you is your back row, and it does double duty: it guards the squares an enemy needs to reach to be crowned. Keeping your back row intact in the early game makes it hard for your opponent to promote a man into a king. Do not give up those guarding pieces without a good reason; an open back row is an invitation to a new enemy king.
Trade when you are ahead
If you have captured more pieces than your opponent, every even trade helps you, because the fewer pieces remain, the larger your extra piece looms. When you are ahead in material, look for chances to swap pieces one for one. When you are behind, do the opposite and keep pieces on the board to preserve your chances.
Tempo, the move, and free jumps
Because captures are mandatory, you can sometimes force your opponent into a jump that helps you, a bit like the opposition in a king endgame, where being forced to move is a disadvantage. Set traps where any jump they make lets you recapture more than you lose. The flip side: never leave a man sitting where the opponent gets a free jump, especially a chain that sweeps up several of your pieces at once.
Make kings, and respect the flying king
Crowning a man is one of the surest ways to take over a game, so push toward promotion while blocking your opponent from doing the same. In the 8×8 game a king is a strong two-way fighter. In the 10×10 game a single flying king can dominate the whole board from a safe distance, so racing to the first flying king is often the entire plan.