This column will appear on January 10, when the holidays are behind us and school is back in session, with long weeks to go before spring break. So it seems appropriate that today's Checker School column be, well, a long one, with no less than three problems to solve, and then four sample games and a page of detailed notes.

If it seems like a lot, it is, but the road to checker mastery is paved with checker studies, and if you can solve these, you've come a long way. All three of today's positions are inter-related, as you'll see when you work on them. Diagram 2 is Allen's Win and Diagram 3 is Robertson's Draw.

Diagram 1
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play, Black to Draw

W:W31,23,22,21,20,19:B14,13,12,10,8,7.

Diagram 2
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W31,23,20,19,K2:BK30,13,12,11,8.

Diagram 3
WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W31,23,20,19,K2:BK30,13,12,8,7.

Just to be fair, we'll let you know that the first diagrammed position leads to both the second and third, depending on the moves chosen.

Study hard and find the solutions, then click on Read More to see the solutions, sample games, and detailed notes.

Solutions

As always, sample games and lettered notes are from Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers. Numbered notes are by the Editor using Ed Gilbert's KingsRow computer engine and 10-piece endgame database.

Diagram No. 1: 22-18---1, 14-17, 21-14, 10-17, 18-14, 17-22, 14-9---2, 22-25, 9-6, 25-30, 6-2, now 7-11 is Diagram No. 2, and 8-11 is Diagram No. 3.

Diagram No. 2: 31-26, 13-17, 2-6, 17-21, 6-9, 21-25, 9-14, 25-29, 14-17, 29-25, 17-21, 25-29, 26-22, 29-25, 23-18, 25-29, 18-15, 11-25, 19-15. White Wins---3. F. Allen.

Diagram No. 3: 8-11---D, 2-6, 30-25, 23-18, 25-22, 18-14, 13-17---E, 14-9, 17-21, 9-5, 21-25, 5-1, 25-30, 1-5, 30-26, 5-9, 26-23, 6-10, 23-16, 10-3, 16-19, 9-14, 19-23, 14-10, 23-19, 3-8, 11-15, 8-11, 15-18, 11-15, 19-24, 10-14, 18-23, 20-16, 12-19, 14-18, 23-26, 18-25. Drawn---4. W. Campbell and J. Ferrie.

Game: 11-15, 23-18, 8-11, 27-23, 4-8, 23-19, 10-14, 19-10, 14-23, 26-19, 7-14, 24-20, 6-10, 30-26, 11-15, 26-23, 15-24, 28-19, 8-11, 22-18, 9-13, 18-9, 5-14, 25-22, 11-15, 32-28, 15-24, 28-19, 3-7, 29-25, 7-11, 22-18, 1-5, 18-9, 5-14, 31-26. Forms Diagram No. 1, colors reversed. J. Robertson. Draught Board.

Game: 11-15, 23-18, 8-11, 26-23, 4-8, 30-26, 10-14, 24-19, 15-24, 27-20, 6-10, 22-17, 10-15, 17-10, 7-14, 28-24, 15-22, 26-10, 2-7, 24-19, 7-14, 25-22, 1-6, 22-18, 6-10, 29-25, 9-13, 18-9, 5-14, 25-22, 11-15, 32-28, 15-24, 28-19, 3-7. Forms Diagram No. 1. W. F. Ryan. Scientific Checkers Made Easy.

Game: 10-15, 21-17, 9-13, 17-14, 6-9, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 9-18, 23-14, 7-10, 14-7, 3-10, 26-23, 11-15, 27-24, 5-9, 25-21, 9-14, 30-25, 1-5, 22-18, 15-22, 25-9, 5-14, 24-20, 8-11, 29-25, 4-8, 25-22, 11-15, 32-28, 15-24, 28-19, 2-7. Forms Diagram No. 1. J. Duffy vs. J. Olsen, Game 4027, Roseville Citizen, Feb. 18, 1937.

