The Checker Maven is announcing what we call The Draughtsberg Project, modeled a bit after the Gutenberg Project, which is an ambitious attempt to create an electronic library of all the classic works of literature.

Our project, already begun, is an effort to bring back checker books in electronic form. The sad situation today is that at most there are a dozen or so books about Anglo-American checkers in print; everything else has to be obtained hit-or-miss on the used book market, at whatever may be the cost. Public libraries generally have very little in their collections. It is a difficult situation for an up-and-coming checker player, or for anyone with any interest at all in checker literature.

We propose, over a rather extended period of time, to issue newly typeset electronic editions of important checker works that have passed into the public domain, as well as others still under copyright for which proper permissions can be obtained.

We have set ourselves the lofty goal of providing a high-quality, no-cost checker library that can be used for generations to come.

For more detail, including a proposed list of essential books and an invitation to participate, please click on Read More.

[Read More]

The final installment of our three-part lesson on man-down draws is a triplet. In the first two settings we'll see more ways to come from behind, while in the third setting, alas, we won't be able to pull it off.... but from this we'll learn what to try to avoid.

Ever been a man down in an endgame? Not you, right? As we've said in the other lessons in this series, it happens to everyone. Saving the draw, when possible, is an important skill to master. If you're a student, study this lesson carefully. If you're an advanced player, a review of what we take to be "obvious" can never hurt!

Let's start out with this position:

Next, the famous Payne's Double Corner Draw, which should be learned by everyone who ever touches a checkerboard:

And finally, a lost opportunity, to be contrasted with the very similar-looking Payne's Double Corner Draw:

Take your time working these out, and then click on Read More for solutions, a sample game, supplementary problems, additional examples, and a host of detailed explanatory notes.

[Read More]

This past holiday season was filled with the usual hustle and bustle, and often stress triumphed over enjoyment. Many of us are a bit relieved, in fact, to return to the simpler, more ordinary days of the year.

Here's a Tom Wiswell problem, then, that seems to promise us the joy of simplicity.

White is a man down but regaining it is child's play. Has the simple life arrived, and have we solved a Wiswell problem in mere seconds?

Alas, life is not easy, and neither is this problem. Can you, without too much stress, see through to the solution, and bask in contented post-holiday enjoyment?

Don't fret. You can always click on Read More to check your answers.

[Read More]

The Checker Maven wishes a Happy New Year to all our readers! The years surely seem to speed by as we get older. But let's rush into 2006 with a couple of 15 second challengers. Our digital clock, like time itself, gives no quarter. Can you beat it?

Click on a problem to display it; when you're done, click on Read More to check your solutions.

But above all, enjoy the New Year and keep on reading the weekly editions of The Checker Maven!

New Year's Eve Speedster No. 1

New Year's Eve Speedster No. 2

[Read More]

Whatever holidays you celebrate, The Checker Maven wishes you the best of the season and hopes you enjoy this special challenger, our holiday gift to you.

White may be a man up, but Black has two kings and a strong position. Can you provide some holiday cheer for the White side?

In the spirit of giving, here's a hint: the natural-looking 5-1 loses. Can you tell why?

Click on Read More to unwrap the solution.

[Read More]

This month's stroke problem, while complex enough, hopefully is a little simpler than Schrodinger's Wave Equation. But we'll let you be the judge.

Can you make waves with your solution, or will quantum indeterminacy hide the answer? After you've tried out the problem, click on Read More to find out.

[Read More]

With the kind approval of grandmaster Richard Pask, The Checker Maven is pleased to present an electronic reissue of Mr. Pask's classic, Key Landings. Dealing with 25 especially important mid-game landings, this book is suitable for the intermediate to advanced player.

The content of the reissue is unchanged from the original 1990 publication, although the electronic edition has been completely reset with large, clear diagrams and other typographic improvements. The book is available for free download; follow the Richard Pask link in the right-hand column or just click here.

Our thanks go to Richard Pask for permission to republish this important work. Additionally, during the course of 2006, watch here for new editions of Mr. Pask's Key Themes and Key Endings.

About a year ago, we presented a very difficult setting composed by Brian Hinkle, and just a few top players were able to solve it. This month, Brian has favored us with another of his offerings. It's of a very different nature than last year's, but it's a real teaser, and Brian has composed a little story to go along with it.

The amazing position shown below arose in the 40th and final game of the Go Where You Want World Title Match, played in the year 2012 at the San Francisco Checker Palace.

The match was tied 4-4 with 31 draws and the defending World Champion, Run Fora King (Black) only needed a draw to retain his title against his arch-rival Al X. Noisyev (White), better known as the "Growling Bear of Checkers" for his antics both on and off the checker board.

Early in this game, King played a gambit line in the Old 14th and The Bear responded by immediately giving back the man to obtain the best theoretical position--- at least in his view.

As the midgame progressed, the Bear offered Run a useless king in the single corner on square 29, which he accepted, being true to his name. In the late midgame, the Bear pitched a man in order to crown five White kings --- his patented "bear claw" tactic --- and place them on key squares, thus securing maximum pressure on the exposed Black pieces in the middle of the board.

Under extreme pressure and with the world title at stake, Run Fora King escaped with a draw in this difficult position, leaving the Growling Bear still hungry for the coveted and elusive GWYW World Title.

Were you able to sight solve this or did you have to move the pieces around? How long did it take you to solve it by either method?

Please send your proposed solutions and solving times to Brian Hinkle at sbhinkle@charter.net. Brian's solution and commentary will be published in the columns of The Checker Maven in the first part of 2006.

Starting with this article, we're adding FEN notation to our diagrams, at the request of our readers. If you are not familiar with FEN and PDN, a good description can be found on Wikipedia.

With this issue, The Checker Maven completes its first full year of publication. We're one year old today!

During our first year, we like to think we've done pretty well. Here's some of what we've been able to accomplish.

• We've gone from a handful of readers to an average weekly circulation of over 2,500, thanks to you, our loyal and valued patrons.
• We've published original problems including some of Brian Hinkle's best.
• We've published new Switcher analysis by none other than Richard Fortman.
• We've presented new electronic books by grandmaster Richard Pask.
• For better or worse, we've introduced Marvin J. Mavin and an alternate reality in which checkers is America's number one professional sport.
• We've run well over a hundred articles and maintained a reliable publication schedule.
• We've pioneered speed problems with a challenging (and unforgiving) Javascript timer.
• We've achieved a rather decent Google 'page rank' which is something completely unbiased and not subject to spin and hype.
• ... and we've done all this and much more, in a completely free, non-commercial format.

What lies ahead for The Checker Maven? Predictions are always a bit iffy, so we'll simply say that we hope to be able to continue to publish and please for a long time to come.

Here at The Checker Maven, we've long felt that we've "hit the jackpot" with our more than 2,500 weekly readers and the acceptance and welcome our webzine has received in its first year of publication. To celebrate, we've turned to who else but Tom Wiswell, for a nice problem which he himself has entitled Jackpot. It's not too hard (at least by Wiswell standards) but has a neat finish that you can't help but admire. The problem is co-authored by Jack Botte and looks like this:

When you've pulled the lever on your solution, click on Read More to see what Tom had to say.

[Read More]