The antique, hand-operated meat chopper shown in the photo above looks rather wicked, and we'd advise you to keep your all of your fingers well clear when operating this particular instrument. In a somewhat similar manner, you'll need to watch your fingers as you move the pieces in today's installment from Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard. Willie calls it Martins' Meatchopper, and with good reason. Let's let him tell us more.

"Perhaps Robert Martins' chief claim to checker fame is premised on the fact that he was the favorite adversary of James Wyllie, and he played the role with ever-modest but tenacious propriety. These venerable old-timers played seven matches, totaling 388 games, with Martins winning one match, losing four, and drawing two. Here is a fine Martins masterpiece on the Bristol, which I learned when I was a boy.

BLACK

WHITE
Black to Play and Win

B:W32,31,30,28,26,25,23,21,18,15:B19,16,14,10,9,8,6,3,2,1.

A---Loses, and leads to the stroke that follows. White can draw easily with: 31-27, 9-13, 22-18, 1-5, 18-9, 5-14, 27-24, 16-20, 23-16, 20-27, 32-23, 10-19, 16-12 (if 25-22 is played, the draw is attained with 8-12), 2-7, 23-16, 8-11, 25-22, 11-20, 26-23, 6-10, 22-18, 14-17, etc."

Can you operate the meat chopper without slicing your fingers in the process? Work it all out and then chop your mouse on the Read More button to see the solution.

Solution

"Continue: 3-7, 31-27---B, 7-11, 27-24, 16-20, 23-7, 14-23, 26-19, 20-27, 32-23, 2-27, and black wins.

B---If 25-22 is played, then black wins with: 16-20*---1, 23-16, 14-23, 26-19, 7-11, 16-7, 2-25, 19-16, 8-12, 16-11, 25-29, 11-7, 29-25, etc."

1---Willie's star move leads to a fairly narrow win, but the KingsRow engine selects a very pleasing alternative solution: 7-11 30-25 9-13 18x9 11x27 32x23 10-14 31-27 6-10 27-24 10-15 24-20 8-11 9-5 2-6 and White is totally lost---Ed.