The Checker Maven

A Real Fooler

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Everyone knows the old saying "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

But in our game of checkers, and especially in the realm of checker problems, we're willing to be fooled over and over again, and we react not with resentment but with enjoyment--- and thanks.

Who isn't pleased to be fooled by a problem composed by someone as great as Tom Wiswell? See what you think of the one below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W11,15,21,27,28,32:B3,4,8,14,20,25.

We warn you that this is a difficult problem, though it has at its heart a simple theme. Will you be fooled but delighted? Or will you fool around enough to find the solution? Give it a try, and then give a no-fooling click on Read More to see the solution.



Solution

27-23 25-30 23-19 30-26 11-7 3-10 15-6 26-23 6-2!---A 23-16 2-6 16-19 6-10 14-18 10-15! 19-10 28-24 20-27 32-7 Drawn.

A---19-16 8-12 16-11 20-24 28-19 23-7 Black Wins; or 19-15 23-18 15-10 14-17 21-14 18-2 Black Wins.

Other minor variations in the solution are possible, but if you solved this one, you're surely no fool!

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Rawpixel CC0

03/13/10 - Category: Problems
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