The Fourth of July, American Independence Day, is one of our favorite national holidays, as we've said in these columns many times before. We're unabashed patriots, happy and proud to celebrate the anniversary of America's birth each and every year.

The Checker Maven, when marking a special occasion, invariably turns to the dean of American problemists, Tom Wiswell. In keeping with that tradition, we present a problem that Mr. Wiswell says is one of his earliest, taken from actual play. He calls it practical and pleasing; we call it spectacular, providing a display of checkeristic fireworks to go along with the aerial fireworks traditional on the Fourth of July.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W27,26,23,18,K1:B20,15,12,11,5.

Black is going to press the White man on 27, at the very least. How can White save the day? Take this one along with you to the Fourth of July picnic, and solve it with your checker friends; then be sure to click on Read More to check your solution. Enjoy the fireworks, both on and off the board!

We're giving over much of this week's column to unabashed advertising, but when you read the rest, you'll surely support our efforts, and will be confident we haven't abandoned our non-commercial policies.

For years, Richard Fortman's Basic Checkers has been the veritable bible for 3-move checker players. Certainly, new works such as Solid Checkers, The Golden Dozen, and others, have come on the scene to correct, supplement, and expand upon Mr. Fortman's original work, going beyond the 137 opening ballots in use 30 years ago. But every serious checkerist is likely to have studied Basic Checkers at some point, and may even have a copy of the original seven self-published, typewritten, spiral-bound booklets.

The Checker Maven is proud to announce that a newly typeset, professionally bound and printed edition of Basic Checkers is now available. Your editor, in conjunction with Jim Loy, John Acker, and artist Louisa Gilani have combined forces to produce this new 2010 edition, with all seven volumes in one 6x9, 504 page trade paperback, which is being sold at a price that nearly anyone can afford. Completely reformatted and set in clear, readable type, it is our hope that this work, which is now hard to find and expensive even if found, will once again be placed in the hands of checker players everywhere.

100% of net income will go to the American Checker Federation Youth Fund in honor of Mr. Fortman.

The book will be sold at the Nationals this August for just $25.00. If you can't be at the Nationals, you can get a copy online through CreateSpace. Additionally, the book will be available in a few weeks directly from Amazon or by special order in bookstores, for $30.00 plus shipping.

And now, let's look at a problem position taken from the book. It stems from the 9-13, 24-19, 6-9 opening.

Game: 9-13, 24-19, 6-9, 22-18, 11-15, 18-11, 8-24, 28-19, 4-8, 25-22,8-11, 22-18, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 29-25, 11-15---A, 19-16, 12-19, 23-16, 1-6---B, 27-23, 7-11,16-7, 2-11, 25-22, 3-8, 32-27---C, 8-12,27-24, 11-16, 24-20, 16-19, 23-16, 12-19,22-17, 13-22, 26-17, 14-18, 20-16, 18-23,16-11, *6-9, 17-13, 9-14, 11-8, 23-27, 31-24, 19-28, 8-3, 15-19, 3-7, 10-15, 7-11,14-18, 30-26---D.

WHITE

BLACK

Black to Play and Draw

B:W26,21,13,K11:B28,19,18,15.

Notes A to D below are excerpted from Basic Checkers with minor editing.

A---Instead of 1-6.

B---Instead of 1-6, Freyer v. Zuber in the 1981 Florida Open played 14-18, into Banks-Hellman, 2nd National Checkers Association Tournament.

C---Here 31-27 is usual, then 8-12, 27-24, 11-16, 24-19, 15-24, 23-19, 16-23, 26-19, 13-17, 22-13, 14-18, 30-26, etc., drawn. Credited to Denvir and Bradford. The text would seem to be a fine vary, used by the late Colorado master on mail play.

D---Forms a fine problem to arise in play--- Black to move and draw.

Basic Checkers, despite the title, is a rather advanced work, but the problem above isn't as difficult as you might think. Solve it and then click on Read More for the snappy solution ... and then order your copy of the book!

Willie's title for this entry in his fabled Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard is appropriately named, for at least two reasons. One is that the solution to Willie's position resembles, in an imaginative way, the action of a windmill as represented on a checkerboard. The other reason is that Willie seems to have been tilting at windmills a bit, and makes a most atypical misjudgment of the final outcome. Let's have a look and a listen as Willie sets forth his premise.

"This time we have a combination in-and-out shot of the type most frequently missed in actual play. The experts seldom 'muff' a straight or ordinary in-and-outer, but there are many kinds of in-and-outs, and the more complex varieties are often overlooked, even by top-flight champions.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W30,28,27,26,19,16,12:B20,17,14,13,11,7,3.

The original terms of this position were Black to Play and Win---Ed.

