The advantage of center squares over side squares is not so marked in Checkers as it is in Chess. There is no doubt that a piece has more mobility in the center, where there are two or four moves to choose from, than on the side where only one or two moves are possible; but a man on the side has an advantage in so far as he is backed up by the edge of the board so that he is safe from being captured until he moves. However, a player who keeps his men in massed formation in the center will in almost all cases be able to make them protect each other and to win the upper hand against an opponent whose army is divided into two parts, one on the left and the other on the right side of the board.
When playing with the white men, it is advisable to occupy such squares as 14, 18, 19, 30, 31 and 32, and it is not advisable to occupy 5 and 12 whenever the opponent has a man on 1 or 3 respectively, as in that case the men have a tendency to act as supports for the enemy instead of helping their own side. In the position: Black 1, 7 and 9; White 5, 14, 18 and 22; for instance, White's man on 5 supports Black's man on 9 and White, on the move, has to surrender a piece by 22-17, to which Black replies 9-13.
It is naturally a good thing not to touch the men of the back row mentioned above, as they will prevent the opponent from getting Kings. White's man 29 and Black's man 4, however, are better off in the middle of the board, as the squares 25 and 8 are adequately guarded by 30 and 3 respectively. Moreover, there is danger of the first position arising from openings in which a player keeps his man in the single corner.
A formation which very often occurs in the middle game is the so- called "elbow." It consists of three men arranged like the white pieces in Diagram 108.
32 31 30
+———————————————————-+
| | | | | | | | | 29
|———————————————————-|
28 | | | o | | | | | |
|———————————————————-|
| | | | o | | | | | 21
|———————————————————-|
20 | * | | o | | | | | |
|———————————————————-|
| | * | | | | | | | 13
|———————————————————-|
12 | * | | | | | | | |
|———————————————————-|
| | | | | | | | | 5
|———————————————————-|
4 | | | | | | | | |
+———————————————————-+
3 2 1
DIAGRAM 108.
When adequately supported an elbow forms a solid position which cannot easily be attacked. An example of a strong elbow will be found in the following game:
32 31 30
+———————————————————-+
| | o | | | | o | | | 29
|———————————————————-|
28 | | | | | o | | | |
|———————————————————-|
| | | | | | | | o | 21
|———————————————————-|
20 | | | o | | | | o | |
|———————————————————-|
| | | | | | * | | o | 13
|———————————————————-|
12 | * | | * | | * | | | |
|———————————————————-|
| | | | * | | * | | | 5
|———————————————————-|
4 | | | | | * | | | |
+———————————————————-+
3 2 1
DIAGRAM 109.
Black White