Ah, that celebrated, most famous author of all time: Anonymous, who sometimes goes under the pseudonym "Author Unknown." With so many stories and poems and yes, even checker problems to this author's credit, Anonymous must have been (and still is) tremendously prolific, not to mention exceptionally long-lived, nigh on to immortal.

The famous Mr. (or is it Mrs. or Miss?) Anonymous, using the aforementioned pen-name of "Author Unknown," is credited with today's problem position in our ongoing Checker School series.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W32,27,20,18:B12,11,10,9.

Don't be a checker unknown; try to solve the problem. But if the solution remains unknown, you can always click on Read More to reveal the position's identity, so to speak.

Solution

Solution, lettered notes and sample games are from Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers. Numbered notes are by the editor using the KingsRow computer engine and 10-piece endgame database.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W32,27,20,18:B12,11,10,9.

32-28---2, 10-15---A, 20-16---3, 12-19, 27-24. Drawn---4.

Game: 9-13, 24-20, 11-15, 22-17, 13-22, 25-11, 8-15, 29-25, 4-8, 25-22, 5-9, 27-24, 8-11, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 9-14---S, 22-18, 14-17, 21-14, 10-17, 19-15, 3-8, 23-19, 6-9, 19-16, 12-19, 26-22, 17-26, 30-26, 7-10, 16-7, 2-11, 15-6, 1-10, 31-27, 8-12. Forms above position. R. Sallaway, Kear's Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition, Page 451, Note X.

Game: 9-14, 24-19, 11-15, 27-24, 8-11, 22-18, 15-22, 25-9, 5-14, 29-25, 11-15, 25-22, 4-8, 24-20, 15-24, 28-19, 8-11. Forms above game at S. R. Sallaway, Game No. 1118 in the London "People." Also C. Hefter, Game No. 1596, the Draughts Review, Vol. 7, 1931.

Game: 11-15, 23-19, 9-14, 27-23, 8-11, 22-18, 15-22, 25-9, 5-14, 29-25, 11-15, 24-20, 15-24, 28-19, 4-8, 25-22, 8-11. Forms above game at S. H. Jackson, Game No. 3060, Newcastle Weekly Chronicle.

A---If 12-16, 18-15, 10-19---1, 27-24, etc. Drawn.

1---11-18 20-11 18-22 27-23 etc. Drawn.

2---Anything else loses. Try it!

3---This common stratagem is the key to drawing many positions.

4---15-22 24-8 and there is no play left in the resulting tableau.

The above position was first published in "The People," an English Periodical. It may also be found as No. 88, in Steams' "World's Problem Book," 1900. Compare the above position to J. Tonar, Page 186 (in Mr. Boland's book---Ed.).