As each month we continue to republish Willie Ryan's masterful Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, we can't help but notice that the situations presented are, at least in a general sense, increasing in difficulty.

But no matter. We have Willie at our electronic side to explain it all. Here's one he calls Barker's Bounce for reasons that we'll let him explain for himself.

"This useful study shows how Champion G. F. Barker gave the bounce to James P. Reed in their stubbornly fought American Championship battle of 1891. Ever since that time, the losing move at A has been carefully sidestepped by all alert generals of the board.

forming the diagram.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W17,21,22,25,27,29,30,31,32:B1,2,4,5,6,10,14,15,19.

A---This is where Reed took the road to ruin. The only move that will produce a draw is: 5-9*, 20-11, 15-18, 22-15, 10-26, 30-23, 8-15, 17-10, 15-19, 23-16, 12-19, 10-7, 2-11, 25-22, 11-15, 31-26, 4-8, etc. Willie Gardner."

Will this problem give you the bounce too, or will you rebound and solve it? In any case you can roll along to Willie's solution just by clicking on Read More.

Solution

Continue: 17-13*, 5-9---B, 30-26, 4-8, 27-23, 8-12 (19-24, 31-27, 24-31, 22-17, and white wins), 23-16, 12-19, 31-27, 1-5, 27-23, 19-24, 31-27, 24-31, 22-17, 31-22, 25-11, and white wins.

B---Black cannot go 2-7 or 4-8, as the shot by 13-9, 6-13, 22-17, etc., wins at once. Of course, 14-18 at B is out because of 27-23 in reply.