The season had opened and "Gosh Josh" Gordon was still with the Erie Eliminators, a AA club which was part of the Detroit Doublejumpers farm system. Josh had moved up to first board from third board, a rather stunning achievement for a player with just a year of professional experience. But there were rumors that Josh was going to be moved directly to the Toledo Tillicoultrys, a big step up to AAA play.

However, that didn't happen, and needless to say Josh was disappointed. However just a few weeks into the new season, a couple of things came up, and Josh found himself facing a dilemma..

The first thing that came up was this. Josh was in his little apartment in a middle-class section of Erie one evening on an off-day for the Eliminators. (AA salaries were good but not extravagant, even for up-and-comers, and Josh lived comfortably but modestly.) The next morning the team would be taking the bus for a five hour ride to Harrisburg, where the Eliminators had a three match series with the Harrisburg Huffers.

Then his cell phone rang. Nothing unusual about that, but he didn't recognize the number, which identified as being from Jersey City, New Jersey. Josh thought it might be a spam call, but he answered anyway.

"I would like to speak to Mr. Gosh Gordon," the voice on the other end of the line said. It was male and had a strong accent.

"This is Josh Gordon," Josh replied. "Who is calling, please?"

"Let me introduce myself," the voice said. "I am Mr. Mack, and I represent a very important checker team that plays in another country. It is actually a small kingdom in a faraway land, which has much money. That is both the team and the land are having much money."

"Sure," Josh said, "and I'm the Easter Bunny. Good bye!"

"No, you must wait!" the voice said with clear urgency. "I am telling the truth! You would know the name of the kingdom, it is very famous, it is the kingdom of a very famous king but I may not yet say to you the name, however you will know it later after we make the agreement between us."

"Agreement? What are you talking about? Look here, pal, you have maybe thirty seconds to tell me who you are and what this is all about. And how did you get my phone number anyhow?"

"That also I cannot tell you, but you will know by this finding of your phone number that my kingdom is very serious."

"About what? You have fifteen seconds left."

"About making you the offer, Mr. Gosh."

"The name is Josh. What offer?"

"To come and play the checkers for our team in my kingdom. We are wanting young American players to make us even stronger. We are asking only the young players who will play many years for us and be paid very much money. We know that you, Mr. Gosh, are a good player and very soon we will make the offer to you. You will like it, the offer."

"Sorry, dude," Josh said, "First, I don't know who you are, or whether you're legit or more likely some kind of nut case. Second, I have a contract with the Doublejumper organization right here in the USA. I can't play for whatever or wherever your team is even if I wanted to, which I don't think I do. If there even is such a team. Bye now."

Once again Josh heard "A minute, Mr. Gosh!" and the voice continued to speak.

"Never mind of the contract!" the man said. "We will for you break it. We will pay the owners of your team. They will not mind."

"They will mind," Josh said, "probably a lot."

"It does not matter! They cannot reach you in our kingdom. You will be safe and you will live as a rich person with an apartment and all of your wishes will be answered! If your team makes the lawsuit, in our kingdom it will not have meaning! Now, I will at your next games be watching. You will not know me. But if you play very well, we will make the big offer. How do you answer, Mr. Gosh?"

"I say you're wacko," Josh said, and cut off the call. "So crazy," he muttered.

Now, it was near Josh's bedtime and he thought he would just blow it all off. But that's when he got to thinking. Could this actually be a foreign recruiter? It didn't seem likely, but Josh had heard of some players taking offers overseas in odd locations. Josh thought maybe he ought to report the call to his Coach, although he wasn't sure if it was even worth a second thought.

But the more Josh thought about it, the more he didn't know what was best. If he didn't tell Coach, Josh himself might be out of line, and that's not a position he cared to be in; and though unlikely, if word got out somehow, Coach might even think Josh was considering jumping ship. However if he did tell Coach, would it look like he was saying that you should have sent me up to AAA and if you don't here's what might happen? And would Coach likely think Josh had only made up an incredible and crazy story?

