Shown above are the board and pieces for the game Konane, also commonly know as "Hawaiian Checkers" even though the game has nothing at all to do with checkers! Still, it's an excellent game of skill, and has been played in Hawai`i since ancient days.

Seemingly less common in Hawai`i is our own game of checkers; we can't find any history of formal competition and there is certainly no officially recognized state champion. But local checker fan Geoffrey Pang is about to change all that. He's organizing and sponsoring an honest-to-goodness checker tournament in Mililani, on the island of O`ahu, on July 24, 2010, at the Mililani Town Center. The tournament is informal (and not an official American Checker Association event). If you're on O`ahu on the 24th, we encourage you to play. There is no entry fee. Simply contact Geoff at gpang_abm@msn.com to let him know you're coming, and show up at 9:00 AM. The tournament will take place at the beautiful outdoor location shown below. The Checker Maven will be on hand to cover the event, and we'll publish the results in a forthcoming Saturday edition.

Now, for today's column, we really couldn't come up with a Hawaiian-themed checker problem. But after a little thought, we decided that given Hawai`i's storied history of kings, queens, and other royalty, a problem involving many kings might be just the ticket; and fortunately, we were able to locate one. It's diagrammed below, and a festival of kings it surely is.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:WK10,28,K32:BK11,K18,K19,K20.

This one is really easy enough to have been a fifteen second speed problem, but in Hawai`i, we're hardly ever in a hurry, so take your time, then click on Read More to see the royally simple solution.

The Fourth of July, American Independence Day, is one of our favorite national holidays, as we've said in these columns many times before. We're unabashed patriots, happy and proud to celebrate the anniversary of America's birth each and every year.

The Checker Maven, when marking a special occasion, invariably turns to the dean of American problemists, Tom Wiswell. In keeping with that tradition, we present a problem that Mr. Wiswell says is one of his earliest, taken from actual play. He calls it practical and pleasing; we call it spectacular, providing a display of checkeristic fireworks to go along with the aerial fireworks traditional on the Fourth of July.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W27,26,23,18,K1:B20,15,12,11,5.

Black is going to press the White man on 27, at the very least. How can White save the day? Take this one along with you to the Fourth of July picnic, and solve it with your checker friends; then be sure to click on Read More to check your solution. Enjoy the fireworks, both on and off the board!

You probably recognize the device shown above; it's called a Tesla Coil. It delivers a very high voltage but an extremely low current and so is a relatively safe gadget, and was used back in the day to do all sorts of "shocking" and "unbelievable" tricks such as making a woman's hair stand up and other stunts of a similar ilk. Of course, shining the light of scientific explanation on these parlor tricks demonstrated clearly how it was done and provided a modicum of education as well as amusement.

So, we weren't sure whether to call this column "Shocking" instead of "Believe It Or Don't" because today's problem contains an element of both sharp surprise and incredulity; and it's entertaining as well as didactic. Let's go straight to the diagram.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W18,14,12,K4:B9,5,3,K2.

Although you may not believe it at first glance, Black has an easy win in this position! As with many such "unbelievable" things, a little deeper look usually reveals the truth of the matter. Still and all, Black seems to be in as much of a jam as White; how can he pull off what might be seen as a rather shocking quick win? As they say, believe it and make it so.

When you've come up with your answer, click on Read More for the electrifying and completely believable solution.

Croon, June, spoon, moon ... these were the rhymes used in many a song during the days of what was known in the music business as "Tin Pan Alley," which had its reign during much of the same era that the game of checkers had its own, from the late 1800s through perhaps the 1930s. Though the songs of Tin Pan Alley might seem trite and shopworn to a modern audience, in their own day they were, as they say, "The Cat's Meow."

You certainly aren't reading our column, though, because you think checkers is shopworn or trite; we're certainly of the opinion that it remains as fresh and interesting as ever a game could be. So, to help you croon at the start of June, we've brought you an especially pleasing speed problem. Bit we won't give you the typical three or so minutes that a Tin Pan Alley song would last; you've got only 20 seconds--- maybe just enough time for a quick chorus.

When you're ready to croon, click on the link below to display the problem and start the clock ticking. When you're done, come back and click on Read More and we'll sing out the solution.

June Speed Problem (20 second time limit; fairly easy)

Perpetual motion, like alchemy, was a dream of scientists of a bygone era. Not equipped with the knowledge and tools of later days, they hoped to build a machine that was self-sustaining and would operate forever. Alas, such a thing is not possible; reaching 100% efficiency in the practical world simply doesn't happen, and, lacking energy input of some type, everything runs down in the end. As with the search for a way to turn base materials into gold, the quest for perpetual motion was never to succeed. Still, much time, effort, and ingenuity was expended designing devices such as the one shown above.

Perpetual motion of a different kind, however, can be found in the game of checkers. While we're not going to give away any more than that, you'll understand our meaning when you've worked through today's problem, which is diagrammed below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W8,9,10,21,26:BK1,K2,K18,K29.

White has five men against four kings; his extra piece is going to go fast and then four men have to face four kings. It seems hopeless, but there is a brilliant way to draw which demonstrates once again the incredible possibilities present on the checkerboard.

