Contests in Progress:
The workman shown above has a real whizzbang of a job ahead of him in restoring what's left of that automobile; but in this month's installment from Wille Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, we'll look at a whizzbang of a much different kind, attributed to a checker workman eponymously named Workman. Willie will tell us all about it.
"Take a really good look at this classic crossboard skirmish between Champion Herman L. Rudolph, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and E. E. Workman (former champion of Virginia), of Washington, D. C. It was played at the 1948 Cedar Point (Ohio) Master's Tourney, and shows how the benign gentleman from Virginia unexpectedly floored hard-hitting Herman with a bristling double-action flourish. Play:
10-15 | 22-18---A | 11-15---B |
24-20 | 15-22 | 20-16 |
15-19 | 25-18 | 8-12 |
23-16 | 8-11 | 30-26---4 |
12-19 | 17-13 | 6-10---D |
27-24 | 3-8 | 27-23 |
7-10 | 26-22 | 1-6---E |
24-15 | 9-14 | 29-25 |
10-19 | 18-9 | 14-17---F, |
21-17 | 5-14 | forming the |
11-15 | 32-27---2 | diagram. |
W:W13,16,22,23,25,26,28,31:B2,4,6,10,12,15,17,19.
A---A distinctive departure from all orthodox play---1, but quite sound.
B---Splendidly played by black to here. The following is much stronger, but results in a draw only: 11-16, 20-11, 8-15, 29-25, 4-8, 27-24*, 1-5---C, 25-21, 14-18, 22-17, 18-22, 17-14*, 6-9, 13-6, 2-18, 21-17, 19-23, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, etc. Wm. F. Ryan.
C---If 8-11 is moved, 22-18 will produce a draw at once; if 6-10 is used, then 25-21, 2-6, 22-17, 8-12, 30-25, will do it easily---3.
D---Against 14-17, white replies 27-24, 6-10* (17-21, 16-11, 21-25---5, 11-8, 4-11, 22-18, and white wins) and 13-9 catches the draw easily. If instead of 13-9 white takes the shot by 22-18, black scores this brilliant win based on a problem gem by Dr. Brown: 22-18, 15-22, 24-6, 12-19, 31-27!, 22-31, 27-24, 1-10, 24-6, 2-9, 13-6, 17-21*, 28-24, 4-8*, 24-20, 8-12*, 6-2, 31-26, 2-6, 26-22, 6-10, 22-18, 10-6, 18-15, 6-9, 15-11, 9-14, 12-16, 14-18, 16-19, 18-22, 19-23*, 22-18, 23-27, 18-23, 27-32, 23-19, 32-28*, 19-16, 11-15*, 16-12, 28-24, 12-16, 15-18*, 16-12, 24-19, 20-16, 18-14, 16-11, 14-10, 11-8, 10-7, 8-4, 7-3, 4-8, 19-15. The play in this note proves that there are losing shots as well as winning ones.
E---Against 14-17, white must play carefully to draw: 14-17, 23-18, 17-21,18-11, 21-25, 31-27*, 25-30 (nothing better)---6, 26-23, 19-26, 27-24, etc.
F---Asleep at the switch! Seemingly deceived by the blase appearance of the situation, Rudolph innocently walks into Workman's deadly trap. Of course, 14-18---7, 23-7, 2-20, 25-21, 6-10, would have nailed a draw."
1---32-27 is a good move here; with the text move, Black starts to get a small edge---Ed.
2---At this point, KingsRow thinks Black has a recognizable advantage, though certainly short of winning---Ed.
3---KingsRow actually prefers a move Willie didn't give, 8-12, in this position, for instance 8-12 25-21 14-18 22-17 19-23 24-20 18-22 17-14 22-25 21-17 25-29 and Black probably should be able to win---Ed.
4---16-11 would have been a likely draw here according to KingsRow---Ed.
5---Here 16-11 would be better but still is a probable loss----Ed.
