With this issue, The Checker Maven completes its first full year of publication. We're one year old today!

During our first year, we like to think we've done pretty well. Here's some of what we've been able to accomplish.

• We've gone from a handful of readers to an average weekly circulation of over 2,500, thanks to you, our loyal and valued patrons.
• We've published original problems including some of Brian Hinkle's best.
• We've published new Switcher analysis by none other than Richard Fortman.
• We've presented new electronic books by grandmaster Richard Pask.
• For better or worse, we've introduced Marvin J. Mavin and an alternate reality in which checkers is America's number one professional sport.
• We've run well over a hundred articles and maintained a reliable publication schedule.
• We've pioneered speed problems with a challenging (and unforgiving) Javascript timer.
• We've achieved a rather decent Google 'page rank' which is something completely unbiased and not subject to spin and hype.
• ... and we've done all this and much more, in a completely free, non-commercial format.

What lies ahead for The Checker Maven? Predictions are always a bit iffy, so we'll simply say that we hope to be able to continue to publish and please for a long time to come.