Professor W. R. Fraser was a Canadian champion who also published books and studies on checkers, mostly notably The Inferno of Checkers, in which he used Dante's Inferno as a metaphor. We won't delve further into that interesting literary area today; instead we'll emphasize Prof. Fraser's academic side, by presenting one of his studies from a group Tom Wiswell included in a small collection that Mr. Wiswell called Canadian Checker Class.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W31,30,28,26,25,20,18,14:B17,16,13,12,11,7,5,2.

We'd rate this one as fairly hard, though short of infernal. If you get the first move right and figure out the theme, you'll be able to solve it. Treat this as a professorial homework assignment rather than a descent into Hades, and see if you can get it, then burn your mouse on Read More to see the solution.

Solution

There are numerous variations on the following solution, but the idea stays the same.

28-24---A 17-22---B 26x17 13x29 31-26 2-6---C 18-15---D 11x18 20x2 6-9 2-6 9-13 24-20---E 13-17 6-9 17-21 26-22 18x25 9-6 White Wins.

A---Anything else only draws. But why does White allow the Black 2 for 1?

B---Black could make other moves, none of which would change the outcome, but most players would take the shot.

C---This is the only move Black has. Do you see the theme here?

D---White regains his piece. But there's more to it.

E---White ensures that the Black position is sewed up.

A very nice study with practical value.