A huge crowd had gathered at Manhattan Square Garden to see the National Checker League match between the Detroit Doublejumpers and the New York Draughtsmen, two of the top teams in the league. The Doublejumpers would be lead as usual by their intrepid captain, Marvin J. Mavin.

Marvin J. Mavin

But what was not so usual is that the Draughtmen would be lead by an incredible young checker prodigy, who had recently burst upon the scene, turning pro at the age of 17 and moving at once to the top ranks: Marvin tonight would face checker sensation Mary Baloner.

Mary Baloner

Marvin was more than a little put out. "A teenage girl for crying out loud!" he muttered, but not very loudly; he had been warned by his management that comments about age or gender were completely out of place, as checkers was a democratic sport open to all based solely on ability. Still, Marvin really, really wanted to win tonight.

"She's not even old enough to drink beer!" he said, but again, not loudly enough to be heard.

And now, there she was, standing opposite him as the last strains of the National Anthem echoed through the arena.

"Hey, Mavstah!" she exclaimed as they took their seats and waited for the arena announcer to introduce the teams and players. "Whaddya think about playin' a itsy-bitsy little girl, huh? Yeah, I know whatcha think. But youse gonna get your---" But before she could describe what was going to happen to Marvin, the announcer introduced them, and then the referee signaled for the games to start.

Mary gave Marvin a wink and a grin and made her first move, and the teams settled down to their play.

After Marvin made this move, Mary looked quite surprised. She looked up at him and said, "Oh, a wise guy, is ya, Mavhstah? A normal playah woulda played 22-18 but you ain't normal, is ya?" And then she laughed and turned her attention back to the checkerboard.

But Marvin thought he knew what he was doing. Despite Mary's superstar status, he knew that she wouldn't have experience in many of the offbeat lines of play, and he thought to get an advantage by taking the game into less familiar territory.

"Heh, heh, heh, fancy-schmancy," Mary said. "But I seen it all comin'."

Mary looked up at Marvin once again. "I thought youse was gonna play 29-25, Mahvstah. Whaddya doin, tryin ta confuse me or sumthin? Well it ain't gonna work against Mary Baloner!"

Marvin didn't reply. Was he holding his breath a little, waiting to see how Mary would respond to this move?

Marvin breathed a sigh of relief and spoke for the first time during the game. "Well, little Missy, you may think you are some sort of checker rock star, but this game is mine."

Now it was Mary's turn to be silent, a look of consternation gathering on her face as Marvin made his next move.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W29,21,K7:B18,13,6.

Can you beat Mary at her own game, so to speak? Do you know what move she should have played to hold the draw? See if you're as good as Marvin; find the winning move, and fix Mary's unfortunate error while you're at it. Then click on Read More to see the solution and the conclusion of our story.

It seems that both our editorial and art departments were working at reduced intellectual capacity when they came up with the theme for this week's column, Through Thick and Thin, relying on an obscure and not all that clever multilingual pun.

Though we'd rather not embarrass ourselves with the explanation, here goes: today's position is attributed to late 19th century checkerist George Dick. Now, in the German language, "dick" means "fat" or alternatively--- you guessed it---- "thick." It gets worse from here: the position below, having only a few pieces and those arrayed on just a few ranks of the checkerboard, is rather "thin" in looks. Thus we have "thick" and "thin" although frankly, we'd rather we didn't.

The job market in Hawaii isn't that great, so we won't fire all the staff and start over. Instead, we'll just "carry on" as usual, as there is some great checker content in today's problem, solution, sample game, and notes; there is even a short historical anecdote which contains a supplemental problem.

G. DICK
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W30,24,23,22:B16,15,13,10.

The obvious question is this: what's here that can give White a win? White can win a man but Black will just get it back a couple of moves later. Yet the win is there, even if by just a "thin" margin. Can you find it, or is the problem a bit too dense (i.e., "thick") to solve?

You're surely a hardy checkerist, looking for the win through thick and thin, so go and find the answer, then click on Read More to settle the score.

My goodness, have we ever outdone ourselves this week.

There's nothing like a hurricane to show the incredible power of nature, and if you've ever experienced one in person, you'll know exactly what we mean. The howling wind, the lashing rain, and if you're near the ocean, the roaring surf, combine in an incredible and fearsome cacaphony. In fact, this might be something better not experienced in person.

Hurricanes can take place on the checkerboard as well, and while they're destructive and fearsome in their own way, thankfully the only thing damaged is perhaps a player's ego, and even that not for long. Willie Ryan, in his fine book Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, tells us today about a storm originated in the play of checkerist A. J. Heffner, and quite a tempest it is. Here's Willie to tells us more.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W30,27,23,22,17,15:BK29,16,13,12,9,7,5.

