Music teachers point out the classic wisdom that one's technique in playing a musical instrument either improves or falls back; it never stays constant. We know this to be true as well of our skills in many human endeavors, be it business, the arts, or our game of checkers. Constant practice and study are required if we are to maintain our technique, let alone move it forward.

Today's lesson in our Checker School series provides us with an important opportunity to review our work. The position shown below should be familiar to most checkerists, and certainly so to regular readers of our weekly columns. We've seen this before, and more than once.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W14,15,32:B6,7,12.

If you don't recall how to win this one, now's the time to brush up and review the method, as it's an eminently practical example, sure to arise in your own play. Think back and see if you can solve it; then click on Read More for the solution, notes, and sample games.

Solution

The solution, sample games, notes, and reprinted advertisement all are taken from Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers.

32-27, 12-16, 27-23, 16-20, 23-19, 20-24, 15-10. White Wins

Game: 11-15, 21-17, 9-13, 25-21, 5-9, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 8-11, 23-18 10-14, 17-10, 6-24, 27-20, 7-10, 29-25, 3-7, 18-14, 9-18, 22-6, 1-10, 25-22,' 11-15, 22-17, 13-22, 26-17, 15-18, 17-14, 10-17, 21-14, 2-6, 30-26, 4-8, 20-16, 12-19, 26-23, 19-26, 31-15, now 8-12---A. Forms above position. Game 37, J. P. Reed vs. Chas. Hefter. Game 126, American Checker Review, Vol. 2, 1889.

Game: 11-15, 23-19, 9-13, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 7-11, 19-15, 10-19, 24-15, 5-9, 29-25, 12-16, 26-22, 16-19, 21-17, 9-14, 17-10, 19-24, 28-19, 13-17, 22-13, 8-12, 15-8, 6-29, 27-23, 4-11, 23-18, 2-6, 31-27, 11-16, 18-14, 16-23, 27-18, 1-5---B, 18-15, 3-7. Forms above position, (with surplus men). R. Martins vs. A. Brown, Jan. 1854, Game No. 15, Gould's Match Book.

A---Reed noticed the coup and steered clear with; 7-11, 14-10, 11-18, 10-1, 18-23, 1-6, 23-26, 6-10, 8-11. Drawn.

B---6-10 would have drawn here.

For examples on this idea see "Familiar Themes," where twenty-six positions are shown, on every part of the Checker Board.

For the information of all concerned, I will say that the proposed compilation of Draught Problems will comprise selections from the following newspaper columns and magazines:

Alnwick Journal; Gentleman's Journal; Household Journal; Liverpool Albion; Dundee News; Fife News; Paisley and Renfrenshire Gazette; Leeds Express; Leeds Magnet; Leeds Mercury; Yorkshire Independent; Glasgow Herald; Scottish Banner; Newcastle Chronicle; Sunderland Times; Bristol Draught Player; English Draught Player; American and Phelan's Checker Player; New England Checker Player; Our Mutual Friend; The Draught Board; Recreationist; Turf, Field and Farm; New York Clipper; Wilkes' Spirit of the Times; Chelsea Public; Boston Globe; Chicago Tribune; Chicago Post; Chicago Field; St. Clair Republic; Scotsman; Cleveland Post; Cincinnati Commercial; Sunday Call; Wild Oats; and the Sporting New Yorker.

Washington, April 16, 1880

H. D. Lyman
The New England Checker Player