Are you cross when you find yourself in a loss?

Today's installment from our ongoing republication of Willie Ryan's unmatched Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard deals not with crossness, but with the Cross opening (more accurately, the Cresent Cross), and a neat trap that, should you fall into it, might indeed lead to a cross disposition. But you can avoid this terrible fate by studying this example and paying attention to Willie as he explains as only he can do.

An Interesting Cross Loss

"The 26-23 line of the cross (4th move) has never enjoyed the same popularity among top-notchers as that of the 27-23 build-up. I am among the few moderns who are partial to it. The play presented on the next page reveals the one trap I have used most frequently with the white pieces:

11-15, 23-18, 8-11, 26-23, 10-14---A, 30-26, 7-10---C, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 11-16, 22-17, 4-8, 26-22, 9-13---D, 18-9, 5-14, forming the diagram.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W17,19,21,22,23,25,27,29,31,32:B1,2,3,6,8,10,12,13,14,16.

A---If 4-8 is used, then proceed with 30-26, 10-14, 24-19, 15-24; at this point, 27-20* is still essential, as 28-19 loses by 11-16, 32-28---B, 6-10, 22-17 (27-24, 8-11; now 22-17 is beaten by 11-15, and 24-20 by 10-15), 8-11, 26-22 (if 17-13, 10-15 wins), 1-6, 17-13, 14-17, 21-14, 10-26, 31-22, 7-10, 25-21, 16-20, 29-25, 3-7, 22-17, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 19-15, 11-18, 23-19, 7-11, and black wins. Wm. F. Ryan vs. H. L. Rudolph.

B---22-17, 8-11, 17-10, 6-24, 27-20, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 25-22, 16-19, 23-16, 12-19, 22-17, 7-10, 29-25, 3-8, 17-13, 8-12, 25-22, 11-15, 22-17, 14-18, 17-14, 10-17, 21-14, 18-23, 26-22, 23-26, 14-10, 26-30, and black wins. Wm. F. Ryan.

C---If 6-10, 24-19, 15-24, then 27-20* is correct to draw; but 28-19 loses by 11-16, 18-15 (22-17 loses immediately by 10-15), 1-6, 15-11, 14-18 *, 22-15, 9-14, 26-22, 14-18, 23-14, 16-23, 27-18, 10-26, 31-22, 7-16, 21-17, 3-7, 25-21, 16-19, 32-27, 7-10, 15-11, 2-7, etc., and black wins. Wm. F. Ryan. This win corrects draw play by Hugh McKean, W. D. Benstead, and others.

D---Tempting, but fatal. The correct play is 16-20, 17-13, 8-11, 22-17, 12-16*, 19-12, 10-15, 17-10, 15-22, 25-18, 6-22, 13-6, 1-10, 21-17, 5-9, 23-18, 9-13, 32-28, 11-16, 27-23, 2-7, 18-14, 10-15, 23-18, etc., resulting in a draw. Wm. F. Ryan."

Don't be cross yourself if you have trouble finding the solution; click on Read More to see how Willie does it.

Solution

Continue: 19-15, 10-26, 17-10, 6-15, 22-17, 13-22, 25-4, 26-30, 4-8, 16-20, 8-11, 3-7, 11-8, 1-6, 8-3, 7-10, 3-8, 6-9, 8-11, 9-13, 29-25, 12-16, 27-24, 20-27, 11-20, and white wins.