Built by the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad in 1905, Kelso Station was once an important place. In the middle of the Mojave Desert, Kelso Station served as a source of water for steam engines, a place where passengers and crew could get something to eat, and a location for "helper" engines to assist in pulling trains up a steep nearby grade.

Of course, it's all a matter of history today, as the heyday of rail travel, just like the heyday of checkers, is behind us. Will rail travel make a comeback? Will our game of checkers? We can only hope, and continue to work towards that goal. The Checker Maven is intended to be our contribution to this worthy effort.

We continue our extended series on the Kelso opening, taken from Willie Ryan's Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard, with more exploration of his "Variation 2." Here's a quick run-up without commentary. Detailed notes can be found in previous columns in this series. Our analysis has found some play that overturns one of Willie's conclusions.

10-15	21-17	24-20
22-18	4-8	1-6
15-22	17-13	28-24
25-18	9-14	8-11
11-15	29-25	32-28
18-11	6-10	14-17
8-15

Willie now gives the next move as 25-21, but in a note, he offers 25-22 as an alternative, resulting in the position below:

Willie, of course, proposes his own solution and it's a good one. But we found a different solution with KingsRow, and it's even more spectacular than Willie's.

Take full credit if you find either solution, and count yourself a master or better if you find both. When you're finished, click on Read More to see both solutions.

[Read More]

Wiles, wits, and wisdom make up the toolkit of champion checker players. To be the best, skill and knowledge--- wits and wisdom--- need to be augmented by a special sense, an almost undefinable quality of wiliness, that makes the difference between the best of the best and the merely very good.

We all know of Edinburgh checkerist James Wyllie, "the Herd Laddie," who was a dominant force in checkers in the mid- to late-19th century, holding the world championship for no less than 40 years. He was indeed a wily one, and our Checker School position below is attributed to this great player.

How wily are you? We think that if you get the first move, you'll have little trouble with the rest. Test your wiles and then click on Read More to see the solution, sample game, and detailed notes.

[Read More]

The racehorse Kelso was without question one of the greatest of all time, winning five "Horse of the Year" titles and setting nine track records in an eight-season career. Kelso retired after suffering an injury in March, 1966, with total winnings just shy of two million dollars, an amount that wasn't surpassed for many years.

We're not aware of anyone winning anything like two million dollars in checkers, but the Kelso opening has its share of fame, too, and has produced both winners and losers. Today, we continue our extended series on the Kelso, drawn from Willie Ryan's classic Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard.

Here's the run-up to today's position. For comments, see previous columns in this series.

1.	10-15	22-18
2.	15x22	25x18
3.	11-15	18x11
4.	8x15	21-17
5.	4-8	17-13
6.	9-14	29-25
7.	6-10	24-20
8.	1-6	28-24
9.	8-11

Much inferior to 15-19.

9.	...	32-28
10.	3-8---C

The best move in this position, though white retains an advantage. Willie's recommended 14-17 is a probable loss. Note C will be found with the solution.

[Read More]

Tommy didn't want to go to Uncle Ben's that Saturday for his regular weekly checker lesson, even though the Florida State Scholastic Championships were coming up in just a week, and Tommy was supposed to lead his highly-rated middle school team in the Miami competition.

Tommy's grandfather had passed away only last night, and Tommy was heartbroken, not just for his own sake but for his grieving Mom, who had just lost her father.

Gramps had lived a long and happy life, and Tommy knew that at age 90, the last day would eventually come. But that didn't make things any easier when it finally happened, and Tommy, at age fourteen, had never experienced the loss of a loved one at first hand. But his Mom insisted that he go to Uncle Ben's. "There's little you can do here except watch me cry," she said, "and you've got your tournament coming up. I know you want to be here for me, but your life needs to go on. So shoo!"

Mom managed to smile, even if it was a little forced. Tommy loved her all the more for it, and so he put his notebook in his backpack and walked the half dozen blocks to Uncle Ben's house.

Ben wasn't really Tommy's uncle, of course, but he didn't want to be called "Mr." and "Uncle Ben" seemed like just the right thing. Uncle Ben was a retired professional checker player, who had since written a number of highly-regarded checker textbooks. He took on just a handful of young students, never charging a dime for his tutoring, which he did as a community service.