A---"If 32-28 is played, then a draw is established with: 11-15, 18-11, 7-16, 22-17, 9-13, 28-24, 13-22, 24-20, 14-18, 23-27, 2-11, 19-15, 11-18, 20-11, 18-23, 11-7, 12-16, 7-2, 16-20, 2-6, 23-27, 31-24, 20-27, 6-10, 5-9.

B---Appears to win, but loses. The correct play is: 6-1, 7-10, 32-28, 5-9, 1-6, 9-14, 6-15, 14-21, 22-18, 29-25, 18-14, 25-22, 14-10; at this point 13-17* is drawable, but 22-26 allows the hidden win by white with: 28-24*!, 16-20, 30-25*!, 21-30, 23-18, 20-27, 19-16, 12-19, 15-22. I missed this pulverizer against Tom Wiswell in the 1940 New York State Championship Tourney."

1---23-18 appears to be better here, but still loses. As the proverbial exercise for the reader, you might wish to work out this alternative line of play, perhaps with the help of your computer---Ed.

Don't be blown away by this one; find your way through the storm and reach the solution. When you're finished, click on Read More to clear the air.

February, the shortest month of the year, speeds by and gives no quarter. 28 days instead of 30 or 31? Don't tell the bank, who wants the same, full mortgage payment. Likewise, don't complain to the landlord, who will only say: Pay the rent--- all of it---- or else. In this short month, it seems we draw the short straw.

In the same spirit of speed and brevity--- though we'd rather skip the unfriendly, uncaring part--- we offer a speed problem that's certainly not very hard, but may be difficult to analyze quickly enough. We're imposing a 28 second time limit, in honor of the month of February. Probably you'll solve it much more quickly, of course--- or will you?

Click below to reveal the problem and start the clock; then come back and click on Read More to see the solution.

February Speed Problem (easy, 28 seconds)

A few years ago, Ed Gilbert, the author of the KingsRow computer checkers engine, and the creator of the companion 10-piece endgame database, sent some new play to one of checker's sharpest-eyed analysts, Brian Hinkle. Ed told Brian the following:

"The 5-9 24-20 Double Cross is indeed a draw. This is exciting news to me, since this is a new, unknown draw in a ballot that is generally considered by a lot of players to be the most difficult of the 3-move tournament ballots. This morning I loaded the new opening book into Kingsrow and played along the PV. It dropped out of book at the 40th ply into a very interesting position where White had sacrificed a man to gain a first king with a positional advantage."

Ed showed the following line of play:

A---25-22 4-8 31-27 same.

B---This is the end of the computer's opening book moves. Note that Ed constructed a special opening book that examined the Double Cross in great depth and detail.

Ed comments further, "Every black move from 24-20 up to move 13 is forced."

Here is the position at the end of the KingsRow specialized Double Cross opening book.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W32,30,26,23,22,6,5:B28,20,16,15,13,11,10,1.

Finding the rest of the solution is not an easy task, but you owe it to yourself to give it a try. The solution is not long, but it is very surprising, perhaps ranking among the most surprising things we've ever seen on the checkerboard. After you've done your analysis, click on Read More to see the truly stunning conclusion.

Most of us take our sight for granted, and we often forget that there are those among us who don't have this gift. Now, note that we don't call them "unfortunates"; we'd rather call them "inspirations" because the blind among us are capable of incredible things, often with a drive and willpower that puts the rest of us to shame.

An old time checker-player, one Mr. W. Bennett, was blind, but that didn't slow him down in the least, as the instructive problem below illustrates well.

W. BENNETT
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:WK20,22,30:B11,13,21.

Can you solve it? For an extra challenge, try to work it out the way Mr. Bennett did; solve the problem not only without moving the pieces, but without looking at the diagram or a checkerboard. Along the way, you'll discover a subtle and practical winning technique which you'll be able to put to use in your own play.

When you've completed this truly illuminating exercise, click on Read More for the solution, a sample game, and notes.

Does our photo show a 'loophole,' as advertised in our column's title, or something much more nefarious? That's the subject of today's excerpt from Willie Ryan's book, Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard. Willie sees a loophole. What do you see?

First, though, let's have Willie give us a brief introduction.

"Of the many subtle stratagems to be found in the mellowed pages of checker lore, none has impressed me so much as the deeply rooted Paul J. Lee 'rebound,' which I consider the best concealed drawing device I have ever seen. It may be brought up in play from various openings. Here is one method:"

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W32,31,30,27,23,19,18,17,14:B16,12,10,9,7,5,4,3,2.

What will it be? Loophole or constriction? Can you solve this one without choking up? When you've made your attempt, slip your mouse through to Read More to see the outcome.

1---26-22 would have made for an easier journey for White---Ed.

Marvin J. Mavin, captain of the Detroit Doublejumpers in the National Checker League, was not happy.

