It gets cold during the winter in Crookston, Minnesota, as the photo of the frozen Red Lake River above attests all too well. We'll bet that many of the good folks living in Crookston often turn to indoor pursuits when the mercury sinks below zero for extended periods of time. Certainly, some of them will play checkers in front of a warm fire.

Today's Checker School column features a problem attributed to old-time checkerist George Crookston. Now, we won't go so far to say that the city of Crookston is named after checkerist Crookston--- we know that it's not so--- but we'll bet Mr. Crookston also spent many a cold winter evening in front of a fire engaged in his favorite pastime.

Here's the position.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W23,22,21,19:B24,14,13,11.

Will this problem freeze you out, or will you warm to it? Give it a try and then click your mouse on Read More to thaw out the solution.

Solution

13-17*---1, 22-13, 24-27, 13-9, 27-32*, 9-6, 32-28*---2, 6-2, 28-24, 2-6---3, 24-15, 6-9, 15-18---D, 23-19, 14-17, 21-14, 18-23. Drawn.

Game: 10-15, 23-18, 11-16, 18-11, 8-15, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 16-20, 29-25, 4-8, 24-19, 6-10, 25-22, 2-6, 27-23, 8-11, 32-27, 9-13, 27-24, 20-27, 31-24, 10-15, 19-10, 6-15, 18-14, 7-10, 14-7, 3-10, 23-18, 12-16, 26-23---A, 16-20, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 20-24---B, 30-26, 10-14, 18-9, 5-14, 22-18, 1-5---C, 18-9, 5-14, 26-22. Forms above position. A. P. Stums.

A---24-19, 16-23, 26-19, 15-24, 28-19, 5-9, 30-26, 10-14, 26-23, 1-5, 19-15, 11-16, 15-10, 16-20, 10-6, 20-24, 6-2, 24-27. Drawn. Wm. F. Ryan, in his "The Modern Encyclopedia of Checkers."

B---10-14, 18-9, 5-14, 22-18 (19-16, 11-15, 16-11, 20-24, 11-7, 24-27, 7-2, 27-31, 2-7, 31-27, 7-11. Drawn), 1-5, 18-9, 5-14, 30-25, 20-24 (13-17, 23-18. Drawn), 25-22. Forms above position.

C---24-27, 18-9, 27-31, 26-22, 31-27, 22-18, 27-24, 18-14, 24-15, 14-10. White Wins. E. Bell vs. A. P. Stums.

D---Norman H. Clark points out at this stage; 14-17, 21-14, 15-18, or 11-16, then 15-18, also draws.

1---24-27 loses to this clever sequence: 22-18 27-31 18x9 31-27 19-15 11x18 23x14 White Wins---Ed.

2---Not 32-27 6-2 27-18 2-7 White Wins---Ed.

3---Or 2-7 24-15 7016 15-19 Drawn---Ed.

The above position by George Crookston, was given as No. 137 of "Selected Problems," in the Falkirk Mail, and then as Gem No. 279, in the Draughts World, Vol. 14, Oct. 1899.