Our electronic republication of Willie Ryan's incomparable Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard continues this week with two situations which Willie says he has used often to bring down less skilled opponents. Here's what Willie has to say about all this.

Drummond's Dead End

Among the relatively few pitfalls I have used hundreds of times in my exhibition demonstrations, this old acorn by bumptious John Drummond, a fiery Scotsman with a pronounced talent at draughts, ranks high. Rack up the pieces. Then move: 9-14, 22-18, 5-9, 25-22, 11-16, 29-25, 16-20, 24-19, 8-11, 28-24---A, forming the position shown on the diagram.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W32,31,30,27,26,25,24,23,22,21,19,18:B20,14,12,11,10,9,7,6,4,3,2,1.

A---No hope for white after this. The only move to draw is: 21-17, 14-21, 18-15, 11-18, 23-5, 4-8, 22-18, 20-24, 27-20, 8-11, 18-14, 10-17, 26-23, 6-10, 31-26, 10-14, 25-22, 11-16, 22-13, 21-25, 30-21, 14-18, 20-11, 7-16, 23-14, 16-30, etc. Wm. F. Ryan.

Decoy For Duffers

This eight-move plot has led countless novices of the game to a defeat begotten by careless procedure. Let's set up the pieces for play. Now move 10-15, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 6-10, 29-25, 10-15; at this point 25-22---A loses, bringing us up to the layout on the diagram.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W32,31,30,28,27,26,24,23,22,21,18:B15,12,11,9,8,7,5,4,3,2,1.

At A, white can play either 26-22 or 18-14 with a firm position in hand.

Editor's Note: Dead-end duffers and charging champions alike can click on Read More to see Willie's solutions to these problems.

Solutions

Drummond's Dead End

Black now forces white into a dead end by: 11-16, 18-15, 4-8, 22-18, 7-11, 26-22, 1-5, 31-26, 3-7, 32-28, 9-13, 18-9, 11-18, 22-25, 5-14, 25-22, 14-18; black wins.

Decoy For Duffers

Black puts the game on ice with 15-19, 23-16, 12-19, 24-15, 9-14, 18-9, 11-25, 9-6, 2-9, 21-17, 25-29, 17-13, 9-14, etc.