The acclaimed 2012 documentary King Me is now widely available on-line at a price much lower than the average movie ticket.

King Me, as described on the iTunes website, "explores the surreal world of competitive checkers play as seen through the eyes of South African township resident Lubabalo Kondlo."

Checker fans the world around won't want to miss this outstanding film. Get it from iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/king-me/id619810167

It is also available for purchase or rental from the VUDU streaming service:

http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!overview/421601/King-Me

Over the next several months we hope to roll out a bit of a "new look" for The Checker Maven.

The idea isn't to change our layout just for the sake of change. But we want to introduce a move animation feature, and our current page arrangement simply isn't suitable.

Please bear with us as we incorporate dynamic new content and design into what we hope is your favorite weekly checker webzine.

Now, we're not saying beginners at the great game of checkers should stay in the corner, be put in the corner, or for that matter, be cornered. But after a spate of some pretty difficult problems and positions, we decided we should run a few easier ones, of the kind that our newer players can both solve and benefit from. More experienced players can solve these as speed problems, so it's our hope that there's something here for everyone.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W30,27,26,17,11:B19,15,9,6,3.

This problem embodies two tactical motifs, which we'll explain in the solution. Try to solve the position from the diagram, without setting up or moving the pieces. Then click on Read More to corner the market on the answer.

Sometimes you have to choose, and the choice isn't always an easy one. This way or that way?

A checker choice that often occurs is "jump this way" or "jump that way" and sometimes the game hangs in the balance. Let's look at the following run-up.

10-14 24-19 11-16 28-24 7-10 22-17 9-13 25-22 5-9 30-25---A 16-20---B 32-28 2-7---C 19-15 10x19 17x10 7x14 (see diagram).

A---Very weak; 24-20 is better.

B---In the original annotations, this move was flagged as the probable losing move; in fact, it's potentially a winning move! However, it takes pretty deep computer analysis to show this.

C---This gives the advantage over to White, while 8-11 would have kept a strong Black lead.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play, What Result?

W:W31,29,28,27,26,25,24,23,22,21:B20,19,14,13,12,9,8,6,4,3,1.

White has a choice of jumps. Which is best--- if indeed one is better than the other--- and what result can be expected?

We are obligated to warn our readers that this one is as interesting as it is difficult, and the full solution will probably only be found by top players. But the rest of us can benefit from trying our hand at it. Such practical situations come up all the time.

Make your decision and then click on Read More for the solution and additional analysis.

Ah, that celebrated, most famous author of all time: Anonymous, who sometimes goes under the pseudonym "Author Unknown." With so many stories and poems and yes, even checker problems to this author's credit, Anonymous must have been (and still is) tremendously prolific, not to mention exceptionally long-lived, nigh on to immortal.

The famous Mr. (or is it Mrs. or Miss?) Anonymous, using the aforementioned pen-name of "Author Unknown," is credited with today's problem position in our ongoing Checker School series.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W32,27,20,18:B12,11,10,9.

Don't be a checker unknown; try to solve the problem. But if the solution remains unknown, you can always click on Read More to reveal the position's identity, so to speak.

If you're in the Oklahoma City area, and you have an afternoon to spare, we can use your help. It's a purely volunteer assignment, of course, but you would be able to assist The Checker Maven in bringing more content to its readership.

If you're interested and can help out just write oklahomacity@checkermaven.com. Thanks!

Did winter speed by, and are we speeding into spring? Does time race by as fast as those cars race around the track?

Time certainly seems to subjectively pass faster as we get older; many studies have proven that assertion. On the checkerboard, too, time can speed by, especially when the clock is running.

You'll see what we mean when you try this month's speed problem. We're allowing 60 seconds--- a full minute--- because the problem is quite a bit harder than most of our speed problems.

April Speed Problem 60 seconds; relatively difficult

When you've sped through to a solution, click on Read More to verify your answer.

North Dakota! The very name conjures images of snow and cold, and winters that seem to go on forever. Indoor activities definitely dominate the scene during the winter months.

It's no surprise, then, that North Dakota for many years had a very active checker scene, producing a well-regarded checkers magazine, and contesting numerous tournaments including a regular state championship.

The current state champion is Larry Atwood, a mathematics teacher at Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota (we were unable to find out by press time how long Mr. Atwood has held this title, though we think it's quite a little while).

In today's column, we go back in North Dakota history to the time of a player with a most checker-like name, Howard King. We don't have any information on Mr. King other than our supposition that he was a North Dakota checkerist in the first half of the 20th century. However, Mr. King is credited with the problem shown below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W32,27,24,K22,14:B20,19,K15,13,1.

Black has just played 16-19, striving for the win with a clever trap. But White has an instructive draw here if he doesn't fall into Black's snare. This is definitely one of our more difficult problems, but the solution is there, and illustrates a very important point in checker play.

Don't be left out in the cold or stay in the dark; find the moves that save the draw. But if you find yourself snowed in, you can always click on Read More to dig out the solution.

The scene shown above is certainly quiet and idyllic. It's hardly the place you'd expect to find drama and excitement.

But then again, one never knows.

A checkerboard analogy, shown below, will demonstrate our point.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W31,20,19,13:B23,21,12,11.

What do we have here? The White men on 19 and 20 and the Black men on 11 and 12 are holding each other off. So is the White man on 31 and the Black man on 23. Black's man on 21 can go in for a King, as can the White man on 13. Looks like a pretty quiet setup. What are we missing? Oh ... yes ... take a closer look at the Black man on 11. After White gets a king that Black man might be in real danger.

It's said that quiet little villages have their secrets. The same is true for checkerboard positions. Black does indeed have a draw, but like closely held secrets, you'll have to dig it out.

When you've unearthed the solution, or did all the digging you wish to do, click on Read More to see the surprising answer.

Checker fans around the world know and appreciate John Acker's efforts to bring us the best in checker tournament reporting. In 2011, John took his coverage to a new level providing live internet streaming of the Moiseyev - Borghetti world championship match.

This coming June, Alex and Michele will meet again to contest the world 3-move championship, with the venue moving from the US to Italy.

John naturally plans to be on hand to provide professional quality coverage of the event, including another live video stream.

The only problem is that this will be an expensive undertaking, running to about two months of John's salary. John is requesting the help of checker fans to defray these costs. Just a few dollars each from potential viewers would make a big difference.

Please help make John Acker "go away" to Italy! John explains how you can do just that:

"Thanks in advance for your consideration--- feel free to contact me at acker.jt@gmail.com or 217-778-3451 if you have any questions. As always, you can donate online via the ACF Store (http://www.usacheckers.com/store), or you can send a check or money order to the ACF at P.O. Box 3488, Columbus, OH 43210-3488. Just write "Acker travel fund" on your check, so we know where you want the money to go. I'm really looking forward to visiting Italy, and to making this the best World Championship Match yet!"