We think you'll agree, when you work through this week's Checker School problem, that it's worthy of an introductory drum roll. There's some very pleasing play involved, and you're sure to get a lot of satisfaction from it. The position is credited to Drummond and Dunne.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play, Black to Draw

W:W30,22,20,19,18:B21,13,12,11,10.

Material may be even, but there are significant mobility issues and things are not so simple. How can Black find the way to a draw?

When the drummer is Dunne Drummond, can you drum up the solution? Work it out and then drum your mouse on Read More to see the solution, along with detailed notes and numerous sample games.

Solution

Solution, sample games, lettered notes, and other unattributed commentary are taken from Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers. Numbered notes are by the editor, using the KingsRow computer engine and 10-piece endgame database.

30-26---1, 11-16-A,2, 20-11, 21-25, 11-7---3, 25-30, 26-23, 30-25---4, 22-17---5, 13-22, 7-2, 22-26, 2-6, 26-31, 6-15, 31-27---6, 15-11, 25-22, 11-15, 27-24, 18-14, 24-27, 23-18, 27-23. Drawn---7.

Game: 11-15, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 12-16, 29-25, 10-14, 25-22, 16-20, 24-19, 8-12, 28-24, 7-10, 32-28, 3-7, 19-15, 10-19, 24-15, 7-11, 15-8, 4-11, 27-24, 20-27, 31-24, 6-10, 24-20, 9-13, 18-9, 5-14, 28-24, 11-15, 21-17, 14-21, 23-18, 15-19---S, 24-6, 1-10, 26-23, 2-7, 23-19, 7-11. Forms above position. I. Drummond, 1861.

Game: 11-15, 23-19, 8-11, 22-17, 9-13, 17-14, 10-17, 21-14, 15-18, 24-20, 4-8, 28-24, 6-9, 32-28, 2-6, 26-22, 18-23, 27-18, 6-10, 31-26, 10-17, 25-21, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 29-25, 1-6, 19-15, 11-18, 22-15, 7-11, 15-10, 6-15, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 12-16, 19-12, 11-15, 26-22, 17-26, 30-23, 8-11, 25-22. Forms above position colors reversed. F. Dunne. See Note A.

Game: 10-15, 22—18, 15-22, 25-18, 6-10, 24-19, 11-15, 18—11, 8-24, 28-19, 4-8, 29-25, 8-11, 25-22, 9-13, 27-24, 2-6, 23-18, 6-9, 24-20, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 22-18, 14-23, 31-27, 1-5, 27-18, 5-9, 26-23, 12-16, 19-12, 10-15, 18-14---S, 9-27, 32-23, 7-10, 30-26, 10-14, 26-22. Forms position colors reversed. T. Worthington - I. Henshall by correspondence.

Game: 11-15, 23—19, 9-14, 27-23, 8-11, 22-18, 15-22, 25-9, 5-14, 29-25, 11-15, 24-20, 15-24, 28-19, 7-11, 19-16, 12-19, 23-7, 2-11, 25-22, 4-8, 31-27, 8-12, 26-23, 6-9, 27-24, 11-15, 21-17, 14-21, 23-18, 15—19---S, 24—6, 1-10, 32-27, 3-7, 27-23, 9-13, etc. H. Jackson vs. T. McLaren.

Game: 11-15, 23-18, 8-11, 27-23, 4-8, 23—19, 10-14, 19-10, 14-23, 26-19, 7-14, 19-15, 11-8, 22-15, 12-16, 24—20, 16-19, 20-16, 2-7, 31-26, 9-13, 32-27, 5-9, 16-12, 19-23, 27-18, 14-23, 26-19, 7-11, 30-26, 11-18, 19-15, 6-10, 15-6, 1-10, 25-22*, 18-25, 29-22, 9-14, 26-23, 10-15, 28-24, 8-11, 24-20. Forms position, colors reversed. H. T. Smith.

A---Frank Dunne plays the ending this way, colors reversed: 3-7, 21-17, 14-21, 12-8, 7-10, 8-3, 21-25, 23-18---B, 25-30, 3—8*, 30-25, 8-3, 25-30---C, 3-8, 30-26, 8-12, 26-17, 12-16. Drawn.

B---3-7, 15-19, 23-16, 25-30. Black wins. W. H. Broughton beat R. D. Yates, 1876.

C---15-19, 3-7, 19-23, 7-16, 25-30, 16-19, 23-27, 19-16, 27-31, 16-11, 31-27, 22-17, 13-22, 11-7. Drawn.

S---It will be observed that three of the lines contain this stroke. F. Tescheleit, in Draughts Review, Vol. 2, 1926.

1---There's nothing else.

2---12-16 draws as well, but a hasty 21-25 loses at once to 18-15.

3---26-23 here is better, but we are following the published solution.

4---30-26 loses to 18-15.

5---This is actually best. 7-2 and 7-3 also give back the man, for instance 7-2 18-14 10-17 25-27.

6---Very neat play.

7---19-16 12x19 15x24 22x15 and White cannot win.

Note A was given by Frank Dunne as No. 52, Sept. 1878, the English Draughts Player, with the following note: In a letter received from Mr. Yates about two years ago, he quoted this position as having been won of him by Mr. Broughton, Portland, with the blacks; it was also published as No. 8 in Boys of the World, the Editor (Mr. Yates) appending a note to the solution to the effect that it was one of the finest positions he had seen.

Dunne showed the other way (Drummond's) to draw also.

Two more games leading to the above position may be found in the April, 1904 issue of the “Post Guide."