Study is usually a good thing; it's often an important part of the road to success in many an endeavor, checkers not the least among them. Sometimes, though, it gets a little overwhelming, and we sympathize with the poor student shown above, who seems to have gone into something like "study meltdown."

As today's entry in our Checker School series, we present a problem that the great checker writer Ben Boland called An Evening's Study. We suspect that there's enough material here for much more than a single evening, and we advise you to avoid the fate of our hapless student. Take your time and enjoy rather than trying to cram it all in at once.

A. JACKSON
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W22,21,12,K7:BK23,13,9,5.

Will you be an "A" student on this one, or will your grade be somewhat lower? It's up to you; put in your study time and then click on Read More to see the solution, sample games, and detailed study notes.

Solution

A. JACKSON
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W22,21,12,K7:BK23,13,9,5.

As always, the solution, sample games, and lettered notes come from Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers. Numbered notes are by the editor, using Ed Gilbert's KingsRow computer engine and 10-piece endgame database.

7-10---A, 23-19, 12-8, 19-16, 10-7*, 16-19, 8-3, 19-23---B, 7-10, 23-19, 3-8, 19-23---C, 8-12*, 23-19, 10-7*, 19-23, 7-11, 9-14---D, 12-16*, 23-26, 11-7, 26-17, 7-10, 14-18---2, 21-14, 13-17, 16-19, 18-22, 10-6*---3, 22-25, 6-9, 25-30, 9-13, 17-22, 19-23, 22-25, 6-9, 25-30, 9-13, 17-22, 19-23, 22-25, 13-17, 25-29, 17-21, 29-25, 23-18. White Wins---4.

Game: 10-14, 24-20, 11-15, 22-17, 6-10, 17-13, 1-6, 25-22, 14-18, 23-14, 9-25, 29-22, 15-19, 22-17, 8-11, 27-23, 4-8, 23-16, 12-19, 32-27, 8-12, 26-23, 19-26, 30-23, 10-15, 27-24, 15-18, 23-14, 6-9, 13-6, 2-18, 17-14, 18-22, 21-17, 22-25, 17-13, 7-10, 14-7, 3-10, 31-26, 25-30, 26-23, 30-26, 23-18, 10-14, 18-9, 5-14, 13-9, 14-17, 9-6, 17-21, 6-2, 26-23, 2-6, 21-25; 6-10, 25-30, 10-14. Forms above position, colors reversed, at 10th move. F. Dunne.

Game: 11-15, 23-19, 9-14, 22-17, 8-11, 25-22, 11-16, 24-20, 16-23, 27-11, 7-16, 20-11, 3-7, 28-24, 7-16, 24-20, 16-19, 29-25, 2-7, 26-23, 19-26, 30-23, 7-11, 23-19---E, 4-8, 32-28, 5-9, 17-13, 14-18, 22-15, 11-18, 31-27, 8-11, 27-24, 18-22, 25-18, 10-15, 19-10, 6-22, 13-6, 1-10, 21-17, 22-26---F, 17-13, 26-31, 13-9, 31-26, 9-6, 26-23, 6-2, 10-14, 2-6, 14-17, 6-10, 17-22, 10-14, 22-26, 14-17, 26-31, 17-14. Forms above position, colors reversed, at 10th move. M. E. Pomeroy beat A. Jordan, 50th Game, Match Games, 1913.

Game: 11-15, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 9-14, 22-18, 5-9, 26-22, 7-11, 27-24, 11-15, 18-11, 8-15, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 4-8, 29-25, 8-11, 25-22, 10-15, 19-10, 6-15, 23-19, 14-23, 19-10, 11-16, 24-19, 9-13, 19-15, 16-19, 22-18, 12-16, 15-11, 19-24, 18-15, 16-19---G, 11-8, 3-12, 15-11, 23-27---H, 32-16, 12-19, 10-7, 24-28, 7-3, 28-32, 11-8, 32-28, 8-4, 2-6---I, 3-7, 28-24, 30-26, 6-9, 26-23, 19-26, 31-22, 24-19, 7-10, 19-23, 4-8, 1-5, 8-12---J. Forms above position, at 13th move. J. H. Laishley vs. N. W. Banks, Game No. 3, the Checkergram, Oct. 1931.

A---If 7-11, 23-19, 12-8, 9-14, 8-3, 14-18, 22-25, 19-10, 2-7, 10-15. Drawn.

B---If 19-16, 3-8 is correct, 7-11 draws by 16-7, 3-10, 9-14, 10-17, 5-9, 22-18. Drawn.

C---19-16, 10-7, 16-19, 8-12*. White Wins--- 7-11 draws by 9-14.

D---23-26, 11-15, White Wins; and 23-19, 11-16, 19-24, 12-8---1. White Wins.

E---Losing Move.

F---Pomeroy fails to mention that the position was not new with him, as he won it from M. C. Priest, and may be found as No. 103, North American Checker Board, July 1, 1898, Vol. 5.

G---The following notes are by Willie Ryan, Editor of the Checkergram; weak and risky. Had Mr. Laishley played 16-20, Banks would have been compelled to play 31-26, then 23-27, 32-23, 24-27, leaving Black with a very powerful ending.

H---Another poor move--- 12-16, 10-7, 24-28, 8-3, 19-24, 3-8, 16-20, 31-26, 23-27, etc. is better.

I---The following should draw: 28-24, 4-8, 19-23, 8-11, 23-27, 3-7, 1-6, etc.

J---They continued: 23-19, 10-7, 19-23, 7-11, 23-19---K, 11-16, 19-24, 12-8, 9-14, 8-11, 5-9, 11-7, 24-27, 16-19. White Wins. Banks.

K---Although Willie in another note says, the position is similar to an ending between Jordan and Pomeroy (see above), he continued; "Laishley misses the point and allows Banks to score easily. The game might have continued, had Mr. L. played 9-14, 12-16, 23-26, 11-15, 26-17, 15-10, 14-18, 21-14, 13-17, 16-19, 18-22, and we fail to find the win. The question is 'did Banks have a win on this ending?' ". The answer is, yes, Willie, by the "Jackson Position." The win was pointed out later in the December issue of the Checkergram.

1---The two White kings will hunt down the Black king in the double corner. The point is that Black can't play 9-14, as White would then just bring a king to 10 and capture the hapless Black soldier.

2---5-9 16-19 and now Black loses two pieces.

3---The only move to win. 19-23 looks natural but doesn't win. Checkers can be surprising!

4---An ending well worthy of "An Evening's Study." We think it would be most difficult to find over the board for all but the best players.

We first found the position: J. Robertson and P, Rule, No. 136, the Draughts Board, June 1, 1870. Black---5, 10, 11, 12, 26, and White---13, 18, 20, 24, 28. With the caption. Black to move, White to draw; 10-14, 18-9, 5-14, etc. until they reached Note D above, Colors reversed, and it was left as Drawn.

Andrew Jackson first published the above position in the "Leeds Mercury Weekly Supplement," as "An Evening's Study." It later was copied into Dunne's Guide, 1890, as No. 32.

A. Jordan and Ginsberg had reached the above position from an Edinburgh. Jordan had the winning side, but dismissed the ending as a draw, as did Robertson.

Above game by Dunne was published in the Leeds Mercury Weekly Supplement, later in the Scottish Draughts Quarterly, March, 1898.

Compare the above to Pages 106, and 175 (in the original book---Ed.).