A---If black plays 13-17 here, white brings home the draw with this timely stroke: 13-17, 18-15*, 11-18, 12-8*, 3-26, 31-22-15-6, 7-11, 6-2, 11-15, 2-6, 9-13, 6-9, 14-18, 21-14, 15-19, 30-26, 13-17, 9-13, 17-22, 26-17, 19-23. Wm. F. Ryan.

B---Caught and caged! Black now executes a whirlwind shot with a double-action in-and-outer. Of course, 30-26, 17-21, 26-22*, 21-25,19-15, 11-18, 22-15, 14-18, 15-11, 7-10,12-8, 3-19, 27-24, will corral a draw easily. Wm. F. Ryan."

1---28-24 might be better here as Black now gets a small advantage---Ed.

2---14-17 would have held Black's small edge---Ed.

Can you find the combination shot that draws (not wins) for Black, or will you tilt at windmills yourself? Work it out and spin your mouse to Read More to see the solution and a bit more analysis.

You probably recognize the device shown above; it's called a Tesla Coil. It delivers a very high voltage but an extremely low current and so is a relatively safe gadget, and was used back in the day to do all sorts of "shocking" and "unbelievable" tricks such as making a woman's hair stand up and other stunts of a similar ilk. Of course, shining the light of scientific explanation on these parlor tricks demonstrated clearly how it was done and provided a modicum of education as well as amusement.

So, we weren't sure whether to call this column "Shocking" instead of "Believe It Or Don't" because today's problem contains an element of both sharp surprise and incredulity; and it's entertaining as well as didactic. Let's go straight to the diagram.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W18,14,12,K4:B9,5,3,K2.

Although you may not believe it at first glance, Black has an easy win in this position! As with many such "unbelievable" things, a little deeper look usually reveals the truth of the matter. Still and all, Black seems to be in as much of a jam as White; how can he pull off what might be seen as a rather shocking quick win? As they say, believe it and make it so.

When you've come up with your answer, click on Read More for the electrifying and completely believable solution.

Croon, June, spoon, moon ... these were the rhymes used in many a song during the days of what was known in the music business as "Tin Pan Alley," which had its reign during much of the same era that the game of checkers had its own, from the late 1800s through perhaps the 1930s. Though the songs of Tin Pan Alley might seem trite and shopworn to a modern audience, in their own day they were, as they say, "The Cat's Meow."

You certainly aren't reading our column, though, because you think checkers is shopworn or trite; we're certainly of the opinion that it remains as fresh and interesting as ever a game could be. So, to help you croon at the start of June, we've brought you an especially pleasing speed problem. Bit we won't give you the typical three or so minutes that a Tin Pan Alley song would last; you've got only 20 seconds--- maybe just enough time for a quick chorus.

When you're ready to croon, click on the link below to display the problem and start the clock ticking. When you're done, come back and click on Read More and we'll sing out the solution.

June Speed Problem (20 second time limit; fairly easy)

Perpetual motion, like alchemy, was a dream of scientists of a bygone era. Not equipped with the knowledge and tools of later days, they hoped to build a machine that was self-sustaining and would operate forever. Alas, such a thing is not possible; reaching 100% efficiency in the practical world simply doesn't happen, and, lacking energy input of some type, everything runs down in the end. As with the search for a way to turn base materials into gold, the quest for perpetual motion was never to succeed. Still, much time, effort, and ingenuity was expended designing devices such as the one shown above.

Perpetual motion of a different kind, however, can be found in the game of checkers. While we're not going to give away any more than that, you'll understand our meaning when you've worked through today's problem, which is diagrammed below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W8,9,10,21,26:BK1,K2,K18,K29.

White has five men against four kings; his extra piece is going to go fast and then four men have to face four kings. It seems hopeless, but there is a brilliant way to draw which demonstrates once again the incredible possibilities present on the checkerboard.

Don't just go through the motions; perpetuate your efforts and find the solution! And as you know, clicking on Read More is our perpetually-valid means of moving to the solution.

The title for today's Checker School lesson, taken from Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers, has less to do with the position itself than with the commentary that follows it in the original book. We'll look at the position first, and we'll discuss the commentary in the solutions section of our column.

A. J. HEFFNER
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W13,18,K19:B5,6,12,K28.

White seeks to obtain a man-down draw; as usual, there are compensatory factors that must be relied upon to make up for the material deficit. Here, White's better mobility seems to be his only edge, but whether or not that's enough depends on the skill and technique of the White checkerist.

Can you untangle this one, or will it remain a knotty problem? No worries, you can click on Read More to unwind the solution, explanatory notes, and a sample game, as well as viewing the "Tangled Skeins" commentary.

