We continue to electronically reprint Willie Ryan's unmatched classic, Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, in tantalizing monthly installments. This month, we feature a twelve move debacle and a thrilling triple action shot. Willie himself explains.

A Twelve-Move Sack

It takes only one bad move to make a total wreck out of a good healthy position, as the reader will note from a cursory examination of this well-known 12-move mop-up. White's play up to A is sound enough; but with 21-17, black cuts loose with a withering blast of fireworks. Proceed:

10-14 24-19 11-16 28-24 16-20 19-15 9-13 23-19 7-10 32-28 14-18 21-17---A, forming the diagram.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W15,17,19,22,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31:B1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10,12,13,18,20.

A---This is where white misses the boat. The following is correct to draw: 26-23, 2-7, 23-14, 10-26, 30-23, 8-11, 15-8, 4-11, 31-26, 6-10, 19-16, 12-19, 24-6, 1-10, 26-22, 10-14, 22-17, 13-22, 25-9, 5-14, 29-25, 11-15, 25-22, 7-10, 22-17, 15-18, 17-13, 18-22, 13-9, 22-26, 9-6, 10-15, 6-2, 15-18. Wm. F. Ryan.

An Old Familiar

The following catch is well-known to all expert players, and is particularly useful in crossboard play, because it arises from several openings. In this example, a triple action shot does the trick, white executing three separate double jumps in succession.

9-13 23-19 6-9 27-23 9-14 22-18 11-15 18-11 8-15 23-18 14-23---A. See the diagram.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W19,21,24,25,26,28,29,30,31,32:B1,2,3,4,5,7,10,12,13,15,23.

A---The wrong jump. The correct play is: 15-22, 25-9, 5-14, 19-16, 12-19, 24-6, 1-10, 29-25, 4-8, 25-22, 8-11, 28-24, 11-15, 32-27, 7-11, 26-23, 3-8, 30-26, 14-18, 23-7, 15-19, 24-15, 11-25, ending in a draw.

Don't get sacked yourself; clicking on Read More will bring you solutions and commentary.

Solutions

A Twelve Move Sack

Continue: 10-14, 17-10, 13-17, 22-13, 18-23, 27-18, 20-27, 31-24, 8-11, 15-8, 6-31, and black wins---i; a fine practical stroke.

i---Editor's Note: the black win here may not be obvious to everyone. Black's king is supposedly the winning advantage, but one winning line goes like this:

25-21, 4-11, 21-17, 31-17, 24-20, 3-7 (not 27-24 19-15) black wins on the threat of 11-16.

It may seem that white can trade off the black king with 30-26 and neutralize the black advantage, but this loses also:

24-19, 4-11, 30-26, 31-22, 25-18, 5-9, 13-6, 1-10, 29-25, 3-7, 25-22 black wins.

An Old Familiar

Continue: 19-16, 12-19, 21-17, 13-22, 25-11, 7-16, 24-6, 1-10, 26-12, and white wins.