The Unknown Derek Oldbury

COLUMN NUMBER 3


Problem Number 3: By Derek Oldbury

White to move and win

I call this one 'Snake Dance'. Can you see why?


Solution To Problem Number 2: 14-9; 5-14 22-17; 14-18 23-14; 28-24 13-9; 24-19 9-6; 19-23 (trying to put off the evil day) 6-1 (essential); 23-19 1-6; 19-15 (forced now) 6-2; 15-8 2-7; 3-10 12-3; 10-15 14-10; 21-7 3-19. White wins.


Game Number 3. 'Denny' Opening


Black: Sam Cohen; White: Derek Oldbury. Black men on squares 1 to 12; white men on squares 21 to 32.

Start moving: 10-14 24-20; 7-10 (the opening was selected by ballot, and is nobody's choice, being very weak for Black) 22-18; 9-13 18-9; 5-14 28-24; 3-7 (Cohen played this move more or less on my recommendation: it is no good. All's fair in draughts.) 25-22; 1-5 22-17* (starting a 'pincer movement'); 13-22 26-17; 11-15 23-19; 5-9 (to force that terrible piece on 17 to move) 29-25 (spectators thought I had overplayed my hand); 9-13 25-22; 15-18 (breaking it up) 22-15; 13-22 Forms Diagram: White to move

Continue: 19-16 (devastating; we all dream of moves like this); 12-28 30-26; 10-19 26-1 etc.  White won the endgame. From the 1950 British Championship Tournament, held at Sheffield. [* A pencilled note by DEO reads simply '24-19: White wins.']


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