In the chart above, Apple Computer has the "nice problem" of having to figure out what to do with all the money they've made.

"A nice problem to have" is a phrase often heard when someone faces a "dilemma" in which any choice is a good one. Here in Hawai`i, we sometimes have to decide between going to the beach or going to the mall. That's considered a nice problem to have, especially in January.

"A nice problem" in checkers of course means something else, and this week's position, attributed to W. J. Wood, is an example. Mr. Wood himself, after presenting the run-up, stated "Now we have a nice problem." Did he intend a pun or play on words? We rather doubt it.

We'll warn you that the solution is very long, but it is also very methodical, and you should be able to work out the general direction if not every detail. There is a trap or two along the way, however, so be careful, and when you've given it a nice try, click your mouse nicely on Read More to see the solution and notes.

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The expression, "drum up some business" originates in the idea of beating a drum to attract attention to something--- presumably, whatever it is the drum-beater wishes to sell. The idiom has since come to mean applying persistent effort in order to obtain a desired end, in this case, more business.

The person in the picture above supposedly went to Europe to "drum up some business." We didn't ascertain just what kind of business, but the poor fellow seems to look much like the spy left out in the cold. We gather it wasn't the most successful trip.

Old-time checkerist J. Drummond "drummoned up" plenty of business over his checkerboard, and was rarely left out in the cold. Today's Checker School position is credited to him.

Drum up the draw, then drum your mouse on Read More to see the solution, explanatory notes, and no less than six sample games.

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In honor of the memory of New Zealand checkerist Jan Mortimer, who passed away last week, The Checker Maven will not publish a problem or story this week.

Though we only met Jan on the telephone and by email, we knew her to be a wonderful person who contributed much and who will be forever missed. Requiescat in pace et in amore.

Julius D'Orio was an interesting character. An Italian immigrant who eventually ended up in California, he was a master checkerist in the early part of the 20th century, even if a somewhat lesser player than the very best in his times. He wrote one book, Mysteries of Dama, an autographed copy of which sits on the shelves in the Checker Maven offices. Mr. D'Orio is known for his promotion of the "triangle" defense, which as a general principle of play has never been widely accepted, as it has substantial flaws (as demonstrated by Jim Loy and others).

But his book is fascinating to read, and today we present an interesting position found within it.

Mr. D'Orio characterizes Black's position as seemingly hopeless, and indeed, White appears to have the upper hand. Mr. D'Orio proposes a solution, which is both neat and valid. Can you find it? We asked our computer--- KingsRow with the 10-piece endgame database--- and it came back with something completely different and unexpected. Dama is indeed full of mysteries.

Don't be mystified; Mr. D'Orio's solution is within reach, even if the computer's solution might remain, well, mysterious. When you're ready, click on Read More, after which all secrets will be revealed.

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Built by the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad in 1905, Kelso Station was once an important place. In the middle of the Mojave Desert, Kelso Station served as a source of water for steam engines, a place where passengers and crew could get something to eat, and a location for "helper" engines to assist in pulling trains up a steep nearby grade.

Of course, it's all a matter of history today, as the heyday of rail travel, just like the heyday of checkers, is behind us. Will rail travel make a comeback? Will our game of checkers? We can only hope, and continue to work towards that goal. The Checker Maven is intended to be our contribution to this worthy effort.

We continue our extended series on the Kelso opening, taken from Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, with more exploration of his "Variation 2." Here's a quick run-up without commentary. Detailed notes can be found in previous columns in this series. Our analysis has found some play that overturns one of Willie's conclusions.

10-15	21-17	24-20
22-18	4-8	1-6
15-22	17-13	28-24
25-18	9-14	8-11
11-15	29-25	32-28
18-11	6-10	14-17
8-15

Willie now gives the next move as 25-21, but in a note, he offers 25-22 as an alternative, resulting in the position below:

Willie, of course, proposes his own solution and it's a good one. But we found a different solution with KingsRow, and it's even more spectacular than Willie's.

Take full credit if you find either solution, and count yourself a master or better if you find both. When you're finished, click on Read More to see both solutions.

