Horseradish, of course, is a well known condiment, with a sharp taste and sinus-clearing effect. It's often enjoyed with prime rib of beef, on hot dogs, and in numerous other ways. It's not to everyone's taste; you either love it or you don't.

Horse-radish, in checkers (note the hyphenation) is an older term not much heard today that refers to moves that are sharp, like horseradish, but not to everyone's taste, because they are usually unsound or at least questionable in theory. They're all about over the board play; a horse-radish move, even if inferior, may be hard to refute on the spot if you're not familiar with the line.

You won't be surprised to hear that Willie Ryan was a fan of horse-radish, and the following problem comes from a horse-radish line in one of his earliest books.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W14,15,20,21,23,25,26,27,30,31,32:B2,3,4,5,6,7,8,11,16,17,18.

Is this sort of thing to your taste, or is it a little too sharp? Does it clear your thinking? Give it a taste, and then click on Read More to see the solution.

Solution

This is where Willie left the problem as a White win, but it seems there is still work to do. Following is one way to do it.

Can you see the win?

It's pretty clear now.

White Wins.

Horse-radish indeed!