PICRYL CC0

Postal play in checkers used to be a big thing. The late legendary Richard Fortman was one of the postal greats. Mac Banks, in our own day, is another big name in postal play. But by and large postal play has disappeared. Certainly there are no more postal championships.

The reason, of course, is the rise of the computer as a virtually unbeatable resource; unless matches are strictly played by what we shall call "gentleperson" rules, on the honor system, promising to not use computers, every match is likely to be 100% draws. And even on the honor system, there are now excellent references, vetted by computers, that ensure one side or the other won't get an advantage.

So it's refreshing to come across an actual, current day postal game, played strictly without references. Grandmaster Richard Pask sent us the annotated transcript of a recently completed game with Ron Green, which Mr. Pask says gives us "(a)n important addition to the literature of the 9-13 23-19; 10-15 ballot."

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W16,21,22,25,27,29,31,32:B2,4,5,10,12,13,15,20

We'll present this in the manner Mr. Pask did in his notes, as a two-part problem. If you wish to take on the full challenge, look at the first diagram (above). Work out what you might play from there; then see what you might do at the second diagram (below). We have omitted the run-up and the continuation; those will be found along with the solutions.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W11,18,21,27,29,31,32:B2,4,9,12,13,15,20

After all of this, click on Read More to see Mr. Pask's complete write-up.

Solutions and Notes
Contributed by Grandmaster Richard Pask

Richard Pask (Black) vs. Ron Green (White)
2025-2026 Postal Game (Notes by R Pask)

10-15---A 23-18---B; 9-14---C 18-9; 6-13!---D 26-23---E; 1-6---F 23-18; 12-16 18-14; 6-9 30-26; 9-18 26-23; 16-20 23-14; 7-10 14-7; 3-10 24-19; 15-24 28-19; 11-15 19-16; 8-12 Forms Position: White to Play and Draw.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W16,21,22,25,27,29,31,32:B2,4,5,10,12,13,15,20

Continue: ... 16-11---G; 5-9 22-18; 15-22 25-18; 10-15 Forms Position: White to Play and Draw.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W11,18,21,27,29,31,32:B2,4,9,12,13,15,20

Continue: ... 27-23---H; 15-22 23-18; 12-16 21-17; 16-19 17-14; 13-17 14-5; 2-6 32-27---I; 19-24---J 27-23; 6-9 23-19; 9-13 19-15; 22-26 31-22; 17-26---K. Drawn.

A---Favored by August Heffner in the freestyle days, this ranks 4th after 11-15, 9-14 and 11-16.

B---21-17 is the strongest reply, but this, along with all of White's options, is perfectly okay.

C---Turning it into a 3-mover favoring White. Instead, 12-16 and 7-10 are the standard 2-move replies.

D---Really mixing things up, transposing into 9-13 23-19; 10-15 19-10; 6-15 same!

E---A good attacking move. Others are 21-17, 22-18 and 24-20.

F---7-10 is the standard defense, but this is okay too.

G---White has a good alternative available in 32-28; 12-19 22-17; 13-22 25-11; 10-15 31-26; 15-18 26-22; 18-25 29-22; 5-9 21-17; 9-13 17-14; 2-6 14-9; 6-10 9-6; 10-14 6-2; 13-17! (not 14-17??) 22-13; 14-18 2-7; 19-23 to a draw.

H---Perfectly good but came as a surprise as 18-14 forces Black to toe the line after 9-18 27-24; 20-27 32-14; 15-19 14-10; 19-23 10-7; 4-8! (12-16? eventually loses) 11-4; 2-11 4-8; 11-16 8-11; 16-20 11-15; 23-27 31-24; 20-27 15-19; 27-31 29-25; 31-27 (not 31-26??) 25-22; 27-31 and a transposition into a game played, and drawn, between Richard Pask (Black) and Asa Long (White) in 1989 from 9-13 24-20; 10-14. See Complete Checkers: Repertoire #431.

I---Looking for 6-9??

J---No joy!

K---An important addition to the literature of the 9-13 23-19; 10-15 ballot. Well played Ron!