For readers practising checkers on Cool Math Games, this independent guide focuses on checkers king captures. The exercises state their local movement model explicitly, so check your game’s variant before applying a pattern.
A king can change the direction of a local threat. A square that looked safe from an ordinary forward-moving man may be reachable once a king is involved.
A practical starting point
In the short-range king model used here, inspect both forward and backward diagonals. A local jump still needs an opposing piece and a free landing. The extra directions do not remove those requirements.
Kings change the available directions
In the short-range model used here, a king can work along diagonals in either direction. That gives it backward captures unavailable to the forward-moving ordinary man in these exercises. It does not turn it into a flying king that travels any diagonal distance. Review the exact start, intervening opponent and landing for each example. When a new version uses different rules, change the model explicitly rather than assuming the word king always describes the same movement.
A mistake to watch for
Some draughts variants use flying kings or different capture rules. These examples do not describe those variants. Confirm your rules before treating a short-range pattern as universal.
Worked examples and practice decisions
Try each question before reading its explanation. These examples are deliberately limited to the information they state. They separate a rule or calculation from a broader judgement about a complete game.
1. Diagonal exercise 1: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 4, column 3. An opposing piece occupies row 5, column 2. The square at row 6, column 1 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward larger row numbers and lands at row 6, column 1, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 6, column 1. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
2. Diagonal exercise 2: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 3, column 4. An opposing piece occupies row 2, column 3. The square at row 1, column 2 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward smaller row numbers and lands at row 1, column 2, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 1, column 2. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
3. Diagonal exercise 3: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 5, column 6. An opposing piece occupies row 6, column 5. The square at row 7, column 4 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward larger row numbers and lands at row 7, column 4, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 7, column 4. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
4. Diagonal exercise 4: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 3, column 4. An opposing piece occupies row 4, column 3. The square at row 5, column 2 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward larger row numbers and lands at row 5, column 2, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 5, column 2. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
5. Diagonal exercise 5: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 4, column 5. An opposing piece occupies row 3, column 4. The square at row 2, column 3 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward smaller row numbers and lands at row 2, column 3, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 2, column 3. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
6. Diagonal exercise 6: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 3, column 6. An opposing piece occupies row 2, column 7. The square at row 1, column 8 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward smaller row numbers and lands at row 1, column 8, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 1, column 8. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
7. Diagonal exercise 7: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 5, column 6. An opposing piece occupies row 4, column 7. The square at row 3, column 8 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward smaller row numbers and lands at row 3, column 8, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 3, column 8. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
8. Diagonal exercise 8: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 6, column 5. An opposing piece occupies row 5, column 6. The square at row 4, column 7 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward smaller row numbers and lands at row 4, column 7, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 4, column 7. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
9. Diagonal exercise 9: identify the landing
Use an eight-by-eight coordinate sketch. A short-range king starts at row 4, column 3. An opposing piece occupies row 5, column 4. The square at row 6, column 5 is empty. No other local piece blocks the two-step diagonal.
The proposed jump goes toward larger row numbers and lands at row 6, column 5, removing the opposing piece it crosses. Each step changes the row and column by one, so the route stays on the same colour of square. This king example allows either diagonal direction. That is different from the ordinary forward-moving man used in the other exercises. It is also different from a flying-king variant, which these exercises do not model.
Countercheck: the stated landing is row 6, column 5. Imagine that square were occupied before the jump. The illustrated capture would no longer have the required empty destination. Now imagine removing the crossed opponent instead: that would also remove this particular jump. These changes show why the start, crossed piece and landing are three separate conditions.
Use the guide in your next session
For each king exercise, identify the direction before looking at the answer. Then compare the legal destination with the destination an ordinary forward-moving man would need. The difference is the focus of this practice.
Begin with one observation connected to checkers king captures. After checking an example, close the answer and reconstruct the reasoning in your own words. If a step is uncertain, return to that step rather than repeating a result you cannot explain. A small, specific correction provides a clearer next aim than trying to improve every part of a game at once.
Frequently asked questions
Which checkers rules do the exercises assume?
They use an eight-by-eight local model with forward-moving ordinary men and short-range kings. Variant differences must be checked before live play.
Does an adjacent opponent always allow a jump?
The required landing beyond the opponent must be empty, and the move must satisfy the rules and other constraints of the full position.
Does a local capture prove that an exchange is good?
No. A reply, a promotion route or another available capture can change the evaluation.
More cool math games guides
- Checkers Beginner Guide: Diagonal Moves and Captures
- Checkers Capture Planning: Check the Landing and the Reply
- Open the relevant game or guide page
Sources and scope
This is an independent, AI-assisted editorial guide. The worked examples and diagrams are original teaching material, not official game screenshots or a claim of personal live-game testing. Game interfaces can change; check the current instructions when controls or rules differ.