We're not at all sure we understand the title of this month's selection from Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard. The entry is labeled "Russell's Crocodile" yet it is all about the Alligator Position! Crocodiles and alligators are most assuredly different creatures; while they are varieties of crocodilians, they respectively belong to the crocodylidae family and the alligatoridae family. Furthermore, according to website wisegeek.com:

"... the crocodile's upper and lower jaws are nearly the same width, so the teeth are exposed all along the jaw line in an interlocking pattern, even when the mouth is closed ... An alligator ... has a wider upper jaw, so when its mouth is closed the teeth in the lower jaw fit into sockets of the upper jaw, hidden from view. Only the teeth of the upper jaw are exposed along the lower jaw line."

We don't know why Willie mixed his metaphor, so to speak; perhaps it is because his expertise ran stronger in checkers than it did in biology. But we can all be grateful for that, as Willie today gives us an entertaining example of the Alligator Position.

"For sheer brilliance, none of the previously illustrated sparkling gems devised by the great men of draughts shines brighter than the renowned Alligator Position. It was first published as a problem by W. H. Russell at the stage diagrammed below. Later, Southern States Champion F. B. Fishburne, of Columbia, South Carolina, showed how it could arise scientifically in play. Fishburne dubbed it the Alligator Position, 'because it had such a wicked tail-end snap,' and that appropriate appellation has held fast.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W10,15,19,23,27,32:B1,3,8,12,16,20.

A---Loses, and forms the Alligator Position. 1-5 will produce a draw with careful play---6."

3---This move loses and we're surprised Willie didn't flag it. Correct was 23-19 to a probable draw. After 31-27 2-6 4-8 White cannot avoid the loss of a piece---Ed.

4---But White misses the win with 2-6---Ed.

5---The computer engine KingsRow really doesn't like this move and calls it a probable loss. 1-6 was correct---Ed.

6---However the computer sees this as a dead loss, instead choosing 3-8 in an already hopeless position. See Note 5 above---Ed.

Whatever species you may prefer--- alligator or crocodile--- can you get your teeth around this problem? After you've chewed on it for a while, snap your mouse on Read More to see the solution.

Following on the heels of last month's "Two Fisted" checker problem, this month we again play real "hardball" with a position that one of the greats of checker history managed to get wrong. More about that when we discuss the solution, but first let's look at the following diagram.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W19,20,25,27,28,29,30,32:B3,7,8,11,12,13,14,17.

The originally published comment on this position was "... the following beautiful position ... appears to be a forced White win." That was something over 85 years ago. Modern computer analysis by KingsRow with the 10-piece endgame database declares the position a likely White win, but with a line of play different from the one published decades back.

In the solution, reached by clicking on Read More, we'll show you the computer line and give you a little more historical background. But first, we invite you to do your own analysis, and at the very least, decide how you would play the position. Certainly, it's a practical exercise, and although indeed we're playing hardball in asking you to do better than one of the game's leading champions of yore, the solution is surprisingly accessible.

In previous years, at this point on the calendar, we've explored the various meanings of both the term "Mayday!" and the various festivals that take place on the first day of May. And, although we've looked at the political aspects before, having come across the photo above, we can't help but revisit the topic once again.

The photo is of the enormous and elaborate "First of May Stadium" found in Pyonyang, the capital of the euphemistically-named Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), better known simply as "North Korea." The photo makes us marvel at the ability of this nation to build huge monuments to Communism and to its own maniacal leadership; to invest heavily in military "defense"; and most of all, to carry out an active nuclear weapons development program--- yet at the same time to be utterly unable to do something as basic as to keep its own people from starving. North Korea is neither "democratic" nor a "people's republic"; it is something both far less and far worse.

As we've so often said, The Checker Maven makes no excuse for standing up in the name of freedom and liberty.

But what has all this to do with checkers? Quite a lot, actually. If you want to think about what is truly "democratic" and what is truly for "the people" then there is little better a model than the game of checkers. It's democratic: anyone can play, and anyone can succeed to whatever degree they wish to work toward that success. It's for the people: checkers is a game that is very easy to learn, incredibly inexpensive, and wholesome, intellectual, and entertaining all at once.

In fact we'd like to suggest the "checkers model" for government, wherein all "men" are created equally, with no special powers or privileges except those earned through the hard work of making his or her way to the crowning row.

All that said, we know you'd like to see your weekly checker problem, and instead of the usual monthly speed problem, we've chosen a problem that is rather easy but still a bit beyond something that should be solved against the clock.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W12,32,K17,K25:B3,7,23,K27.

Now, this is a democracy, and as one of the "people" you can exercise freedom of choice in selecting your moves. Can you lead the beleaguered force of Black freedom fighters to a win against the army of the White tyrant? Although no one is going to build a huge stadium in your honor if you succeed, we hope you'll try it anyhow, and then click on Read More to see the solution.