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Chess and checkers articles
Traps, rules, opening moves and honest “cheats”: short articles you can test on the board right away.
Chess cheats that actually workWhat actually works like a “cheat” in chess: an engine for reviewing games, traps and opening tricks. And why engine help during online games gets you banned.Durak rules in plain wordsDurak rules in plain words: dealing, trumps, attacking, defending and throwing in, when to pick up and who becomes the fool. Both classic and passing Durak.Checkers cheats: how to win more oftenHonest “cheats” for Russian checkers: the compulsory capture rule, traps, exchanges and checking moves with a calculator. Play stronger without breaking the rules.How to win at Durak: eight tipsWin Durak more often: save your trumps, remember played cards and throw in wisely. Simple tips plus a free card counter.The best first move in chessWhich first move in chess is strongest? We compare e4, d4, c4 and Nf3, explain the ideas and how Black should reply.Five opening traps worth knowingScholar's Mate, Légal's Mate, the Philidor trap and more opening traps. How to set them and how to avoid them. Test each one on the board.24, 36 or 52-card deck: which game needs whichHow many cards are in a deck and which one you need: 24 cards (from nine), 36 cards (from six) and 52 cards (from two). Games for each deck.Russian checkers rules in plain wordsThe full rules of Russian checkers in plain words: set-up, moves, compulsory captures, kings, the Turkish strike and draws. With examples.How to win at checkers: seven tipsSimple tips for winning at checkers: the centre, the golden piece, exchanges and playing for a king. Check every tip with the move calculator.FEN: a chess position in one lineFEN is a string that describes a chess position. We explain each part: pieces, side to move, castling and en passant. With examples.
More tools
Position analysisBest move, evaluation and up to three lines from Stockfish 19.Best moveOne direct answer: the strongest move and a short explanation.Play the computerFive levels, hints and take-backs.Game reviewLichess and Chess.com games: mistakes, blunders and accuracy.Checkers analysisBest move in Russian checkers with the full capture path.Checkers vs computerRussian checkers, five levels, hints.Card counterMark played cards and see what is left.