The Unknown Derek Oldbury

COLUMN NUMBER 26

Problem Number 26: By Derek Oldbury

White to move and draw

A lesson in single corner herding

Solution To Problem Number 25:  ... 1-6; 25-30 26-22; 30-26 6-10; 26-17 18-15; 11-18 10-15; 17-10 15-24; 20-27 32-7. White wins.

Game Number 26. 'Denny' Opening

An original game played in the semi-final of the 1948 Masters correspondence tourney; E.C.Whiting (present British correspondence champion) having the white pieces, and J. Thorpe (London) the black pieces. Set black men on squares 1 to 12; white men on squares 21 to 32.

Start moving: 10-14 24-20; 7-10 (the 3-move ballot) 22-18; 9-13 (considered safest, though 11-16 will draw)18-9; 5-14 28-24; 11-15 23-19; 8-11 26-22 (a new attack at the time); 14-18 (correct reply) 31-26; 4-8 32-28; 10-14 19-10; 6-15 26-23; 3-7 21-17; 14-21 23-14; 15-19 24-15; 11-18 22-15; 7-10 14-7; 2-18 25-22; 18-25 29-22; 8-11 Forms Diagram: White to move

Continue: ... 28-24 (White has several strong attacks, but the text seems strongest); 1-6 24-19; 6-10 22-18; 13-17 30-26; 21-25 26-23; 11-16 (Black finds the right move) 20-11; 17-21 11-7; 25-30 7-2; 30-26 19-16 (clearing the position as White, a piece up, cannot retain it); 26-19 27-23; 19-26 2-6; 12-19 6-24. Drawn.