We recently received our copy of the International Checker Hall of Fame annual, Checkers 2006, and it's something not to be missed. Once again, Charles Walker and staff have put together over 300 pages of sprawling, rambling checker play, history, and lore, including, we modestly point out, a lengthy extract from our own web site.

To get a copy, send $30 for delivery to US addresses, or $40 for international shipping, to ICHF, Box 365, Petal,MS 39465. Be sure to order right away, before a sellout takes place.

We're delighted that, in spite of the challenges in his personal life, Mr. Walker was able to produce another book that checker fans everywhere will treasure. We know Mr. Walker now faces some dark days, and our thoughts are with him. We can only hope that these days soon will yield to a brighter future for a man who has done so much for our game.

We should have known better, but we upgraded our typesetting software and the inevitable happened: we ran into some serious problems which caused an unacceptable loss in diagram quality.

We've since resolved the issues, and the diagrams look better than ever, but the loss in production time set back our scheduled electronic release of Richard Pask's Key Themes from mid-April to sometime in May.

We apologize to our readers for this delay. We can only promise that the wait will be well worth it.