Don't just go through the motions; perpetuate your efforts and find the solution! And as you know, clicking on Read More is our perpetually-valid means of moving to the solution.

Following on the heels of last month's "Two Fisted" checker problem, this month we again play real "hardball" with a position that one of the greats of checker history managed to get wrong. More about that when we discuss the solution, but first let's look at the following diagram.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W19,20,25,27,28,29,30,32:B3,7,8,11,12,13,14,17.

The originally published comment on this position was "... the following beautiful position ... appears to be a forced White win." That was something over 85 years ago. Modern computer analysis by KingsRow with the 10-piece endgame database declares the position a likely White win, but with a line of play different from the one published decades back.

In the solution, reached by clicking on Read More, we'll show you the computer line and give you a little more historical background. But first, we invite you to do your own analysis, and at the very least, decide how you would play the position. Certainly, it's a practical exercise, and although indeed we're playing hardball in asking you to do better than one of the game's leading champions of yore, the solution is surprisingly accessible.

In previous years, at this point on the calendar, we've explored the various meanings of both the term "Mayday!" and the various festivals that take place on the first day of May. And, although we've looked at the political aspects before, having come across the photo above, we can't help but revisit the topic once again.

The photo is of the enormous and elaborate "First of May Stadium" found in Pyonyang, the capital of the euphemistically-named Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), better known simply as "North Korea." The photo makes us marvel at the ability of this nation to build huge monuments to Communism and to its own maniacal leadership; to invest heavily in military "defense"; and most of all, to carry out an active nuclear weapons development program--- yet at the same time to be utterly unable to do something as basic as to keep its own people from starving. North Korea is neither "democratic" nor a "people's republic"; it is something both far less and far worse.

As we've so often said, The Checker Maven makes no excuse for standing up in the name of freedom and liberty.

But what has all this to do with checkers? Quite a lot, actually. If you want to think about what is truly "democratic" and what is truly for "the people" then there is little better a model than the game of checkers. It's democratic: anyone can play, and anyone can succeed to whatever degree they wish to work toward that success. It's for the people: checkers is a game that is very easy to learn, incredibly inexpensive, and wholesome, intellectual, and entertaining all at once.

In fact we'd like to suggest the "checkers model" for government, wherein all "men" are created equally, with no special powers or privileges except those earned through the hard work of making his or her way to the crowning row.

All that said, we know you'd like to see your weekly checker problem, and instead of the usual monthly speed problem, we've chosen a problem that is rather easy but still a bit beyond something that should be solved against the clock.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W12,32,K17,K25:B3,7,23,K27.

Now, this is a democracy, and as one of the "people" you can exercise freedom of choice in selecting your moves. Can you lead the beleaguered force of Black freedom fighters to a win against the army of the White tyrant? Although no one is going to build a huge stadium in your honor if you succeed, we hope you'll try it anyhow, and then click on Read More to see the solution.

No fooling around, no sir-ee. What we have here today is an honest-to-goodness two-fisted, hard-core, serious checker problem. This week, wimpy checkerists need not apply. Do you think you're good? Do you have what it takes? Prove it. Have a look at this one. Read 'em and weep.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W32,29,27,24,K17,11,K8:BK26,22,20,18,K15,5,2.

This problem was first published, as far as we know, something over 85 years ago, and it was variously listed as "advanced," "extra diffcult," and other such things. They weren't a-kiddin', folks. If you can solve it, you're good.

If you can't, there's always the Read More link, which will solve it for you. But you don't want that, do you? Stay in the fight and solve it on your own!

It's said that April showers "bring May flowers." Certainly, that's true at least in certain parts of North America, where, after a long winter season, the arrival of spring as a harbinger of warmer days is much awaited and indeed can't seem to come quickly enough.

And speaking of "quickly" it's our first column of the month, which brings neither showers nor flowers, but a speed problem. This one requires a little more thought than some others, and so we'll set the clock to 60 seconds. Can you solve our one-minute mystery? Click on the link below to set the second hand in motion and reveal the problem. Then, come back and click on Read More to have the solution rain down upon you.

April Speed Problem (medium difficulty)

The gadget shown above is known as a "boost fooler." Our Research Department, which came up with this week's illustration, informs us that a "boost fooler" allows a diesel engine turbocharger to achieve additional boost, or to quote from their source: "The fooler can fool your motor into allowing more boost without tripping an engine light. Despite its cheesy design, the boost fooler works flawlessly."

Notwithstanding this interesting introduction, if you're really anxious to get top power out of your diesel engine, you'd best look elsewhere than The Checker Maven; for today we present a real fooler of a different kind, intended to give boost to your checker game. It's a setting by Tom Wiswell, and it's anything but cheesy in design.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W11,15,21,27,28,32:B3,4,8,14,20,25.

We warn you that this is a difficult problem, though it has at its heart a simple theme. Can you turbocharge your play and find the solution, or will your engine warning light go on? Gun your engines, give it a try, and then click on Read More to see the powerful solution.