Checker School: Coming From Behind, Part 1

It's happened to any checkerist who has ever played beyond the starting position. We've gone a man down and we're looking for a way to at least save the draw. In the next few articles in our Checker School series, we'll have a look at some classic man-down draw positions. Now, depending on where you are in your checker career, this may be new material or just review. But either way, we're certain that knowledge of these positions will pull you out of many a predicament.

This month we'll start with a position attributed to A. Sinclair. Our solution and commentary is from Boland's classic work, Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

Black is a man down, but he has two kings, to White's one, and the two White men are jammed on the single-corner side of the board. So Black might have a chance to rescue the situation.... but how?

Try this one out, and then click on Read More to nail down the technique.



Solution and Commentary by Ben Boland

23-18, 24-19, 18-14, 19-15, 22-26, 29-25, 26-30, 15-11, 14-18, 11-7, 30-26, 7-10, 26-30, 10-6, 30-26, 6-9, 26-23, 9-13, 18-22, 25-18. Drawn.

Game: 11-15, 23-19, 9-14, 27-23, 8-11, 22-18, 15-22, 25-9, 5-14, 29-25, 6-9, 25-22, 9-13, 22-18, 14-17, 21-14, 10-17-S, 18-14, 17-22, 26-17, 13-22, 23-18, 2-6-A, 31-27, 3-8, 24-20, 7-10, 14-7, 11-16, 20-11, 8-31, 32-27, 31-24, 28-19, 6-10, 7-2, 1-5, 2-7, 10-14, 18-9, 5-14, 7-10, 14-17, 10-15, 17-21, 15-11, 22-25, 19-15, 25-29, 15-10, 29-25, 10-7, 25-22, 7-3, 22-18, 3-7, 18-23-B, 11-15, 4-8, 7-10, 23-27, 10-7. Forms the above position, colors reversed, at 15th move. H. Lindsay.

Game: 10-14, 22-18, 11-15, 18-11, 8-15, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 6-10, 25-22, 4-8, 27-24, 8-11, 24-20, 11-15, 19-16, 12-19, 23-16. Same as above game at S, colors reversed. Kear's Encyclopedia, Page 285, Var. 28, continuation is the same but Note B is not given, and credited to "Dunne or Lindsay."

A---11-16, 19-15, 16-19, 15-11, 7-16, 24-15, 16-19, 14-9, 19-23, 15-10, 23-26, 30-26, 22-25, 23-19, 25-30, 19-15. Drawn. MacFarlane.

B---Forms Problem No. 276 by F. Dunne, Lyman's Problem Book; 18-14, 11-15, 12-16, 7-11, 16-20, 15-19, 14-10, 11-15, 10-7, 15-18, 7-11, 19-16, 11-8, 16-19, 8-12, 18-23, 4-8, 23-27, 8-11, 27-32, 12-8, 32-27, 8-3, 27-23, 3-7, 23-27, 7-10, 27-32, 11-15, 19-23, 10-14, 23-27, 15-18, 27-31, 18-22, 31-27, 22-25, 27-31, 25-29, 31-27, 29-25, 27-31, 25-22, 31-27, 22-18, 27-31, 18-15, 31-27, 15-19, 32-28, 14-18, 28-32, 19-24, 27-31, 18-23, 31-26. Drawn. This is also Var. 26, Robertson's Guide.

The above position is No. 64, Lyman's Problem Book, but probably goes back to the Glasgow Herald.

The above game by H. Lindsay and Note B by F. Dunne may be found on Page 261, the New England Checker Player, Nov.1879, Vol. 4. Janvier's "Sturges" corrections on the defiance game.

Robertson in his guide and J. MacFarlane in the Herald (Glasgow) Oct. 20, 1888 also claim the above game by Lindsay.

10/29/05 - Category: Problems -Printer friendly version-
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