It all started out when the company for which Marvin did promotional ads, Belcher's, got wind of his ongoing rivalry with Russian emigre Dmitri Tovarischky, a top player from the days of the former Soviet Union. Belcher's thought that a highly-publicized "grudge match" would aid sales and brand recognition. Billed as "The Return of the Cold War" (even though Marvin was only about 10 years old when the Cold War ended), the match was set for an early spring evening in the Milwaukee Checkerdrome; and Marvin had little choice but to follow the wishes of his sponsor, even though his distaste for Dmitri was all too obvious.

Dmitri

To make it worse, Marvin's girlfriend, Priscilla K. Snelson, was to be in attendance, and Marvin knew that under her watchful eye he would have not a chance in the world of having a pre-game beer. Marvin received a stern lecture, reminding him of a previous loss to Dmitri which Priscilla blamed squarely (and very likely correctly) on over-indulgence.

Priscilla

And so, here he was, sitting at the checkerboard in the center of the enormous, fan-packed Checkerdrome, facing Dmitri once again, and not having had any beer for almost 48 hours. Huge American and Soviet flags flew from the ceiling of the Drome, as Belcher's went all-out to set the mood of conflict and rivalry.

Dmitri, for one, had no problem with such a theme, even though he was an emigre. "American Checkers Boy will lose again to superior Russian skills," he crowed loudly. "Checkers Boy is no match for champion like Dmitri."

Marvin seethed inwardly but did not respond, only mumbling under his breath, "Yeah, you'll see what Checkers Boy can do, you old Commie..." But to make things even worse, Marvin had been given the tough end of a very difficult opening ballot. Even though Marvin received draw odds, meaning that if he could but draw the game the match was his, he knew he had a very hard evening in front of him.

At that moment the referee blew his whistle, starting the game clocks, and the match was underway.

12-16 23-19 16x23 27x18 11-16 26-23 16-20 32-27 8-11 30-26 4-8 18-14 9x18 23x14 10x17 21x14 11-15 22-17 8-11 25-21 6-9 26-23 9x18 23x14 11-16 29-25 2-6 17-13 16-19 31-26 6-9 13x6 1x17 21x14 7-10 14x7 3x10 25-21 10-14

Dmitri was gloating and not trying in the slightest to hide it. "Game is over for Checkers Boy," he said. "Checkers Boy has only bad move and loses to Dmitri. Of course, Dmitri is not surprised because Checkers Boy is just inferior American amateur."

Now, there are limits. Marvin expected Dmitri's taunts, but being called an amateur was a bit too much. As a top professional Marvin felt he was owed at least a certain amount of respect.

He was about to lash out angrily and call Dmitri all sorts of names, when Priscilla, sitting in the front row, caught Marvin's eye and simply wiggled her left index finger. That was all it took to silence Marvin, who knew what kind of chewing out he would get later if he failed to heed the warning. Instead, he went back to mumbling. If you listened carefully, you might have heard words such as "old goat," "blowhard," and "beer"; but Marvin realized that the game was at a critical point and knew that he had better come up with something right now, right away.

The position that was on the board is shown below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W28,27,26,24,21:B20,19,15,14,5.

Can you give Dmitri his comeuppance and find a move that gives White a draw? Or is all lost and Black will be the winner? Keep your cool, forget about mumbling, and work out the position before clicking on Read More to see how things turned out.

Happy New Year to everyone! 2010 is history and 2011 has arrived. The Checker Maven hopes this year will be everything that you might wish it to be; and to start our year off with a bang, we've chosen a problem that isn't too hard if you can figure out the first move--- but then again, that's the hard part!

Here's the situation.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W32,31,30,27,26,23,22,21,19,15:B20,14,12,10,8,7,6,4,2,1

Things seem fairly tame until you take a closer look and realize that Black is suffering from a definite lack of moves that don't lose! But there is one ... can you find it?

Clicking on Read More will show you the surprising solution. Enjoy the holiday and once again, Happy New Year!

Christmas Day 2010 falls on a Saturday, so most everyone will have a long weekend to celebrate or just relax according to your own traditions and preferences. It's time for family and friends and lots of activities, but we know that if you're a checker player, you'll be looking for something from The Checker Maven to make checkers part of your holiday weekend.

To that end, we've chosen a special problem that is very engaging (often this is another word for 'difficult') and bound to hold your interest. It requires skill and considerable planning, but we think you're up to the challenge.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W26,21,20,19,16:B17,14,8,3,2.

Black has more mobility than White; that's always an advantage in checkers, but is it enough to turn into a win? We'll warn you; definitively proving the win is a long process and requires very careful play. It's something you might want to take on when dinner is over and the company has left, when you might have an hour or so to devote to checkers.

Clicking on Read More will as usual show you the solution. Happy Holidays to one and all from The Checker Maven.