Playing better
Checkers endgames: how to win with kings
Being a man up isn’t the same as winning. The endgame is where you turn an extra piece into a win, or hold a draw when you’re behind. These are the endings every player needs, each with a board to try.
Short answer
In a checkers endgame, two kings beat one, but only if you drive the lone king out of the double corner. With more pieces, swap off until it’s two against one. And watch the opposition: in a standoff, the side that has to move often loses.
One king against one: run for the double corner
Why the double corners are safe. A lone king heads for a double corner, where it can’t be trapped. The other king tries to cut it off and pin it on the edge.
Take the 1 King v 1 King lesson in CheckyTwo kings against one: force it out
Forcing a king out of the double corner. Two kings beat one in the open. Bring both kings over, step into the double corner yourself, and force the lone king out.
Take the 2 Kings v 1 King lesson in Checky
Take the 2 Kings v 1 King lesson in CheckyThree kings against two: force a swap
Forcing a swap. Keep offering swaps until one can’t be avoided. Then it’s two kings against one, which you know how to win.
Take the 3 Kings v 2 Kings: Double Corner lesson in CheckyThe opposition: when having to move loses
When being on turn is the problem. The opposition only matters in the endgame. In a standoff, whoever has to move loses, so keep a spare move in hand.
Take the The Opposition lesson in Checky
Take the The Opposition lesson in CheckyThe race to crown
Count the moves before you run. Before you run for a king, count how many moves each side needs, and where the new king will land.
Take the The Race to Crown lesson in CheckyFirst Position
The ending every serious player has to know. With the opposition, two kings beat a king and man confined to one side. Chase the king, force the man forward, and cut it off.
Take the First Position lesson in Checky
Take the First Position lesson in CheckyThe waiting move
Sometimes the best move does nothing. If your opponent is short of safe moves, don’t change anything. Make a quiet move and let them come to you.
Take the The Waiting Move lesson in CheckySaving a game a man down
Hold one enemy man still, and you can draw. A piece down, you can still draw if you can hold one enemy man frozen on the edge.
Take the Saving a Game a Man Down lesson in CheckyPractise your endings
Checky’s Endgames track has lessons on every ending here and many more, from king endings to the classic positions of the old masters. And its engine knows the exact result of every position with five pieces or fewer, so when a game review says an ending was won, it was. Take the endgame lessons in Checky.
Questions people ask
Can one king beat one king in checkers?
No. A lone king that reaches a double corner can’t be trapped, so one king against one is a draw.
How do you win with two kings against one?
Bring both kings over, step into the double corner yourself, and force the lone king out where it can be trapped.
What is the opposition in checkers?
In a standoff late in the game, the side that has to move can be forced to give ground and lose. Having the opposition means your opponent is the one who has to move.
What is First Position in checkers?
A classic ending where two kings beat a king and a man confined to one side of the board. With the opposition it’s a win, and without it a draw.