6---Actually KingsRows finds 1-6 to be substantially better and likely winning! For instance, one continuation is 1-6 17-22 25-30 26-22 30-25 22-18 25-22 18-14 19-23 14-7 23-32 7-3 12-19 17-14 22-18 14-9 18-14 9-5 14-10 29-25 6-9 13-6 10-1 25-22 19-23 3-7 23-26 7-10 32-27 10-14 27-23 28-24 26-31 22-17 31-27 24-20 23-19 14-10 27-23 and the man on 11 can't be saved; Black Wins---Ed.
7---2-7 also draws according to KingsRow---Ed.
Can you, in a workman-like fashion, reproduce the win that Mr. Workman found here? Do your work, and then make easy work of it by clicking on Read More to see how a real crafstman does it.
[Read More]The Checker Maven notes with great sadness the passing of legendary checkerist Richard L. Fortman, on November 8, 2008, in Springfield, Illinois, at the age of 93. Though we never met Mr. Fortman in person, we exchanged emails with him at times, and he honored us a few years back by permitting us to publish his latest Switcher analysis in our columns.
Mr. Fortman might well have been the last of the great men of the heyday of checkers. As those days have passed, so too have its champions. Mr. Fortman was a master player, analyst, and writer; but above all he was a gentleman and the best of ambassadors for our game. A man such as Mr. Fortman cannot be replaced. A page has been turned in the history book of checkers, never to be turned back again.
Music teachers point out the classic wisdom that one's technique in playing a musical instrument either improves or falls back; it never stays constant. We know this to be true as well of our skills in many human endeavors, be it business, the arts, or our game of checkers. Constant practice and study are required if we are to maintain our technique, let alone move it forward.
Today's lesson in our Checker School series provides us with an important opportunity to review our work. The position shown below should be familiar to most checkerists, and certainly so to regular readers of our weekly columns. We've seen this before, and more than once.
W:W14,15,32:B6,7,12.
If you don't recall how to win this one, now's the time to brush up and review the method, as it's an eminently practical example, sure to arise in your own play. Think back and see if you can solve it; then click on Read More for the solution, notes, and sample games.
[Read More]In our main location here in North America, it's the time of year for those first gusts of really cold air, telling us that we've turned the corner towards winter, and we'll be spending more time indoors in front of the checkerboard. This month, to warm your interest, we have a speed problem that is instructive, interesting, and not all that hard--- if you don't get blown in the wrong direction.
We'll give you twenty seconds to gust through it and find the answer. To begin, just click on the link below to display the problem and start our cold-hearted Javascript clock.
November Speed Problem (fairly easy)
Got it? Click on Read More to breeze over to the solution.
[Read More]Our title for today's column comes from a rather old checker magazine, which states that the problem situation shown below came from an informal or "friendly" match played somewhere in Ohio back in the day. Certainly, checkers can be a most sociable pastime, and we would hope that we can all be friends, even given the rather intense competition and rivalries that the game can often engender.
The problem itself, of course, is rather "friendly" in its own right, and we don't think that you'll have a lot of trouble solving it.
B:W28,27,26,24,21,15,14:B20,16,13,7,6,3,1.
Sit down, make friends with the problem, and then click on Read More to see the most agreeable solution.
[Read More]As we continue our regular columns taken from Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, this month we come to a situation that's a bit different. This time, Black plays a move that is good enough to draw, but only if he can find a spectacular shot--- of the checker variety, that is!
Here's Willie once again to tell us how it all takes place.
"Scotland has given birth to many of the World's great draughts players. Among them was Hugh Henderson of Muirkirk, who emigrated to America in 1910, settling down in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He won the American Championship tournaments of 1912 and 1915, and for many years edited a widely read checker column in the Pittsburgh Leader, in which he revealed an immeasurable amount of original scientific play. The Henderson Shot, which we reproduce here, is one of his best-known examples of superscientific play.
10-15 | 17-14 | 7-10 |
23-18 | 6-9 | 14-7 |
12-16 | 24-19---A | 3-19 |
26-23 | 15-24 | 32-28---3 |
8-12 | 28-19 | 2-7---B |
30-26 | 11-16 | 21-17 |
16-20 | 25-21 | 7-10* |
21-17 | 1-6---2 | 29-25. |
9-13 | 19-15 | See the |
diagram |
B:W31,28,27,26,25,23,22,18,17:B20,19,16,13,12,10,9,6,5,4.