Tommy had studied with Uncle Ben for several years. Nearly every Saturday morning, they'd sit on Uncle Ben's porch and drink Uncle Ben's fine homemade lemonade while Uncle Ben taught him a new theme or tactic. It had all paid off; Tommy had become a rising young star, perhaps even destined for the big leagues himself one day.

Uncle Ben, of course, had heard about Tommy's grandfather, and as soon as Tommy arrived, he offered his condolences. Tommy sat down at the waiting checkerboard, but it was all too much for him, and he couldn't fight back tears any longer.

Uncle Ben just sat quietly. Eventually Tommy cried himself out. He took a few deep breaths and gave Uncle Ben an embarrassed look.

"It's okay, Tommy. You have to express your grief. You can't just hold it in forever. Sometimes it's braver to cry than to try to act strong."

"I don't know how I can go to the championships, Uncle Ben," Tommy said. "It just doesn't seem right. Grandpa's funeral is going to be right in the middle of the competition."

It was true. The opening round was on Wednesday and the funeral was scheduled for Thursday morning. "How can I let Mom go to the funeral by herself?" Tommy asked. "I've just got to be there."

Uncle Ben took his time before answering. In a quiet voice, he said, "What does your mother say?"

"My mother says I've got to decide for myself, but she thinks I have an obligation to my team. The thing is, I think I have an obligation to my mom."

"Indeed, you do, Tommy, although that obligation may not be quite what you think. But you're leaving out the most important question of all."

Tommy look puzzled. "I don't understand, Uncle Ben. What other question is there?"

"The question you need to ask, Tommy, is, what would your grandfather have wanted you to do?"

Tommy smiled. "Gramps and I talked about it a lot," he said. "Gramps was really proud of me and wanted my team to take the championship this year. He thought we had a really good shot at it." Tommy's smile quickly vanished and he felt near tears again. "But he won't see it now ... it just doesn't seem to matter any more."

"Oh, it does matter, Tommy. It matters quite a bit. But you really didn't answer the question. What would your grandfather want you to do?"

"Well ... he was always telling me things like 'life is for the living' and saying I would only be young once and not to miss out on anything. I never really understood all of it, I guess."

"Do you understand a little more of it now?"

Tommy thought for a moment. "You mean now that he's gone? Actually, Uncle Ben, I think he was trying to tell me something."

"And what might that be?"

"That he was old and he wouldn't be around forever, and that life would go on?"

"Very good. And now, can you answer my question?"

"He'd want me to go, wouldn't he? He'd want me to go and play my best and bring home the trophy."

Uncle Ben sat back in his chair and didn't say anything.

"But what about my Mom?" Tommy asked. "Shouldn't I be with her?"

"The hardest time for your Mom, Tommy, will be when the funeral is over and everyone has gone home. You'll be there with her then, when she really needs you the most." Uncle Ben paused. "Now, I can't tell you what to do. You have to decide for yourself, and we'll all respect your decision. That's all I'm going to say, so are you ready for some lemonade now?"

Tommy sat up straight and nodded. "Yes, please, I'd like that, Uncle Ben. Thank you. And I think we'd better get down to my lesson. I've got a championship to win, you know!"

Uncle Ben smiled and reached for the icy pitcher of fresh lemonade.

Editor's Note: Clicking on Read More will take you to the problem solution, a sample game, many more examples of the problem's theme, as well as additional commentary.

[Read More]

Finally, we go to the source. Shown above is the River Tweed in the Kelso area of Scotland, and as we all know, the 10-15 Kelso opening is named for this region.

We continue this extended series on the Kelso with Willie's "Variation 2," as presented in his famed and famous Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard. Variation 2 is reached as follows. (Annotations are shown in previous columns in this series.)

10-15	21-17	24-20
22-18	4-8	1-6
15-22	17-13	28-24
25-18	9-14	8-11---1
11-15	29-25	32-28---A
18-11	6-10	14-17---B,C
8-15

A---"Forms a position made famous by American Champion A. J. Heffner of Boston, who published much fine play on it years ago. The ramifications of this formation should be mastered by every aspiring player, as it has been the nemesis of many headliners in the checker firmament."

1---Willie has previously noted that this is a very weak move. 15-19 is really the only way to go for Black.

Notes B and C are shown in the solution.

The last move, 14-17, is critical. What if Black plays 15-18? How about 14-18? It turns out that both of these moves lose.

So, you have two problems to solve. The first is easier than the second, especially as our computer analysis explored some improved play in the second problem. See what you can do, and then go to the source by clicking on Read More to see the solutions.

