The Checker Maven

Traffic Jam

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Paradise has a price. A surprising fact is that Honolulu traffic is second only to Los Angeles in the United States. The photo above tells it all as we see an all too common jam-up on the H1 highway.

We've just given you a big hint, by the way, to the solution of today's Checker School problems. And here's another hint: solve the second one first. These aren't especially easy, so be patient and persevere, just as you would have to do in a traffic jam.

T. LEAR - T. POOL
WHITE
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BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W21,K15,13,12,K8:BK22,K16,14,6,3.

D. KIRKWOOD
WHITE
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BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:WK28,17,12,K1:BK27,K18,K9,3.

Don't get yourself in a jam; solve the problems and then jam that mouse down on Read More to see the solutions, sample games, and explanatory notes.20050904-symbol.gif



Solutions

The positions, solutions, sample games, and lettered notes come 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.

Lear and Pool: 16-11, 13-9, 11-18, 9-2, 18-15---A, 2-6, 14-18, 6-9, 18-23, 9-14, 15-18, 14-9, 23-26, 8-11, 26-30, 11-16, 30-25, 9-5, 18-14, 16-19, 22-18, 19-16, 25-30, 16-20, 30-26, 5-1, 26-23, 20-24, 18-15, 24-28---1, 23-27, 1-5, 15-18, 5-1, 14-9, 21-17. Forms Kirkwood's Position.

Kirkwood: 9-5, 1-6---B, 27-23, 28-24, 23-26, 24-19, 26-22, 17-13, 5-1, 6-9, 22-17, 19-24, 17-14, 9-5---2, 18-15, 24-28, 15-11, 28-24, 3-7!---3, 24-19, 7-10, 13-9---4, 11-16, 19-24, 10-15, 12-8, 15-19!, 24-15, 16-11. Black Wins---5.

Game: 11-15, 21-17, 9-13, 25-21, 8-11, 23-18, 12-16, 24-20, 4-8, 28-24, 8-12, 32-28, 6-9, 26-23, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 1-5, 30-26, 5-9, 27-24, 11-15, 20-11, 7-16, 24-20, 15-24, 20-11, 12-16, 22-18, 13-22, 26-17, 16-19, 23-16, 14-23, 17-13, 10-14, 13-6, 2-9, 29-25, 9-13, 25-22, 23-27, 16-12, 27-32, 11-8, 32-28, 31-26, 24-27, 26-23, 27-31, 22-18, 31-27, 18-9, 27-18, 8-4, 28-24, 4-8, 24-19, 8-11, 19-15, 11-16, 18-14, 9-5, 13-17, 16-20, 17-22, 20-24, 22-26, 5-1, 26-31, 1-6, 15-18, 6-1, 18-23, 1-6, 23-27, 24-28, 31-26, 28-32, 26-23, 32-28, 23-18, 6-1, 14-9, 21-17. Forms above position by D. Kirkwood. Switcher, Var. 4, Lyman's Problem Book.

Game: 9-13, 23-18, 5-9, 26-23, 10-14, 21-17, 14-21, 18-15, 11-18, 23-5, 6-10, 27-23, 8-11, 24-20, 4-8, 28-24, 10-15, 32-28, 15-19---F, 23-16, 12-19, 24-15, 11-18, 22-15, 7-11, 15-10, 2-6, 31-27, 6-15, 27-23, 8-12, 23-18, 15-22, 25-18, 3-7, 28-24, 7-10, 24-19, 13-17, 29-25, 17-22, 18-14, 22-29, 14-7, 1-6, 7-3, 6-10, 5-1---G, 11-15, 1-6, 15-24, 6-15, 29-25, 3-7, 25-22, 7-10, 24-28, 10-14, 28-32, 14-18, 22-17, 15-19, 32-28. Compare to Lear and Pool. Note A, at 6th move colors reversed. J. Ferrie.

