In our last Checker School column, our friend Farmer Sneed got a checkerboard thrashing from Ned's father, Mr. Hatley, who said he owes his skills to knowledge of checker problems. Better that than the kind of thrashing you might get from the person above, who we'll merely call a "traditional" educator.

Today's column features a theme which the good farmer would do well to learn. It's really pretty simple and will be familiar to any skilled player. (Checker School features problems and themes with didactic value, often resulting in relatively less difficult solutions. "Didactic" may be a new word for Farmer Sneed, adding to the value of this lesson.)

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:B2,17,21,K18:W10,14,15,K9

We won't smash your knuckles with a ruler if you don't get this one, and in fact we're sure you'll find the win. When you're ready, smash your mouse (not your ruler) on Read More to see the solution.

Solution

10-6 18x11 9-13 2x18 13x8 21-25 8-11 25-30 11-15 30-26 15-18 White Wins.

This theme is known as the "concealed long pitch." The problem is credited to A. B. Jones and appears in Checker Board Strategy by Andrew J. Banks.