[Read More]

We had a little more trouble than usual with today's Checker School theme.

There was a very famous engineer, William Mulholland, but the surname's spelling isn't the same as the name in our theme. Mr. Mulholland designed and directed the construction of the 233-mile long Los Angeles aqueduct, which opened in 1913. Mulholland Drive and other places around Los Angeles are named after him. His career had an unfortunate ending after the deadly collapse of the St. Francis Dam in 1928.

But what about Mr. Lucas? The name is common enough, and we uncovered numerous engineers and engineering firms bearing that name.

There is at least one modern-day person named Lucas Mullholland, with that exact spelling, but for privacy reasons we won't publish a photo or travel any further in that direction.

Of course, there's the famed 2001 Mulholland Drive movie, as shown above.

What has all of this to do with checkers? We don't know, but it's almost a certainty that William Mulholland at least knew how to play the game.

Today's study consists of two problems based on a single diagram. It all comes down to who moves first.

This is an excellent and subtle study, and it's well worth your time. See if you can engineer the solutions, then click on Read More to see notes, commentary, analysis, and sample games.

[Read More]

Now that's quite a caper!

Today we feature the fifth in an ongoing series on capers in the Kelso opening, taken from Willie Ryan's classic Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard. There's a lot of action in this one and we think it's as good as the dance caper shown above.

Here's the runup, without commentary. (Annotations are presented in previous columns in this series.)

1.	10-15	22-18
2.	15-22	25-18
3.	6-10	29-25
4.	11-15	18-11
5.	8-15	25-22
6.	4-8	21-17
7.	9-13	23-18
8.	7-11	26-23
9.	5-9	30-25

Black has a loose double corner, but there's definitely a draw here, though it's not so easy to get it. Can you find the right move and then correctly play out the rest of the sequence? Willie found one drawing move, but there are actually two--- not that that helps very much.

Don't dance around; jump right in and find the solution, then leap to Read More to see Willie's answer and commentary.

[Read More]

The Macindoe Research Facility is a state of the art establishment focusing on digital literacy. It's part of the Presbyterian Ladies' College in Croydon, New South Wales, Australia. We don't know which Macindoe the facility is named for, but by all accounts this is a leading research center not just in Australia but in the world.

Would there be any relationship to checkerist J. B. Macindoe, who lived something like a century and a half ago in Montreal, Canada? It's possible, we suppose. Do they study checkers and draughts at the Macindoe Research Facility? While we'd like to think so, we're not sure it's part of their mission, but we can always hope.

Today's Checker School entry, certainly, is worthy of serious study by serious students. Here's the position.

A textbook ending? Indeed it is. Do your own research--- mentally, of course--- and see if you can solve it. Then, click on Read More for the customary detailed notes, solution, and sample games.

[Read More]

If you're a ballet student of any standing, you've certainly encountered "fifth position," as shown above. It's one of the basics that every aspiring ballet dancer must learn.

Checkers, too, has Fifth Position, and it requires mental effort similar to the physical effort required for ballet's position of the same name. Yes, we've seen Fifth Position in our columns before, but perhaps not to quite the depth of today's lesson in Checker School.

Here's the basic premise.

Even if you've done it before, it's worth another try. Solve it, then click on Read More to see the solution and the heart of this study: six sample games that lead to Fifth Position.

[Read More]

During your school days, did you ever "cut a caper" like the kids above are doing? They seem to really be enjoying their dance class.

This week continues our equally enjoyable checker series, Capers on the Kelso, taken from Willie Ryan's famous Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard. We're deep into a variation off the main line in which Willie has highlighted an interesting problem-like position.

The uncommented run-up follows below. For complete notes, see the previous columns in this series.

1.	10-15	22-18
2.	15x22	25x18
3.	6-10	29-25
4.	11-15	18x11
5.	8x15	25-22
6.	4-8	21-17
7.	9-13	23-18
8.	7-11	26-23
9.	5-9	24-20
10.	1-5	28-24
11.	9-14	18x9
12.	5x21	23-19
13.	2-6	27-23
14.	3-7

White is a piece down, but the draw is there, although White will have to make a number of star moves and "toe the line" pretty closely.

Is this too big a caper to pull off, or can you do it? Give it a couple of turns, and then click on Read More to see the solution and notes.

[Read More]