Today's offering in our monthly series of excerpts from Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, entitled Freeman's Flashback, is another entry that in modern terms can't be called "politically correct." Reflecting the approach of a different era, Willie makes a comment that, while innocent in intent, would no longer be considered "acceptable."

We note that we're not ourselves offended by remarks that mean no harm and in fact cause none, and it's our humble opinion that the notion of needing to be "politically correct" has been taken way too far. But that's a topic for a different forum, and we'd much rather let Willie show us another gem of the checkerboard.

"Here is how 'World Beater' Clarence Freeman of Providence, Rhode Island, polished off 'Stonewall' Barker of Boston, Massachusetts, in an American Championship match game, many years ago. Freeman, a full-blooded Pequot Indian, required no tomahawk to 'scalp' almost all of the leading players of his day. Like Reed, he was a brilliant cross-board player.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W13,15,18,19,24,27,30,32:B2,6,8,9,10,12,17,20.

A---Barker walks right into the net. The only moves for a draw are: 2-7*, 18-14, 17-22, 13-9, 10-17, 9-2, 7-11, 15-10---1, 11-16, 19-15---2, 22-26, 30-23, 16-19, etc."---3

1---2-7 draws as well---Ed.

2---Or 10-7---Ed.

3---23-16 12-28 27-24 20-28 32-23 to a clear draw---Ed.

You don't need to be "PC" to solve this problem; you just need to be a good checkerist. After you've sought the "correct" expression of the solution, no one will dispute that clicking on Read More isn't the best way of seeing how it's done "correctly."

Solution

"Continue: 27-23, 20-27, 18-14, 9-18, 23-7, 2-18, 32-14, 8-11, 30-26, 17-21, 26-22, 11-16, 19-15, 21-25, 22-18, 25-30, 14-9, and white wins."