We're going to guess that very few if any of our loyal readers have ever heard of the Vanning  process or the Frue Vanner machine, unless one of you happens to be a miner or mining historian. Vanning is a means of separating ore, and the Frue Vanner machine automates that process. It was invented in 1874 by a Canadian mine superintendent with the unsurprising name of W. B. Frue.

Did Mr. Frue play checkers? Perhaps. But his contemporary, one T. Vanner, certainly did, and is credited with correctly solving today's problem position, which is part of our ongoing Checker School series.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W28,23,22,21:B14,13,11,5.

We won't say that this is an especially difficult problem, and mining for the solution will be like we suppose real-life mining to be at times: long and tedious and requiring care and caution. So dig deep for the winning method, and when you've extracted it, shovel your mouse to Read More to see the solution, sample games, and detailed notes.

Solution

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W28,23,22,21:B14,13,11,5.

The solution, sample games, and lettered notes are drawn from Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers by celebrated checker author Ben Boland. Numbered notes are by the Editor using the KingsRow computer engine.

11-16, 22-18---A, 16-20, 18-9, 5-14, 23-19, 14-18, 19-15, 18-23, 15-10, 23-26, 10-6, 16-30, 6-1, 30-26, 1-6, 26-23, 6-9, 23-18, 9-5, 18-14, 5-1, 13-17. Black Wins---1.

Game: 11-15, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 8-11, 29-25, 4-8, 25-22, 11-16, 24-20, 8-11, 27-24, 10-15, 21-17---C, 9-13, 32-27, 6-10, 30-25, 1-6, 25-21, 16-19, 23-16, 12-19, 20-16, 11-20, 18-11, 7-16, 24-15, 10-19, 17-14, 6-10, 14-7, 3-10, 27-24, 20-27, 31-6, 2-9, 26-23, 9-14. Forms above position after first move. J. Sinclair.

Game: 11-15, 23-19, 9-14, 22-17, 6-9, 17-13, 2-6, 25-22, 8-11, 29-25, 4-8, 22-17, 15-18---D, 24-20, 11-15, 26-22, 15-24, 22-15, 10-19, 17-10, 7-14, 27-23, 19-26, 28-19, 8-11, 30-23, 3-7, 32-28, 6-10, 13-6, 14-18, 23-14, 10-17, 21-14, 1-17, 25-22, 17-26, 31-22, 7-10. Forms above position, colors reversed. Lyman's Problem Book.

A---28-24, 16-20, 24-19, 20-24, 22-18, 24-27, 18-9, 5-14, 19-16, 27-31, 16-11, 31-26, 23-19, 26-23, 19-16, 23-19, 16-12, 19-16, 11-8---B, 16-11, 8-4, 11-7, 4-8, 14-18. Black Wins.

B---11-7, 16-11, 7-2, 14-18, 2-6, 18-23, 6-10, 23-26, 10-14, 26-30, 14-18, 30-25, 18-23, 25-22, 23-27, 22-18, 27-32, 18-23, 32-28, 23-27, 28-32, 27-24, 32-28, 11-16, 28-19, 16-23, 12-8, 23-18, 8-3, 13-17. Black Wins.

C---Robertson's Game of Draughts, shows 24-19 to draw by Anderson.

D---14-18 is given to draw by Macindoe, Robertson's Game of Draughts.

1---The White man on 21 is held by the Black king on 14, which also restricts the White king from moving up to free either of the White men. Black will crown the man on 17 and gain a win, although there is a lot of hard and work left to do. One way is like this: 11-16 22-18 16-20 18x9 5x14 23-19 14-18 19-15 18-23 15-10 23-26 10-6 26-30 6-1 30-26 1-6 26-23 6-9 23-18 9-5 18-14 5-1 13-17 1-5 17-22 5-1 14. 22-25 1-6 25-30 6-1 30-26 1-6 26-23 6-1 23-19 1-6 20-24 6-1 24-27 1-6 27-31 6-1 31-27 1-5 19-15 5-1 14-10 1-5 10-6 5-1 15-10 1-5 6-1 5-9 27-23 28-24 1-5 9-13 23-18 13-17 5-1 24-19 1-6 19-16 10-15 17-13 18-22 21-17 22-18 16-12 15-11 Black Wins. A very practical ending.

The above position was first given by J. Sinclair, in his Game of Draughts, 832, 2nd Game, Var. P, of the "Cut up." There he gave it as a draw. It may also be found as Var. 154, Single Corner, in the American Checker Player, 860.

T. Vanner gave the above position as, No. 94 in the March 1, 1870, the Draught Board, given to correct Sinclair.

A. L. Meyers was next to show the correction, in No. 41, Phelan and Kelly's, American Checker Player, July 15, 1875.

Then, with colors reversed, came R. W. Mulholland, No. 383 the New England Checker Player, Jan. 1880, Vol. 5.