Lest you be mistaken, this isn't the Doogz to whom we refer, and today's problem has nothing to do with that new British genre of music known as grime, nor are we concerned with the London grime musician formerly known as Doogz, and who now calls himself Durrty Goodz.

Instead, we're talking about a checker player from Glasgow, Scotland, named Douglas, and who uses the name Doogz on the It's Your Turn game site. Douglas, or Doogz, was kind enough to send us the following problem.

There are several branches in the solution, and full credit is only obtained if you find them all. Are you up to this rather "grimy" challenge? Try it out, and then click on Read More when you've "come clean" and are ready to check your results.

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This month's speed problems are very easy.... but there's a catch. We want you to solve each of them within a five second time limit.

Our infamous clock will start the instant you click on the links below, and we're timing you right down to the millisecond. Test your visualization: how fast can you see?

Solutions can be verified by clicking Read More, though we're pretty sure you won't need much help.

Eye Test #1

Eye Test #2

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At the time that this article achieves publication, it will be near the end of the 2005 baseball season. But, since quite a few of our pieces are written well in advance, we don't know at the moment who the pennant contenders might be.

The Dodgers, of course, were in the running for many a year. We're referring, naturally, to the immortal Brooklyn Dodgers, the "Brooklyn Bums" beloved of many a checker player, including Willie Ryan and, we're certain, Tommie Wiswell.

In fact, today's feature problem is called "The Dodger" though it doesn't have any sort of baseball theme that we can readily discern. Here's the situation:

There's what appears to be a fairly obvious solution staring right at you, but there is a "dodge" for Black to avoid the loss and another "dodge" for White to win it nonetheless.

"Dodge" erroneous play, win the pennant for White, and check your answer by clicking on Read More.

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Today we bring you two Tom Wiswell problems--- a doubleheader--- which bear a certain relationship. If you solve the first one, it will help you with at least one major variant of the second one.

But this doesn't mean that a "Sunday doubleheader" (alas, seldom seen these days) will turn into a "Sunday picnic." Not at all. In fact, when these problems appeared around sixty years back, there was plenty of discussion and controversy. In the end, Mr. Wiswell collaborated with one of the more colorful checker characters ever (next to Willie Ryan): Mr. Julius D'Orio, he of the "triangle" theory of checkers, to come up with a definitive solution.

And, as we shall see, modern computer analysis bears out the solution to what has been called the D'Orio-Wiswell Position.

Did you get that one? Now try this one:

White is two men up, so it's easy--- until you try it.

When you've played out both ends of the doubleheader, click on Read More for solutions and commentary.

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Oh ... we didn't really mean that kind of stroke, but actually this kind:

Can you bring the solution to the "fore" with this month's somewhat easier stroke problem? Click on Read More to see if your solution is up to "par"!

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Complex stroke problems are fun, and crowded middle game positions can be a challenge, but there is little to compare with the sheer, simple elegance of a well-composed 2x2 end game problem. Here is a real classic, attributed to G. H. Slocum.

When you've solved this, we think you'll agree that there is genuine charm in such a compact position, requiring just the right play. Click on Read More to see the main line solution as originally published long ago.

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We've been slowly but surely republishing Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard in a brand new electronic edition, and we've been referring to the introductory problems in the book as "Easy Pieces."

Well, some readers have pointed out that not all of these problems have been exactly easy, and that they've been getting harder as they go. So, this month, we're abandoning any pretense of ease of solution, and again letting Willie speak for himself. Try the problems and check your answers by clicking on Read More. As usual, the Black side is shown in regulation Red.

They may not be easy, but they certainly are good!

"A little logic should make the issue clear in Example 13. Black is a piece ahead, but the white king on square 11 is pressing (chasing) an attack from the rear. The natural course for black is to avoid capture by going 16-20, white chasing 11-16, black running 19-23, white pursuing 16-19, and there you have it---black seemingly must lose the piece on 23 or 24. That's the apparent outcome of the situation, but actually black can win in five of his own moves by trapping white on a two-way double or 'optional take.' The one thing to keep foremost in mind, when you are a piece ahead and your opponent is threatening to retrieve it, is to look for an idea that will make the retrieve fatal!"

"One does not master mathematics by studying trigonometry, solid geometry, or analytics at the start. The would-be mathematician must first ground himself in the basic study of addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division before he can cope with the abstract phases of advanced mathematics. Similarly, one cannot become an adept checker strategist without extensive training in the art of tactics. Look at the three-by-three ending in Example 14, by the well-known American problemist, Paul R. Semple, of Martins Ferry, Ohio. Can you take the white pieces, and without moving a piece, win in ten moves by executing a 'throwback two-for-one'? If you can't, don't divert your study to any other phase of the game until you can see through these snap traps in the twinkling of an eye!"

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Autumn is just around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere, and it will be here faster than we might wish. Can you solve our September speed problem as fast as you might wish?

After you've worked out the answer, click on Read More to verify your solution. We're giving you a much easier problem after August's brain twisters.

By the way, we're desperately short of good speed problems (which is why we only have one today). We have a number of bad speed problems, but they won't do! If you have nice some favorites, please send them our way.

September Speed (fairly easy)

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Throughout the USA and Canada, and much of the western world, school bells are ringing and children are heading back to school after the long summer vacation. No doubt checker practice will quickly begin in earnest as all of the elementary school, middle school, and high school checker teams prepare for battle in the upcoming checker season.

It seems appropriate, then, that we continue our ongoing Checker School series with another installment from Ben Boland's classic Famous Positions. In this lesson, we'll look at Wardell's Position, which is akin to First Position, but the win is obtained without the winning side having "The Move." Unclear? Well, pay attention in class!

When you've tried the problem, click on Read More to see Mr. Boland's solution, a game run-up, and some great notes and commentary.

Extra (non-checker) points if you can give the source for "School Bells Ring and Children Sing" and quote the rest of the jingle.

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We promised a "summer scorcher" of a stroke problem for August, and we think we've delivered with one that we're calling Eyes Only. When it originally appeared almost 100 years ago, the publication editor challenged readers to solve it by sight alone, without moving the pieces around on the board. The number of readers who reported success was rather small--- just one solitary correspondent claimed a victory.
Now, nearly a century later, our challenge to you is the same, but with a modern twist: solve the problem without moving the pieces around on the board --- or on the computer!

When you either have the solution, or have had enough, click on Read More to learn the winning way.

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