Lesson 7 of 8
The endgame
3 min

The Double Corner in Checkers: Two Kings vs One

The last lesson trapped a king in the single corner. A lone king that knows better runs the other way, to the double corner, and you need a plan to get it out.

Step 1 of 4

Two safe squares
The double corner is the pair of squares at a corner of the board: g1 and h2 here, and a7 and b8 at the other end. Both sit on the edge, so no piece can jump a king standing on them: there is no square beyond to land on.

Watch. Black brings its kings closer, to f2 and e3. Each time, the white king simply steps between h2 and g1: on g3 it would be jumped by f2. In the single corner you could take away its one square. Here it has two.
Where does it run?
White has one king left against your two. If White plays well, where does that king go?
Question
Take one of its squares
This is where the last step ended: your kings on e3 and f2, White's king on h2. Waiting moves won't work: the king just steps to g1 and back. Put one of your kings on its squares instead. Your king on e3 matters too: once the white king is pushed out to g3, e3 covers both f2 and f4, so White can only run up the edge.
Your move
Push the king out of the double corner.
Chase it into the single corner
White's king has run to h4, and your king on h2 stops it coming back: on g3 it would be jumped. Walk your other king up the board, close beside it, until it runs out of squares at the top of the edge.
Your move
Chase the king into the corner and take it.

What you learned

A lone king runs to a double corner, g1 and h2 or a7 and b8: two edge squares it can shuttle between.
Take one of those squares yourself to push it out.
Then walk your free king up beside it until every square it can reach is covered.