The Checker Maven

Easy When You Know How

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Quotefancy license

Easy? Hard? If you know how to do something, it's easy. If you don't know how, it's hard. While a bit of a simplification, this rings largely true. If you know what you're doing, you'll be able to succeed, even if perhaps with some effort. And that's very much the case in our game of checkers.

BLACK
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WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:WK6,K7,10,13:B1,3,K9

In the problem above, White is a piece up and should easily win, correct? And indeed the win isn't that hard--- if you are able to visualize it. In other words, if you know how.

There are actually two winning moves; one wraps things up pretty nicely, while the other wins but takes more effort. Save yourself some time; find the faster win. After all, this is a speed problem! With the time you save, get yourself some coffee and cake and relax a little.

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PickPik CC0

See how you do and then, quick-quick, click-click your mouse on Read More to see the solution.20050904-symbol.gif



Solution

6-2---A 9-14 13-9 14x5 2-6 3-8 6-9 5x14 7-2 14x7 2x4 White Wins.

A---7-2 also wins but it's much longer; you can investigate it on your own.

Thanks to regular contributors Lloyd and Gosh Josh Gordon for this very practical setting.

04/04/26 - Category: Problems
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