Are you celebrating the upcoming New Year's Eve on an elegant cruise ship off the coast of O`ahu? Well, don't feel bad, we're not either (though maybe some day we might). We'll likely stay home in our Honolulu location and watch the goings on from our lanai.

We'd like to present you with an alternative, though, to parties and dancing. We have a checker problem that is difficult enough to carry you through the evening and into the early hours of the morning. It's non-alcoholic, doesn't require driving or pushing your way through a crowded dance floor, and is completely free. What else can you find on New Year's Eve that doesn't come with a stiff price tag? (That's why we're skipping the cruise this year, in fact; at nearly $300 per person we'd much rather play checkers instead.)

Here is a position that even champion Tom Wiswell called "challenging."

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw
W:W28,27,25,23,22,18,17,14:B20,16,13,11,9,5,3,1.

Can you cruise to a solution this New Year's Eve, or even sooner? There's no need to wait, though; clicking on Read More will ensure a smooth voyage straight to the answer.

Solution

28-24 1-6 14-10 6-15 25-21 3-8 17-14 8-12 21-17 15-19 24-8 16-19 23-16 12-19 8-3 19-23 14-10 23-32 10-6 32-27---A 18-15 27-23 15-11 20-24 6-1 24-27 3-7 27-31 7-10* 31-27 10-6 27-24 11-7 24-19 7-2 19-15 2-7 Drawn---B.

A---20-24 also draws here; play is similar to the main line.

B---Neither side can accomplish anything; for instance, 15-19 7-11 19-24 6-10 24-19 11-15 19-24 and no one is going to make any progress.

Whether you solved this challenger or not, a Happy New Year to you from The Checker Maven!