In previous years, at this point on the calendar, we've explored the various meanings of both the term "Mayday!" and the various festivals that take place on the first day of May. And, although we've looked at the political aspects before, having come across the photo above, we can't help but revisit the topic once again.

The photo is of the enormous and elaborate "First of May Stadium" found in Pyonyang, the capital of the euphemistically-named Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), better known simply as "North Korea." The photo makes us marvel at the ability of this nation to build huge monuments to Communism and to its own maniacal leadership; to invest heavily in military "defense"; and most of all, to carry out an active nuclear weapons development program--- yet at the same time to be utterly unable to do something as basic as to keep its own people from starving. North Korea is neither "democratic" nor a "people's republic"; it is something both far less and far worse.

As we've so often said, The Checker Maven makes no excuse for standing up in the name of freedom and liberty.

But what has all this to do with checkers? Quite a lot, actually. If you want to think about what is truly "democratic" and what is truly for "the people" then there is little better a model than the game of checkers. It's democratic: anyone can play, and anyone can succeed to whatever degree they wish to work toward that success. It's for the people: checkers is a game that is very easy to learn, incredibly inexpensive, and wholesome, intellectual, and entertaining all at once.

In fact we'd like to suggest the "checkers model" for government, wherein all "men" are created equally, with no special powers or privileges except those earned through the hard work of making his or her way to the crowning row.

All that said, we know you'd like to see your weekly checker problem, and instead of the usual monthly speed problem, we've chosen a problem that is rather easy but still a bit beyond something that should be solved against the clock.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W12,32,K17,K25:B3,7,23,K27.

Now, this is a democracy, and as one of the "people" you can exercise freedom of choice in selecting your moves. Can you lead the beleaguered force of Black freedom fighters to a win against the army of the White tyrant? Although no one is going to build a huge stadium in your honor if you succeed, we hope you'll try it anyhow, and then click on Read More to see the solution.

Solution

23-26---A 32-23 3-8 12-3 26-30 3-10 30-7 Black Wins with the Move.

A---The move order could be reversed and 3-8 played first.