Game: 10-14, 23-19, 14-18, 22-15, 11-18, 21-17, 9-13, 26-22, 7-11, 22-15, 11-18, 17-14, 8-11, 24-20, 3-7, 19-15, 4-8, 25-21, 13-17---A, 30-25, 6-10, 15-6, 1-10, 28-24, 11-15, 31-26, 2-6, 25-22, 18-25, 29-13, 10-17, 21-14, 6-10, 13-9, 10-17, 9-6, 7-11---B, 27-23, 17-21, 32-28, 21-25, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 25-30, 6-2, 5-9, 2-6, 9-13 (9-14, 6-2, 14-17, 2-6 same), 6-2. Forms Allen's Win, Diagram No. 2, at 1st move. N. H. Rubin vs. E. F. Hunt, Game 213, 8th National Tourney.

Game: 10-15, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 11-15, 18-11, 8-15, 29-25, 9-13, 25-22,-4-8, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 8-11, 27-24, 6-10, 24-20, 5-9, 31-27, 9-14, 19-16, 12-19, 23-16, 10-15, 27-23---C, 7-10, 16-7, 3-10, 32-28, 1-6, 23-19, 15-24, 28-19, 11-15, 19-16, 14-18, 30-25, 10-14, 16-11, 6-10, 20-16, 18-23, 26-19, 15-24, 16-12, 24-27, 11-8, 27-31, 8-4, 31-27, (3-7 wins too), 4-8, 3-7, 8-3. Forms Allen's Win, colors reversed, at 4th move. G. Davies vs. R. Fennell, Game 3953, Weekly Times, Melbourne, Sept. 10, 1938, (from Llanelly Star).

A---Loses. W. Ryan suggests 6-10, 15-6, 1-17, 21-14, 11-15, etc. Drawn.

B---Rubin saw the Allen Win coming so played: 15-18, 6-2, 8-11, 26-23, 18-22, 23-19, 7-10, 32-28, 11-15, 2-7. White E. F. Hunt, Wins.

C---Loses; 26-23 and 32-28 are better. Graham Davies.

D---7-10 Was shown to lose by W. F. Ryan, No. 166, in the New Checkergram, Feb. 1935; 2-6, 10-14, 6-9, 14-17, 9-14, 17-22 (17-21, 23-18, 13-17, 18-15, 17-22, 14-18, or 20-16, White Wins), 23-18, 22-25 (30-25, 20-16, 25-30, 18-15, 30-26, 14-18. White Wins), 18-15, 25-29, 14-18, 29-25, 18-23, 13-17, 20-16, 17-22, 16-11. White Wins. W. F. Ryan.

E---22-18 loses; 22-18, *6-9, 18-23, 14-10, 23-16, 10-3, 16-19, 3-8, 11-15, 9-14, 19-23, 8-11, 15-19, 11-15, 19-24, 15-18, 23-27 (If 23-19, then 18-23 Wins), *14-10, 13-17, 10-15, 27-32, 15-19, 32-28, *20-16, 17-21, 16-11, 21-25, then 18-23 and 24 is lost, White Wins.

1---Believe it or not, this is still in KingsRow's opening book.

2---19-15 also is fine here.

3---Black is two pieces up but still loses.

4---26-30 25-22 24-27! 31x24 19x28 Drawn.

I. Robertson first published above game, in the Draught Board, Old Series, Feb. 1, 1870. But he left the game as drawn at 6th move of Diagram No. 3. The continuation may be found, Game No. 81, American Checker Review, Vol. 1, 1888, by Wm. Campbell and J. Ferrie.

F. Allen arrived at his position by correcting, Variation 672, by Robertson in Bowen's Cross, 1878. Robertson in Draught Board and then in Bowen's Cross, played 10-15 instead of 2-7, colors reversed, Diagram No. 2. Allen's Position may be found, No. 229, Gould's Problem Book.

In both Scientific Checkers made easy (1st edition) and Duffy's Standards, Part 2, the Robertson Idea was overlooked. I pointed it out to Willie in S.C.M.E., the 2nd ed. is now O.K.