In big business, strategy at a high level is all-important. Should we buy out that other company? We think we can get it for just a few billion dollars. Should we do a stock split? It would make our shares more affordable to those poor unfortunates who earn less than $2 million a year. What should be done about lagging sales in our international markets? Are there perhaps a few politicians we forgot to pay off? The list goes on and on.

There are high level strategies in our game of checkers, too, although that's something we perhaps don't think a lot about until we reach a somewhat advanced level of play. Tactics come first, then basic strategy, but how do the masters and grandmasters think?

Bill Salot, in his 73rd of his incredible ongoing problem composition contests, has put together some excellent examples of this concept. They can of course be found on the contest page. You are invited to try out the problems and then vote for your favorite.

To get us all started, Bill has provided a sample problem composed by Jim Loy. It's excellent. Jim calls it Elegant and that's just what it is. High level strategies, when well formulated, definitely have a touch of elegance about them.

Elegant by Jim Loy
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W16,17,K24,K29:B7,12,K23

So here's what your strategy should be. Try this one, click on Read More to see the solution, and then go on to the contest page for three more great problems.

Solution

*24 19, 23 18, *29 25, 7-10, *17 14---A, 10-17---B, *16 11, 17-21---C, *25 30, White Wins by 2nd Position.

A---Corrects 16 11, *10-15, 19 10, *18-14, Draws, Lentonian, #308, Horsfall's Problem Book, 1909.

B---18-9, *16 11, White Wins.

C---17-22, *25 30, White Wins.

On to the contest page!

Mrs. Murray's Strategy, a famous painting by E. Percy Moran, is about American Revolutionary War hero Mary Murray. We won't recount her story here but it's worth your while to look it up. Strategy can take many forms on and off the checker board!