diff --git a/include/BitBoard.h b/include/BitBoard.h
index 7f8f290..3d1ffbf 100644
--- a/include/BitBoard.h
+++ b/include/BitBoard.h
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ class BitBoard
   vmup actions() const;
   bup result(mup &move) const;
   void printState() const;
+  std::string toString() const;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/Heuristic.hpp b/include/Heuristic.hpp
index 37b43f5..2178dfe 100644
--- a/include/Heuristic.hpp
+++ b/include/Heuristic.hpp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 class Heuristic
 {
   // Feature coefficients
-  int coeff[10] = {1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1};
+  int coeff[11] = {1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1};
   
   // Feature Functions
   int pawnCount() const;
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ class Heuristic
  public:
   //  Heuristic(int *co[10]) { coeff = *co;};
   int evaluate(bup &bitboard);
+
+  // Needed public for variable depth search
+  int jumpeablePieces() const;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/MinimaxSearch.h b/include/MinimaxSearch.h
index be8d9ce..b92ffec 100644
--- a/include/MinimaxSearch.h
+++ b/include/MinimaxSearch.h
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ typedef std::unique_ptr<Move> mup;
 class MinimaxSearch
 {
 private:
-  static const int maxDepth = 8;
+  static const int MIN_DEPTH = 5;
+  static const int MAX_DEPTH = 9;
     Heuristic heuristic;
 
     double minValue(std::unique_ptr<BitBoard> &board, int currentDepth);
     double maxValue(std::unique_ptr<BitBoard> &board, int currentDepth);
     double alphaBeta(std::unique_ptr<BitBoard> &board, double alpha, double beta, int depth);
+    bool shouldStop(std::unique_ptr<BitBoard> &board, int depth);
 
 
 public:
diff --git a/src/BitBoard.cpp b/src/BitBoard.cpp
index 07316ab..ec78925 100644
--- a/src/BitBoard.cpp
+++ b/src/BitBoard.cpp
@@ -125,18 +125,32 @@ BitBoard BitBoard::boardMove(BitBoard &board, uint32_t piece, uint32_t moveTo) c
   int diff = std::abs((double)pieceLoc - moveLoc);
   int avg = ((pieceLoc + moveLoc) / 2);
   if (board.m_isBlacksTurn) {
-    if (diff == 2 || diff == 14) white &= ~(1<<avg);
+    if (diff == 2 || diff == 14) {
+      white &= ~(1<<avg);
+      kings &= ~(1<<avg);
+    }
     black = (black | moveTo) & ~piece;
-    kings |= (black & blackKingSpots);
-    wasKinged = moveTo & blackKingSpots;
+    if (!(piece & kings) && (moveTo & blackKingSpots)) {
+      kings |= moveTo;
+      wasKinged = true;
+    }
   } else {
-    if (diff == 2 || diff == 14) black &=  ~(1<<avg);
+    if (diff == 2 || diff == 14) {
+      black &= ~(1<<avg);
+      kings &= ~(1<<avg);
+    }
     white = (white | moveTo) & ~piece;
-    kings |= (white & whiteKingSpots);
-    wasKinged = moveTo & whiteKingSpots;
+    if (!(piece & kings) && (moveTo & whiteKingSpots)) {
+      kings |= moveTo;
+      wasKinged = true;
+    }
   }
 
-  if (piece & kings) kings = moveTo | (kings & ~piece);
+  // if you're a king
+  if (piece & kings) {
+    kings &= ~piece; // make sure piece's spot is no longer a king
+    kings |= moveTo; // set piece's new spot as a king;
+  }
 
   return BitBoard(black, white, kings, board.m_isBlacksTurn, wasKinged);
 }
@@ -259,3 +273,15 @@ void BitBoard::printState() const
   std::cout<<"-"<<pieceToString(19)<<"-"<<pieceToString(13)<<"-"<<pieceToString(7)<<"-"<<pieceToString(1)<<std::endl;
   std::cout<<pieceToString(18)<<"-"<<pieceToString(12)<<"-"<<pieceToString(6)<<"-"<<pieceToString(0)<<"-"<<std::endl;
 }
+
+std::string BitBoard::toString() const
+{
+  return "-"+pieceToString(11)+"-"+pieceToString(5)+"-"+pieceToString(31)+"-"+pieceToString(25)+"\n"+
+  pieceToString(10)+"-"+pieceToString(4)+"-"+pieceToString(30)+"-"+pieceToString(24)+"-"+"\n"+
+  "-"+pieceToString(3)+"-"+pieceToString(29)+"-"+pieceToString(23)+"-"+pieceToString(17)+"\n"+
+  pieceToString(2)+"-"+pieceToString(28)+"-"+pieceToString(22)+"-"+pieceToString(16)+"-"+"\n"+
+  "-"+pieceToString(27)+"-"+pieceToString(21)+"-"+pieceToString(15)+"-"+pieceToString(9)+"\n"+
+  pieceToString(26)+"-"+pieceToString(20)+"-"+pieceToString(14)+"-"+pieceToString(8)+"-"+"\n"+
+  "-"+pieceToString(19)+"-"+pieceToString(13)+"-"+pieceToString(7)+"-"+pieceToString(1)+"\n"+
+  pieceToString(18)+"-"+pieceToString(12)+"-"+pieceToString(6)+"-"+pieceToString(0)+"-"+"\n";
+}
diff --git a/src/Heuristic.cpp b/src/Heuristic.cpp
index 208ba35..4bc150b 100644
--- a/src/Heuristic.cpp
+++ b/src/Heuristic.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ int Heuristic::evaluate(bup &bitboard){
     coeff[6] * attackerCount() +
     coeff[7] * openPromotionCount() +
     coeff[8] * moveablePawns() + 
-    coeff[9] * moveableKings();
+    coeff[9] * moveableKings() +
+    coeff[10] * jumpeablePieces();
 }
 
