Checker players can take an important lesson from working moms, who do double duty--- they are full-time employees as well as full-time mothers and homemakers. We often wonder how they have the mental and physical stamina to do it all.

You might think the point we're making is that, as checkerists, we can ourselves do "double duty" and fit checker study and play into our busy lives (admittedly, much less of a task than that faced by working moms). While a valid point, that's not where we're going in today's column. You'll get the idea when you solve the problem diagrammed below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W32,30,28,K14,13:B23,20,19,16,5.

Can you find the White win right away, or will you have to double back and try again? Make at least two attempts before you click on Read More (and that's a single click, not a double click) to see the solution.

Solution

14-18 23-26---A 30x23 19x26 18-22 26-30---B 32-27 16-19---C 27-23 19x26 22x31---D 30-25 31-26 25-21 13-9---D 5x14 26-22 21-25---E 22-29 14-18 29-25 18-23 25-22 23-27 22-18 27-32 18-23 White Wins---F.

A---Obviously not 23-27 which loses a man at once.

B---26-31 allows 32-27 31-24 28-12 White Wins.

C---If it were now Black's move, the game would be over. But it's White's turn. What to do?

D---26-22 would only draw after 21-17 22-18 17-14 18-9 5-14. Instead, White makes a temporary pitch to win.

E---As good (or bad) as any other.

F---A fine example of winning technique. Note how the White man on 28 does "double duty"; it holds the Black man on 20 and simultaneously blocks the double corner.