The win condition people remember is capturing everything. The one that actually decides many games is that a player with no legal move loses. Restricting mobility is therefore a complete winning strategy in itself.
Mobility as a resource
Count the legal moves each side has. Early on both have seven; as the board fills and pieces block each other, that number falls. A player down to two legal moves is in serious trouble even with equal material, because both of those moves may be forced losses.
This is why pushing pieces forward carelessly is dangerous. Every advanced piece has fewer squares available behind it, and men cannot retreat.
Blocking
A man that cannot move forward because both diagonal squares ahead are occupied is frozen. It contributes nothing until something changes. Two or three frozen pieces effectively reduce your opponent's army.
Creating blocks deliberately — placing your pieces where they seal enemy pieces in place — is a slow but reliable plan, particularly against an opponent who advances too far too early.
Tempo and the waiting move
In a position where neither side wants to move, whoever must move first loses ground. Having spare moves — pieces that can shuffle without weakening anything — is what decides these positions.
Back-row pieces are the classic source of waiting moves. This is another argument for not committing all four early: keeping one or two in reserve gives you tempo when the position locks.
Count waiting moves before locking the position
Before you allow the position to become blocked, count how many harmless moves each side has left. If you have fewer, avoid the lock.
The squeeze
The full technique combines the two: block enemy pieces so they cannot move, then use your spare tempo to force them to move something they would rather not. Because captures are compulsory, forcing them into a position where the only legal move is a losing capture is the cleanest version.
Edge pieces and mobility
A piece on the outer column has only one forward diagonal instead of two, so it is half as mobile. Driving enemy pieces to the edges reduces their options, which is a slow positional gain that adds up.
Conversely, keeping your own pieces off the edges preserves your flexibility. This is the same principle as centre control, viewed from the mobility side.
Recognising a trap in progress
- Your legal move count is falling faster than your opponent's.
- Several of your pieces have both forward diagonals occupied.
- Your remaining moves all involve advancing into a capture.
- Your back row is fully committed and you have no spare moves.
Any two of those together means you are being squeezed, and the answer is usually to force an exchange immediately to open the position, even at a small material cost.