How to Beat That Malodorous Coffeehouse Gentleman at Checkers – Opening Strategy (Part 1)
Since we have completed analysis of several very simple games, which you should now be very comfortable playing on Sundays after you’ve taken the requisite number of baths (thanks Douglas, see number 2) we will now turn our attention to a more complex and satisfying class of games- one that has no simple mathematical solution and which is consequently more capable of holding one’s attention for much longer and providing a much richer experience than Tic-Tac-Toe or Battleship. In fact, most of the games we will be covering in upcoming weeks have the tendency, in the wrong hands, of becoming full-time obsessions for the unwary. With this in mind, be cautious as you start down the road of mastery for these games.
A side effect of the level of complexity of this class of games is that there is no way to provide full strategy notes in the limited space we are working with here. I will do my best to provide as many resources for deeper engagement with the literature of the games as possible in addition to a brief overview of strategy and the cheesily simple illustrations of tactics you’ve come to tolerate. It will also take several installments to give a proper treatment to each game, as opposed to the concise treatment each game has received up till now.
With these factors in mind, let’s start beating some stinky dudes at checkers.
In modern competitive checkers play, in order to make the game more interesting and in order to avoid simply repeating the opening moves (and very similar games) ad nauseam, opening moves are selected at random from a pre-set number of approved openings, usually dictating the first 3 moves of the game. We will not consider these openings, but rather a traditional approach where each player makes each move starting with the first. If you choose to progress to competitive play, it is highly advised that after you master general tactics and strategy that you begin to memorize perfect play for as many of the approved openings as you are able to.
Checkers Notation
In order to discuss checkers moves without overly descriptive terminology (such as “black moves his farthest right and forward piece up and to the right”) checkers players have adopted a shorthand. The game is played on the black squares of the board:
Here black = gray
And these squares are numbered 1-32 in order to identify them.
As promised.
Moving a piece from say, 17 to 14 is notated as 17-14.
This makes discussing moves immensely easier.
Strongest First Moves
The opening position is as follows:
And red is first to move.
As you can see, there are several possible first moves, and it is important to determine what the point of opening moves is. Opening moves should be designed to control the battlefield. The battlefield of checkers is defined by diagonals. The longest diagonal is known as the D-diagonal and is the true “center” of the board, which defines the area between the two players’ pieces:
The long diagonal- the D-Diagonal.
It is very difficult to control the whole long diagonal against competent play, but if your opponent is terrible, you would ideally control the d-diagonal by occupying it:
Though this requires the cooperation of the other player, or at least their total incompetence.
A more possible line of attack against an opponent capable of abstract thought is along a different diagonal, this one known as the A-Diagonal:
The A-Diagonal, A more reasonable consideration.
Note that this diagonal, for black, is the second-longest diagonal he has access to. Starting on this diagonal for red is a very strong way to begin, as black can neither prevent control of the A-Diagonal nor directly contest it. Black must resort to contesting control of another diagonal. Basically, black is screwed if red plays well and black fails to find the perfect response. This is the main reason that modern competition has resorted to the random-move contrivance for the first 3 moves.
Because of these considerations and in the interest of controlling diagonals, expert players and computer analysis have arrived at a rough ranking of the strength of red’s first moves:
#1- 11-15
This is the consensus best first move from all expert players and computer analysis, and nothing else even comes close. It immediately establishes red’s presence on his second-longest diagonal, prevents black from starting to his A-Diagonal, and doesn’t create any lasting weaknesses in red’s position. If you have the opportunity to play first in checkers, this is the move you should play if you want to win.
#2 – 9-14
This is the second strongest starting move that red has for reasons very similar to those that justify 11-15 as the strongest. It controls red’s third longest diagonal while contesting the D-Diagonal and only creating a minor weakness in red’s left corner position. Distinctly weaker than 11-15, but a fine choice if you get bored with the games that result from 11-15 or your opponent demands that you play something else for once, for Christ’s sake.
#3 11-16
Again, the logic behind the previous two moves makes this an obvious choice for third strongest move. It asserts control over the next-longest diagonal while contesting black’s next-longest diagonal and creating no lasting weaknesses in position. It is also the last of the moves we will consider in this brief treatment of checkers, since the other opening moves are dramatically worse than these first three and merit less consideration unless you want to devote some extensive time and effort to the study of checkers opening strategy, which I have no desire to cover at book-length in this space and I doubt many of you have the desire to read at book-length in any space whatsoever.
For those of you looking for such resources, however, there are many resources available for you:
Lee’s Guide Analysis Online (The seminal book on open-move checkers)
An interview with a recent World Champion
USA Checkers Federation Opening Excerpt
Next week we will consider black’s possible responses to these three moves and the consequences of each. Eventually, we will cover middlegame and endgame strategy and tactics that result from these positions and how to play them. I promised a brief overview of the game, and I assure you that though this series will cover several installments, it is considerably less weighty of a treatment than the game commands from nearly anyone else.
I hope you enjoyed this introduction to checkers and look forward to covering the game in greater depth over the next few weeks. Thanks for reading!