The young woman in the picture above has a little problem: she's got a square peg and she needs to fit it into a round hole. We suspect that this will not be an easy feat to accomplish, though we surely wish her the best of luck.

Checkers is filled with little problems as well; often they're called "miniatures" and involve just a few pieces per side. They are very often both practical and challenging.

The little problem shown below seems to fit the description perfectly.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W25,17,K3:BK11,2,1.

This situation surely arises often over the board, so knowing how to win it could make a real difference. We think it's challenging, but ultimately not all that difficult. Certainly, it's not in the "square peg in a round hole" category.

Can you peg this one just by looking at the diagram? Give it a square try, and then move your mouse 'round to Read More to reveal the solution.

Solution

2-6 25-22 6-9 22-18 9-13 17-14 13-17 14-10 17-21 18-14 21-25 14-9 11-7 Black Wins.