Strategy guide
International Draughts Strategy: Centre Control, Forced-Capture Tactics and Kings
Updated October 6, 2026
International draughts has few rules, but one of them — you must capture, and you must take the sequence that captures the most pieces — turns almost every move into a possible trap. This guide covers four areas: the opening, forced-capture tactics, kings and the endgame.
Four opening habits
Each side starts with 20 pieces. Your aim is to advance steadily and keep your formation intact, not to win material as early as possible.
- Take the centre first. Central pieces can advance in two directions and support both wings; pieces on the edge have only one way forward and are easily blocked.
- Keep your pieces backing each other up. A piece with a friendly piece diagonally behind it is hard to jump; a lone piece racing ahead is the easiest target.
- Do not rush pieces to the side edges. An edge piece cannot be jumped from outside, but it has little room and often runs out of moves at the worst moment.
- Develop both wings evenly. Advancing on one side only leaves the other behind, and you cannot help in time when your opponent breaks through there.
Turn forced capture into a weapon
Because capturing is compulsory and the longest capture sequence must be chosen, you can often dictate your opponent’s next move. That is where the most beautiful draughts tactics come from.
- Sacrifice to lure: give away one piece on purpose so that your opponent’s piece has to land on a square you chose, then capture several of their pieces in one multi-jump.
- Before every move, check whether it gives your opponent a capture, and whether you can capture back more once their forced capture is over.
- When several capture sequences exist, only the one capturing the most pieces is legal. Calculate your tactics with this rule in mind; your opponent cannot pick a shorter, safer route.
The king: the strongest piece on the board
- A king slides any distance along a diagonal and can capture from far away. A king is usually reckoned to be worth about three regular pieces.
- Your back row is the last line of defence against enemy promotion. Do not empty it too early in the opening, but you do not need to keep every piece there all game either.
- Site rule: a regular piece that reaches the far row in the middle of a capture sequence immediately continues capturing as a king. Some international tournament rules differ, so factor this in when you calculate long captures.
Endgame ideas
- Material matters in the endgame, but having a king matters more. When neither side has a king, whoever promotes first often decides the game.
- One king against one king is usually a draw. Even with three kings you often cannot win if the lone enemy king holds the long main diagonal, so take that diagonal first.
- Timing matters when you push regular pieces in the endgame. Sometimes a quiet waiting move that forces your opponent to weaken their position works better than a direct charge.
How to practise on this site
Play several games against the AI and pay attention to where you were forced to capture or got caught by a multi-jump, then step through each game in the replay. The board highlights legal moves, and when you must capture it only shows the sequences that take the most pieces. Fifty moves in a row without progress is a draw. To find human players, use ranked matchmaking or send an invite link to a friend.