How to Play Checkers to Win

It's winning at checkers that keeps us playing with zest and clamoring to learn more. It is the fact that checkers is a simple game to win that makes defeat hard to swallow and thus goads us to learn more about how to play checkers to win.

Winning in the game is about aggression, control, and conquest. It's about having not only a competitive spirit but a dogged resolve to wipe out the enemy. There's no other concern except how to finish off every enemy piece on the board. We have to be mean and merciless as we aim to cruelly demolish the enemy stronghold. As long as we capture to conquer and not just reduce enemy pieces, we're ahead in this. We're playing to win.

It's different when we're merely playing to learn. We move pieces here and there and see what happens, capture a little and try some fancy strategies�we merely want to test some rules and procedures we read about from a checkers literature. We're the kind that eager players want to see butchered by their ruthless plays. And chances are we won't learn much from a passive attitude in the game.

In other words, we need to have the right attitude�which is nothing less than a subjugating or crushing mindset. We always aim to finish off, not just hurt a little. This is how to play checkers with the sole aim of winning it. Consequently, good players are always on an aggressive play. There's no point in being defensive in checkers except when we're utterly outnumbered. We should always look for ways to attack and decimate.

As we play aggressively (while securing the safety of our pieces) we aim to control areas on the board. We especially want to control the side squares. It is a checkers adage that side paths are safe routes to victory. And as we control the side squares we gradually conquer enemy territory. As we maintain a play of relentless aggression, control, and conquest we begin to empower our pieces and crown them as kings to rule and reign.

A good play is often one where we pitilessly make the opponent look bad and idiotic as the enemy pieces are helplessly apprehended and taken off the board. The opponent may be our friend but in front of the board there are only enemy pieces. Enemy pieces should be hated. Only after victory is won do we really learn how to play checkers properly.