A---Black has a well-known one-move knockout if white tries 23-19 here, since 13-17! wins at once---1.
B---After this move, black's only out is via the Henderson Shot. Instead of 2-7, black has an easier road to a draw by 9-14!---4, 18-9, 5-14, 22-17, 13-22, 26-1, 19-26, 31-22, 16-19, 1-5, 12-16, 5-9, 4-8, 9-14, 8-12. L. C. Ginsberg."
1---Either 19-10 17-21 24-19 (other moves are possible but also lose) 21-30 26-23 11-15 18-11 9-25 29-22 7-14 Black Wins, or else 22-6? 1-17 19-10 7-30 Black Wins---Ed.
2---2-6 is preferred by the computer, who now thinks White has a tangible, though certainly not decisive, edge.---Ed.
3---Instead, 18-15 looks quite strong for White. The text move allows Black to get back in the game on the next move---Ed.
4---The computer finds that 4-8, among others, also draw. Of course, some draws are much easier to find over the board than others---Ed.
Black has made life difficult for himself. Can you help him out by finding the shot that leads to a draw? The play is not easy, but it can be done. Take a "shot" at it and then aim your mouse at Read More to see Willie's solution.
[Read More]Thanks to the generosity and hard work of Checker Maven friend John Acker, we have a number of new PDN files available for your instruction and entertainment. Just click on the PDN link in the Downloads section in the right column, or click here.
Don't know about PDN files or how to use them? You'll find an explanatory link on the PDN download page.
Enjoy these new files, and again, thank you John!
The concept of negative numbers is said to be due to the Hindu mathematician Brahmagupta, who defined them around the year 600 A.D; but the idea is even older, dating back at least to the Greek mathematician Diophantus, around 250 A.D., who wrote about "forthcomings" and "wantings" to represent the modern idea of positive and negative numbers.
An ancient idea indeed, although most historians believe the foundations of our game of checkers go back even further!
And this brings us to the point of today's Checker School session: a situation which as been referred to as Negative Second Position. No doubt you're familiar with the basics of the Second Position ending (it's been covered in a previous Checker School lesson); today's position changes, or perhaps negates, the value of a few of the pieces, changing White to Black, King to man, and vice-versa. If that's confusing, a look at the diagrammed position, attributed to W. Strickland, will clear it all up.
B:WK28,13,12:BK15,5,3.
Can you negate the difficulty of this problem and find the win? A negative attitude will never do! Think positively, find the answer, and then be certain to click on Read More to see the solution, a sample game, and detailed notes.
[Read More]Of course, we're welcoming the New Year on the Jewish calendar --- the year 5769, to be precise, an event celebrated by eating apples dipped in honey and hearing the blowing of the ram's horn, known as the "shofar" and pictured above.
The Checker Maven celebrates by bringing you an interesting (and not very difficult) checker problem in which all is not as it seems, and the obvious may not be obvious at all. Here's our position.
W:W28,27,26,24,18,17,15,13:B20,19,12,10,9,6,5.
White is a man up, so why are we blowing our horn over this one, you may ask. Well, although the New Year has come quickly upon us as it always seems to do, haste is not advised in making your move here.
See if you can find the win--- as we said, it's not very difficult--- and also demonstrate what's wrong with the "obvious" move. Blow your own horn and then click on Read More for the complete solution. And have a good and a sweet year!
[Read More]We've chosen our title for today's very interesting problem from its appearance on the checkerboard, with three columns of pieces all in a nice tidy row.
W:WK11,13,17,19,27,28:B2,10,12,18,20,K26.
This turns out to be another one of those studies with a lot of options to look at. But there is only one move to draw for White. Can you find it, and demonstrate a draw against any of several possible Black replies? Can you show how other first moves lose for White? This is a position that is full of surprises and exciting checker action. Get your ducks in a row, solve the problem, and then click on Read More for the solution and complete analysis.
[Read More]