Take a look at the cake above; the famous old adage "haste makes waste" is as true now as it ever was. How many times have we rushed to finish something, only to have to do it over? It calls to mind a common question in the business world, "You don't have time to do it right, but you have time to do it over?"

Today's featured problem, composed by our old friend Ben Boland, when originally published carried the admonition "You will solve it if you are not hasty." So, we encourage you to take your time and enjoy the process of finding the solution. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and try to work it out from the diagram.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:WK5,24,31:B3,21,K27.

When you've found the answer, probably right about when you've finished your cup of coffee, click on Read More to see the solution. Then reward yourself, perhaps with a slice of cake and a second cup of coffee.

Solution

24-19---A 27-23---B 19-15 3-7 5-9 23-18 15-10 7-14---C 31-26 14-17 9-13 18-22 26-23 21-25 23-18---C Drawn.

A---Beware of quickly moving 24-20; haste makes waste! 24-20 may look safe and natural, but it loses. Play might go like this: 24-20 27-23 5-9 21-25 9-14 25-29 20-16 23-19 16-12 19-15 14-17 29-25 17-14 25-21 14-9 21-17 9-6 17-14 6-1 14-10 1-5 10-6 5-1 15-10 31-27 6-2 27-24 2-7 1-5 7-11 5-9 11-16 24-20 16-11 9-5 10-6 5-1 6-2 1-5 3-7 5-9 7-10 9-5 2-6 5-1 6-9 1-5 11-7 5x14 10x17 20-16 17-22 12-8 7-3 16-12 22-25 8-4 25-30 4-8 3-7 8-4 30-26 4-8 26-23 8-4 23-18 4-8 18-15 8-3 7-11 Black Wins. A very instructive line of play.

B---27-24 similar.

C---White goes down a man!

C---Recovering the man and assuring a draw; after 22-15 13-29 White has the move and is safe: 15-18 29-25 and Black must retreat to a double corner. A pleasing solution indeed.

Did you take the time to find the answer? No matter, how about that coffee and cake now?