Josh had kind of a restless night, and by morning he still couldn't get the matter off his mind, but then it was time to board the team bus for the ride from Erie to Harrisburg. Josh didn't want to try to talk to Coach in front of everyone else. That was a likely just a convenient excuse for putting things off and Josh knew it. But the first match of the three match series was tonight and there was in any event little free time.

Game time rolled around and Josh still hadn't talked with Coach. But as he took the field, the second thing happened and at least for the moment, it made Josh forget all about his problems. For, waiting at first board, to be Josh's Harrisburg opponent, was the loveliest young lady Josh had ever seen. Her name was Amy Rye Zwieback and she was another up and coming young player, about the same age as Josh.

Now, was this young woman truly the loveliest in the world? It's certainly hard to say, but in Josh's mind, she was. It might have been that Josh was just especially susceptible at the moment, or maybe there was some other reason, but he was thunderstruck, and the sight of this young lady took his breath away.

Perhaps Josh always had some sort of ideal in his mind; perhaps too he was something of a romantic. All he knew for sure was that he had this tremendous reaction. In the back of his mind, though, Josh knew that he was being a bit foolish and had better settle down. After all, he was there to win, not to woo.

But darn it all ... what an image of perfection! And when she shook hands and gave Josh a warm smile, and then wished him good luck in a honey-laden contralto voice, Josh's heart leapt.

But Josh was a professional checkerist, and he tried to play his best game despite being more than a little distracted. He managed quite well, even if he kept stealing little glances at Amy, and after some time the position on the board was as follows, with Josh to move.

As we said, Josh was there to win, and he thought he saw a way to do it. But what would Amy think if Josh won the game? Would she be very disappointed and therefore unhappy with Josh? Or would she admire him for his over the board skills?

All Josh knew was that he had to focus and play the best move, come what may.

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What would you do in this situation? It seems that in the course of just a couple of days, our hero Josh has encountered both a sticky career situation and something of an instant romantic infatuation.

Choose wisely, and then click on Read More for the solution to the problem and the rest of Part One of our story.

Solution and Continuation

Josh played 2-7 and the game went on as follows.

1.	...	2-7
2.	22-25	7-10

Not 7-11 25-30 11-18 19-23 to a draw.

3.	25-30	10-14
4.	30-26	14-17
5.	26-31	17-22
6.	12-16	22-18
7.	15x22	24x15
8.	31x24	28x12

White Wins. (Variations are possible.)

Josh was the victor. Amy offered a handshake and then looked Josh in the eyes and said in that wonderful voice of hers, "You play well, Josh. I admire you." She smiled, and Josh melted. But then Amy turned and went off to the Harrisburg locker room, and Josh had no option but to leave the field as well.

By the time of the second match, Josh still hadn't talked to Coach. While the issue was still in the back of his mind, he couldn't get his thoughts off of Amy. As the home team took the field first, Amy was again waiting at first board when Josh arrived.

But it was different this time. Of course she looked as lovely as ever and was as sweet as ever, except her voice was a little shaky and there were lines of concern on her face. Josh couldn't help but notice, so he risked asking, "Amy, is everything okay tonight?"

"Oh, yes, I ... it's just ... "

However before she could say any more the referee's whistle sounded and the call of "Play Checkers!" resounded throughout the stadium.

Josh won the second game much more easily than he had won the previous evening. There was no doubt that Amy was distracted. After they shook hands and Amy congratulated Josh, Josh asked again, "Are you really okay, Amy? You were a bit off tonight."

"I'm ... oh, I don't know, it's just ... well, I've had a very disturbing phone call ... but it's okay ... I'll deal with it I guess. Good night, Josh, see you again tomorrow." She smiled, but it was feeble, and Josh saw tears in the corners of her eyes. But before he could say anything else, she was on her way off the field.

To be concluded.

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Josh Gordon is a real person who lives in Toronto, Ontario. His photo and name are used with permission. Of course our "Gosh Josh" stories are completely fictitious and only bear resemblance to the life and times of the real Josh in that he is an excellent checkerist. Today's problem position is based on a setting sent to us by Josh and his father, Lloyd Gordon.