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Wiles, wits, and wisdom make up the toolkit of champion checker players. To be the best, skill and knowledge--- wits and wisdom--- need to be augmented by a special sense, an almost undefinable quality of wiliness, that makes the difference between the best of the best and the merely very good.

We all know of Edinburgh checkerist James Wyllie, "the Herd Laddie," who was a dominant force in checkers in the mid- to late-19th century, holding the world championship for no less than 40 years. He was indeed a wily one, and our Checker School position below is attributed to this great player.

How wily are you? We think that if you get the first move, you'll have little trouble with the rest. Test your wiles and then click on Read More to see the solution, sample game, and detailed notes.

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This year our Fourth of July column appears on the day itself, America's birthday. It's a time to reaffirm our patriotism and honor the greatness of America. At The Checker Maven, we're proud American patriots who are profoundly grateful for the opportunities and blessings that come from living in America, and thankful to the men and women who give so much to defend our freedom.

There's nothing like a Fourth of July picnic to celebrate, and there's nothing like a Tom Wiswell problem to make checkers part of the day. Mr. Wiswell was a great American player, problemist, and patriot, one of the "Greatest Generation" who served in our armed forces during the Second World War.

Here's the problem.

Mr. Wiswell called this one "Strolling Through The Park" because he happened upon some players in the park (presumably Central Park in New York City) and saw the White player miss the win. We wouldn't say that the problem is super-hard, but it does require a good eye and good judgment.

Take a little stroll with this one, then walk your mouse to Read More to see the solution.

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Today, at long last, we begin another seven-part serialized story, The Lindyville Checker Club. We'll give a little more background into the story at its conclusion, but for now we'd just like to begin telling the tale.

A checker problem will be found at the end of each installment. The problems in this series are generally easy.

We hope you enjoy our latest contribution to the literature of checker fiction.

# # #

The law was in pursuit, and they couldn't be more than a couple of hours behind. The posse would be at least twenty strong and they would have easy access to fresh horses. For Carl and his three companions, time would soon run out.

"We're going to have to split up," Carl told them. "If we stay together, they'll get all of us. If we go our separate ways, we'll have better chances."

The other men shifted in their saddles and grumbled. But they knew Carl was right. Their horses were tired and they couldn't push them any harder.

They thought it was going to be easy. After weeks of observation, they worked out when the gold deliveries to the Iowa City bank were made. Ambushing the wagon outside of town would be simple; in order to disguise the shipments, the wagons were only lightly guarded.

Everything went according to plan right up until the last minute, when the Federal Marshall decided to ride out and escort the wagon into town. Maybe someone tipped him off or something made him suspicious. But he showed up just as Carl's gang were taking the sacks of gold off the wagon.

The Marshall saw the dead bodies of the wagon driver and the single guard riding with him, and knew better than to take on the gang alone. Realizing that the gold would slow down the gang and tire their horses, the Marshall went back to town and assembled a posse, figuring to catch up with the gang before too long.

"The gold's too heavy for the horses," Carl said. "We gotta unload it and bury it. It's slowing us up too much. When this all blows over, we can come back to get it."

"That means we gotta trust each other," one of the men said. "I don't like it."

"I don't like it neither," Carl said.

"So what's the idea then?" another asked.

"I'll show you," Carl said, grinning. Before the others could react, he had his Colt out of his holster and shot two of them through the head.

The third man, Grigg, was just fast enough. Rather than drawing his gun and trying to shoot it out, he wheeled his horse and took off. Carl fired a couple of shots but Grigg was already too far away.

There was no time to chase him down. Grigg would have to be dealt with in the future. But for now, there was work to do.

Carl dismounted and took the sacks of gold from the dead men's horses. He put them on his own horse, mounted, and took off.

Carl rode a few more miles. He still figured he had an hour's lead. Then he took his horse off the trail and rode off into the brush. It didn't take him long to stop and bury the gold, making a careful note on his map so he could find it later. Much later, from the looks of it.

He got back on the trail and rode on. Luck was with him; he reached Lake City ahead of the posse. He abandoned his horse and walked into town. He got even luckier when he got to the train station and found that a train going back East was due to leave in just ten minutes. He bought a ticket with one of the gold coins he had secreted in his boots and got on board.

