When this column appears it will be the middle of the 4th of July holiday weekend. Here in Waikiki, where our Checker Maven offices are located, there will be plenty of people heading to the beach, including visitors from Hawaiian Neighbor Islands, the mainland, and places all around the world. It's lots of fun and a great way to enjoy the long weekend.

However, it may be that you wish to avoid crowds and stay at home. If you're reading this column, you're undoubtedly a checker enthusiast, and perhaps you might wish to spend a little time with an entertaining checker problem. In that spirit, we offer the following.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W14,K15,K18,26:BK5,7,17,24

Spend a little time--- you've got an extra day this weekend--- and see how you do. There are actually three ways to win this one; we suspect most players will find two but perhaps not the third. When you're ready to check your solution, just make a leisurely click of the mouse on Read More.

Solution

15-10---A 7-11 10-15 11-16 18-22 17-21 14-9 5x14 22-25 21x30 15-11 30x23 11x9 White Wins.

A---18-22 can be played here but the win is the same with the moves taken in a slightly different order. 26-23 however also wins less spectacularly: 26-23 24-27 14-9 5x14 18x9 27-31 9-6 7-10 23-19 31-27 15-18 and White loses the man on 10 (variations are possible).

The problem is credited to Dr. August Schaefer. Tom Wiswell calls this "Dr. Schaefer in one of his lighter moods." We suspect Dr. Schaefer didn't see the more mundane win with 26-23.

We hoped you enjoyed this one. However, are you sure you don't want to maybe head out for a holiday barbeque? It's up to you; enjoy the weekend as you see fit!