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:

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

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.

Solution

"Continue: 28-24, 19-28, 25-21, 12-19, 21-7, 2-11, 23-7, and white wins."