As the train was pulling out, he saw a group of riders coming down the main street. It was the posse. He smiled and chuckled to himself. A change of train or two and they'd never find him. He'd be home free. All he had to do was lay low for a year or two in New York, and then make his way back out west. No one would find the gold where he'd buried it, and it would be waiting for him when the time came.

Grigg might be a problem, but Grigg would never find the gold, and would never find him, either.

Things were going to work out really well. Carl would just have to be a little patient.

# # #

Andrew Lopez, professor of mathematics at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, couldn't wait to be done with his last lecture of the day. Albuquerque Antiquarian Books, his favorite antiquarian bookstore, had left him a message saying that they had just gotten a 1898 edition of American Checker Player, and they'd hold it for him for 24 hours.

It was quite a find, and Professor Lopez didn't want to pass it up. All he wanted to do was wrap up this Algebraic Geometry seminar and race down Central Avenue to the bookstore.

He thought about asking the students if they'd like to quit early, but the fact was that anyone dedicated enough to enroll in Algebraic Geometry was there for the duration.

Half an hour to go. He felt like he was about to burst at the seams, but somehow, he held on. Who wanted to bother with finite Abelian groups when a copy of American Checker Player hung in the balance?

Apparently, his students did.

The bell finally rang, ending the class period. A couple of students started toward the front of the room, obviously with time-consuming questions on their minds, but Professor Lopez waved them off as he quickly gathered up his papers and briefcase. "Come during office hours!" he said, making a beeline for the exit.

He made record time through the parking lot, pulled out of the driveway, turned onto Central Avenue, and drove off at a speed that astonished even him.

Luckily, he wasn't ticketed, and he got to the bookstore just before their 5 PM closing time.

It was all worth it. A few minutes later, he was on his way back to his car, carrying nothing less than a full set of the 1898 issues of American Checker Player.

A pleasant evening was definitely ahead, and he smiled in anticipation.

But then he remembered: He had promised to take his girlfriend, Samantha, to dinner. He had cancelled a couple of times already, and the second time, it was clear that she was losing patience.

If he cancelled again so he could stay home and read his checker magazines, he knew he might not get another chance.

Samantha was nice, and he truly cared for her. It was just that he hated having to choose between his girlfriend and checkers.

TO BE CONTINUED.

# # #

Yes, the problems in the series are definitely related to the story, but we won't spoil things for you at this early stage.

Click on Read More to see the solution, and be sure to stay tuned for future chapters in our story.

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The racehorse Kelso (the photo above is representative only) was without question one of the greatest of all time, winning five "Horse of the Year" titles and setting nine track records in an eight-season career. Kelso retired after suffering an injury in March, 1966, with total winnings just shy of two million dollars, an amount that wasn't surpassed for many years.

We're not aware of anyone winning anything like two million dollars in checkers, but the Kelso opening has its share of fame, too, and has produced both winners and losers. Today, we continue our extended series on the Kelso, drawn from Willie Ryan's classic Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard.

Here's the run-up to today's position. For comments, see previous columns in this series.

1.	10-15	22-18
2.	15x22	25x18
3.	11-15	18x11
4.	8x15	21-17
5.	4-8	17-13
6.	9-14	29-25
7.	6-10	24-20
8.	1-6	28-24
9.	8-11

Much inferior to 15-19.

9.	...	32-28
10.	3-8---C	...

The best move in this position, though white retains an advantage. Willie's recommended 14-17 is a probable loss. Note C will be found with the solution.

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Today's Checker School entry is a fascinating position we call "Burning the Candle at Both Ends," because the terms could just as well have been "White to Play and Draw." To be sure, this isn't in keeping with the traditional meaning of the phrase, but to us it seemed rather apt. See if you agree: First White must find the right move to save the draw. But then Black has the same task and must hew to the correct path. It's a double-ended problem with both ends burning.

Can you work out both sides of this very interesting endgame? We hope you won't have to burn your own candle at both ends in so doing, and rather than stay up all night, you can always click on Read More to see the solution, a sample game, and detailed notes.

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