A---22-17, 8-11---C, 17-13, 11-16, 18-15, 2-6, 14-18, 6-1, 18-23, 1-6, 23-26, 6-1, 26-30, 1-5, 30-26, 16-20, 26-23, 20-24, 15-18, 5-1, 13-9, 1-5, 9-14, 5-1, 15-18, 24-28, 23-27, 1-5, 15-18, 5-1, 14-9, 21-17. Forms the Kirkwood Position. Broughton, Vanner, Janvier and others, No. 186 Gould's Problem Book.

B---28-32, 27-23, 32-28, 23-26, 28-24, 26-22, 17-13, 18-15, 24-20, 15-11, 20-24, 22-18, 24-19, 18-14, 19-23, 14-10, 23-19, 11-7, 19-23, 10-6, 1-10, 7-14, 23-27, 5-1, 27-23, 1-6, 23-19, 6-10. Black Wins by Second Position. Lear and Pool.

C---2-6, 17-13/ 6-1, 18-15, 1-6, 14-18, 6-1, 18-23, 1-6, 23-27, 6-1, 27-31, 1-6, 31-27, 6-1, 27-23, 1-6, 23-18, 6-1, 18-14, 1-5---D, 14-10, 5-1, 13-9, 1-5, 9-14, 5-1, 10-7, 1-6, 7-11, 8-4, 14-10---E, 6-1, 15-18, 1-5, 18-14, 5-1, 14-9, 1-5, 9-6, 21-17, 10-7, 17-13, 7-10, 5-9, 6-1. Black Wins.

D---1-6, 14-9, 6-1, 9-5, 1-6, 5-1, 6-2, 1-6, 2-9, 13-6, 21-17, 6-9, 17-13, 9-6. Black Wins.

E---15-18, 6-1, 14-9, 1-5, 9-6, 21-17, 18-22, 17-13, 6-1, or 22-18. Black Wins.

F---Occurred between J. Ferrie and A. B. Scott, 1911 Scottish Championship Tourney; 7-10 draws J. Ferrie.

G---Scott played 19-16, 12-19, 3-7, 11-15, 7-14, 19-23. Drawn.

1---White has a King in each double corner. How is Black supposed to win?

2---Black has made some progress. Effectively, the King on 24 is White's only mobile piece. But Black's only "unassigned" piece is the King on 18. Where's the win?

3---Black has switched guardians.

4---White makes a last-ditch run for it. 19-23 won't work with Black winning along these lines:10-15 23-27 15-19 27-32 19-24 32-28 11-16 28x19 16x23 12-8 23-18 8-3 14-10 3-8 18-15 8-3 15-11 13-9 10-15 Black Wins.

5---15-19 11-4 and now 19-15 4-8 15-19 8-11 etc. Black now has two ways to win. Either the two "free" Black kings can hunt down the lone "free" White king and then White will have to play 9-6 and lose, or Black can just circle around and pick up the man on 9. Corner traffic jams can be deadly!

The above position by Lear and Pool, with White King on 4, instead of on 8, was published under the heading, "Original Situations," with the Wyllie-Martins Match Games, 1864, with the terms "White to Play and Draw." It had been published five years previously in the New York Clipper, by Mr. E. Hull, of Philadelphia, with the same terms. Its second appearance drew renewed attention to it, and Messrs, Janvier, Pool, Lear and Broughton all gave play to prove a win.

We found it as a prize problem in the "Draught Board," March 1871, Page 29. Here in turn it was taken from the "Gentlemen's Journal." Terms to draw, without author's name.

It is No. 526 in Lyman's Problem Book, credited to Lear and Pool, with a note that it was first published by E. Hull as a draw.
In Gould's Problem Book it is No. 186 by E. Hull; "A notable American Prize Problem," and as No. 828, by J. Miller, whose solution was taken from the Glasgow Herald.

D. Kirkwood's Position is No. 289 Lyman's Problem Book.

02/21/15 - Category: Books -Printer friendly version-
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