In this month's installment from Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard we continue with his exposition on the 11-16 Bristol opening. For the run-up to the play below, see our previous column. The notes are in Willie's own words.

Variation 1

"14-18---A 27-23---E 18-27 32-16 7-10 31-27 10-19 16-12 (see diagram)

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W30,29,28,27,26,25,21,20,12:B19,9,8,6,5,4,3,2,1.

A---In the Stewart-Banks world's title match of 1922, Stewart tried 19-23 here and brought about a draw. This line is very old and was widely used before Champion Stewart appeared on the scene. It may be rightly classified an American innovation, as W. R. Barker was the first to play it, in a match with Wyllie in 1874. Two decades later, Willie Gardner sprang it on Wyllie in the second England-Scotland team match of 1894, winning with the black pieces. The following model play will assist the student in securing a working knowledge of the feature points of the 19-23 line:

B---An excellent alternative for the draw, and one that we consider equal to the text is: 28-24, 11-18, 19-15, 2-7, 30-26, 7-10, 32-28, 10-19, 24-15, 3-7, 27-24, 9-13, 26-22, 5-9, 24-19, 18-23, 19-16, 8-11, 15-8, 4-11, 16-12, 23-26, 12-8, 26-30, 28-24 (8-3, 14-17*, 21-5, 30-21, 3-10, 6-15, will earn the draw), 7-10, 8-3, 11-16, 20-11, 14-18, 22-15, 10-28, etc. James Lees. Again at B, we tried the Lees' way (28-24) against Arch Henshall, a strong amateur from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and almost lost when Henshall made a three-point landing in our king row like this: 28-24, 11-18, 19-15, 9-13 (Arch didn't know Lees' play, but his 9-13 looks good), 24-19, 5-9, 27-24, 18-23, 15-10 (if 25-22 is used, 8-11 is correct), 6-15, 19-10, 14-18, 25-22, 18-25, 29-22, 9-14, 20-16, 14-18, 22-15, 23-27, 32-23, 8-11, 15-8, 3-28, 23-19, 28-32, 19-16, 32-28,16-11, 28-24, 10-7, etc., a draw.

C---Safer for a draw than 19-16, 11-15, 16-12, 8-11---D, 27-23, 3-7, 12-8, 14-18, 23-14, 10-26, 30-23, 11-16, 20-11, 7-16, 8-3, 15-18, 23-14, 9-18, 21-17, 5-9. Willie Gardner.

D---9-13, 30-26, 8-11, 27-23* (better than 26-23, 3-7*, 23-18, 14-23, 27-18,15-19,12-8,11-16, after which black is strong, though white can still size the draw with careful play), 2-6, 31-27, 4-8, 29-25, 5-9, 32-28, 15-18, 22-15, 11-18, 26-22, 10-15, 28-24, 8-11, 23-19, 6-10, 19-16, 3-7, 12-8, 18-23, 27-18, 14-23, 8-3, 9-14, 3-8, 14-17, 21-14, 10-26, 8-3, 7-10, 16-7, 26-30; a draw. J. Macfarlane.

E---Equally good for a draw is: 21-17, 9-13, 17-14*, 6-10, 15-6, 1-17, 27-24 (safer than 25-22, 18-25, 30-14, 2-6, 29-25, 8-11, 27-23*, etc., which also produces the draw), 19-23---F, 26-19, 8-11---G, 25-22,18-25, 30-14, 2-6, 29-25, 6-9, 25-21, 9-18, 20-16, 11-27, 32-14, 4-8, 19-15, 8-11, 15-8, 3-12, 31-26, 12-16, 26-22, 16-20, 22-18, 13-17, 18-15. Hugh Henderson vs. A. B. Scott.

F---A fool-proof safe line to a draw is: 5-9, 24-15, 17-22, 26-17, 13-22, 32-27, 8-11, 15-8, 4-11, 28-24, 7-10, 24-19, 3-8, 25-21, 9-13, 21-17, 11-15, 20-16, 15-24, 27-20, 8-11, 16-7, 2-11, 30-26, 11-15, 20-16, 15-19, 26-23, 19-26, 29-25. Melvin E. Pomeroy.

G---18-23, 31-26, 8-11, 19-16, 17-21! (Pomeroy notes this as a Chicago "special" that improves on published play by 4-8, 26-19, 8-12 etc.), 26-19, 13-17!, 32-27*, 2-6*, 16-12, 4-8!, 19-15, 11-18, 25-22, 17-26, 30-14, 6-10, 24-19, 10-17, 19-15, 17-22, 20-16, 22-26, 27-24, 26-31, 24-20, 7-11, to a draw. Melvin E. Pomeroy."

In the diagram above, can you find the move to draw? Willie showed one of them, but there are actually two. Can you find them both? When you're ready, click on Read More to see the solutions.

Solution

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W30,29,28,27,26,25,21,20,12:B19,9,8,6,5,4,3,2,1.

First, here's Willie's solution, which is quite sound. Willie marks 19-23 as a "star" move but see below for an alternative.

"19-23 27-18 3-7 12-3 9-13 3-10 6-31 30-26 31-22 25-18 4-8 18-15 2-7 28-24 1-6 20-16 8-12 24-19 6-9; drawn. Old Play."

The computer chooses the alternative 19-24, which leads to similar play.

19-24 28x19 3-7 12x3 9-13 3x10 6x31 20-16 31x22 25x18 etc., drawn.