 // Number of  pawns 
@@ -133,4 +134,32 @@ int Heuristic::moveableKings() const
   return (isBlacksTurn ? 1 : -1) * count(accumK);
 }
 
+int Heuristic::jumpeablePieces() const
+{
+  uint32_t accumP = 0;
+  uint32_t temp = 0;
+  uint32_t kings = active & k;
+  uint32_t emptyPos = ~(b | w);
+  if (isBlacksTurn) {
+    temp = (board->rotr32(emptyPos, 7) & BB::downRight) & w;
+    accumP |= (board->rotr32(temp, 7) & BB::downRight) & b;
+    temp = (board->rotr32(emptyPos, 1) & BB::downLeft) & w;
+    accumP |= (board->rotr32(temp, 1) & BB::downLeft) & b;
+    temp = (board->rotl32(emptyPos, 7) & BB::upLeft) & w;
+    accumP |= (board->rotr32(temp, 7) & BB::upLeft) & kings;
+    temp = (board->rotl32(emptyPos, 1) & BB::upRight) & w;
+    accumP |= (board->rotl32(temp, 1) & BB::upRight) & kings;
+  } else {
+    temp = (board->rotl32(emptyPos, 7) & BB::upLeft) & b;
+    accumP |= (board->rotr32(temp, 7) & BB::upLeft) & w;
+    temp = (board->rotl32(emptyPos, 1) & BB::upRight) & b;
+    accumP |= (board->rotl32(temp, 1) & BB::upRight) & w;
+    temp = (board->rotr32(emptyPos, 7) & BB::downRight) & b;
+    accumP |= (board->rotr32(temp, 7) & BB::downRight) & kings;
+    temp = (board->rotr32(emptyPos, 1) & BB::downLeft) & b;
+    accumP |= (board->rotr32(temp, 1) & BB::downLeft) & kings;
+  }
+  return (isBlacksTurn ? 1 : -1) * count(accumP);
+}
+
 
diff --git a/src/MinimaxSearch.cpp b/src/MinimaxSearch.cpp
index b2ffda6..8e066d1 100644
--- a/src/MinimaxSearch.cpp
+++ b/src/MinimaxSearch.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ typedef std::unique_ptr<Move> mup;
 
 double MinimaxSearch::minValue(bup &board, int currentDepth) 
 {
-  if (currentDepth == maxDepth) return heuristic.evaluate(board);
+  if (currentDepth == MAX_DEPTH) return heuristic.evaluate(board);
   double v = std::numeric_limits<double>::max();
   for (mup &move : board->actions()) {
     bup result = board->result(move);
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ double MinimaxSearch::minValue(bup &board, int currentDepth)
 
 double MinimaxSearch::maxValue(bup &board, int currentDepth) 
 {
-  if (currentDepth == maxDepth) return heuristic.evaluate(board);
+  if (currentDepth == MAX_DEPTH) return heuristic.evaluate(board);
   double v = std::numeric_limits<double>::lowest();
   for (mup &move : board->actions()) {
     bup result = board->result(move);
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ double MinimaxSearch::maxValue(bup &board, int currentDepth)
 }
 
 double MinimaxSearch::alphaBeta(bup &board, double alpha, double beta, int depth) 
-{
-  if (depth == maxDepth) return heuristic.evaluate(board);
-
+{ 
+  if (shouldStop(board, depth)) return heuristic.evaluate(board);
+//
   // black is max player here
   double v;
   if (board->player() == "black") {
@@ -60,6 +60,17 @@ double MinimaxSearch::alphaBeta(bup &board, double alpha, double beta, int depth
 
   return v;
 }
+
+bool MinimaxSearch::shouldStop(bup &board, int depth)
+{
+  // always return at some max depth regardless
+  if (depth >= MAX_DEPTH) return true;
+  else if (heuristic.jumpeablePieces() != 0) return false;
+  else if (depth >= MIN_DEPTH) return true;
+  else return false;
+
+}
+
 /* Public Functions */
 
 mup MinimaxSearch::minimaxDecision(bup &board)