Checker School for this month presents a position and problem that a review of checker literature has shown to have been first published by C. W. Tupper rather than others who reprinted it later. Our own independent research efforts were unable to determine, however, if Mr. Tupper was in any way related to Earl S. Tupper (the son of Earnest and Lulu Tupper), the eventual inventor of Tupper-Ware. We have no reason at all to make such a connection other than pure speculation, of course, but the known dates and locations make this at least an interesting possibility. Is there such a thing as Tupper-Ware checkers? Perhaps this is a new marketing opportunity, and perhaps Marvin J. Mavin himself might endorse such a product.

C. W. TUPPER
BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W8,K14,19:B3,12,K16.

Forces are even, but White will very soon be down a man. Can you store away a draw for the White forces, or will Black put a lid on things? When you've worked out your answers, click on Read More to uncover the solution.

Solution

Here is the solution, a sample game, notes and commentary, and a humorous concluding touch, as printed long ago in Ben Boland's classic work, Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers.

19-15, 16-11, 14-18, 11-4, 15-11, 12-16---C, 18-15, 16-20, 15-19, 3-8, 19-15---D, 8-12---i, 15-19. Drawn.

Game. 11-15, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 9-14, 22-18, 8-11, 18-9, 5-14, 25-22, 11-15, 22-18, 15-22, 26-17, 4-8, 29-25, 8-11, 25-22, 11-15, 30-26, 15-24, 27-20, 10-15, 17-10, 7-14, 22-18, 15-22, 26-10, 6-15, 23-19, 15-24, 32-28---A, 24-27, 31-24, 2-7, 24-19, 7-11, 21-17, 1-6, 28-24, 6-9, 17-13, 9-14, 13-9, 14-17, 9-6, 17-22, 6-2, 22-26, 2-6, 26-31, 6-10, 31-27, 10-14, 11-16---B, 20-11, 27-20, 11-8, 20-16. Forms above position. J. Brown vs. I. Cohen. Game No. 63, Stearn's Book of Portraits.

A---This is now diagrammed as No. 94, by I. Cohen, Stearn's Book of Portraits, Page 153, Vol. 1. Here Brown continued with 3-8 and in a few moves the game was drawn.

B-- Instead, 27-23 would win here.

C---3-8, 18-15, 12-16, 15-10. White Wins.

D---11-7, 8-12, 7-2, 4-8, 2-7, 8-11, 7-16, 20-24. Drawn. Norman H. Clark.

i---If 16-20 then 15-10 8-15 10-24 and White wins on the move. ---Ed.

The above position was left as a Black Win, in Stearn's, by Mr. Cohen. J. MacFarlane gave the position as No. 362, in the Draughts World, Vol. 7, 1896. But on Page 828, W. Lewis points out it is Tupper's, April 21, 1895.

"How Problems Have Arisen!"---Answering a correspondent recently, an exchange says---"I remember a cynic being asked by a 'stroke' composer how he thought a certain problem was composed. 'Oh, I think you got a sieve, threw a bag of checkers in, and shook the same over a Checker Board! That is one way in which it could be done.' "

The Draughts World.