The young woman in the picture above has a little problem: she's got a square object and she wants to fit it into a round hole. We suspect that this will not be an easy feat to accomplish, and although we wish her the best of luck, success is unlikey.

Checkers is filled with little problems as well; often they're called "miniatures" and involve just a few pieces per side. They are very often both practical and challenging, and unlike the problem above, success is definitely within reach.

The little problem shown below seems to fit the description perfectly.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W25,17,K3:BK11,2,1.

This situation surely arises often over the board, so knowing how to win it could make a real difference. We think it's challenging, but ultimately not all that difficult. Certainly, it's not in the "square peg in a round hole" category.

Can you peg this one just by looking at the diagram? Give it a square try, and then move your mouse 'round to Read More to reveal the solution.

Solution

2-6 25-22 6-9 22-18 9-13 17-14 13-17 14-10 17-21 18-14 21-25 14-9 11-7 Black Wins.