We're not golfers ourselves, but we'll wager that even for less experienced players, the stroke above would be a pretty easy one and rather hard to miss. Still, we're glad that we're not the ones who have to play it!

In the same spirit, this week's column brings you a stroke problem that is rated as quite easy by its author, and indeed, it doesn't have the decidedly scary look of many another stroke problem.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W11,17,19,25,30:B6,12,16,23,K24.

Now, we can't put this one off with the claim that we don't play checkers, and it would be unseemly to say "better you than us" in this case. In truth, the problem isn't half as hard as you might think, and we did try it out and solved it quickly enough. We've not set this one up as a speed problem, but time yourself and see if you can solve it in 15 seconds or less; then click on Read More to verify your solution.

Remember, a gentle tap will do it ...

Each year, The Checker Maven celebrates the Labor Day holiday by recognizing the common man, the regular guy or gal who has always been the mainstay of our game of checkers, and most importantly of all, the backbone of what makes America great. Day in and day out, this "regular" guy or gal punches in at work, turns in an honest day's labor, and moves the American economic engine forward.

At least, that's how it's been until the last little while, in which the American worker has become something of an underdog, struggling to make a living if he or she even has a job at all. In the economic meltdown of the past couple of years, many a hard working, honest Joe or Jane has been thrown out of work and left to fend for his or her own self, while the Wall Street elite continue to get their million-dollar bonuses.

You'll have to excuse us if we seem, well, unhappy about all of this, because we believe in hard work and honest living; today that doesn't always make the grade, and it just isn't right. But we still, and always, salute the American worker: we know you deserve a better deal and one day, you'll regain the pride of place that is rightfully yours.

We know you didn't come here to talk politics and social theory, and so we do have a checker problem that seems to fit with this week's theme. Take a look at the diagram below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W17,13,K11,K3:BK22,12,10,6,5.

You surely see what we mean. White (the worker) is the real underdog here; he's a piece down and doesn't have a lot of options (sound familiar?). Black (the fat cat) is a piece up and is ready to squash White under his thumb. But all White wants is a square deal (represented here by getting a draw).

Can you get the fair shake that is rightfully yours, or will you be ground up in the wheels of power? "Work" out the problem and then click on Read More to "claim" the solution.

The pyramids conjure up images of ancient mystery, of the secrets of a long gone era, of a certain spine-tingling strangeness. We're sure you understand what we mean.

While the pyramid concept in checkers is somewhat less spine-tingling, nevertheless, there has for decades been a certain mystique, if somewhat short of mystery, surrounding it. As set forth by its colorful proponent, Julius D'Orio, we are asked to believe that maintaining a pyramid formation at the bottom of our side of the board is the key to success. But alas, checkers is never so simple, and to paraphrase checker pundit Jim Loy, "Sometimes it wins, sometimes it loses."

This month's speed problem contains a mini-pyramid of three white pieces in the middle of the board, and at first glance, it surely looks like it isn't exactly favorable. But, like the pyramids of old, the checkerboard conceals many secrets. Can you--- in fifteen seconds or less--- find the secret of this position?

When you're ready, click below to display the setup and start the clock; then come back and click on Read More to verify your solution.

August 2010 Speed Problem (easy, 15 seconds)

The position shown just below arose in a game nearly 80 years ago between a certain Phildelphian named Simon Becker, and Professor Guy H. Garwood of McComb, Ohio. Now, McComb is and always has been a small village (its current population is under 2,000) and it has never had a college or university. Perhaps Prof. Garwood taught at nearby University of Findlay, a large and historical school in Findlay, Ohio; but we were unable, in the time we had available, to find out anything about the good Professor except that he was a championship-caliber player who scored some notable wins in big-time tournament play. (The photo above is obviously not of Professor Garwood.)

How, then, did he get himself into the predicament the White forces appear to suffer from? We don't know that answer, either, but we would like to at least metaphorically ask the Professor for his opinion on the position. Professor, it's your move with White, what result?

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play, What Result?

W:W32,31,25,23,21,17,13:B28,15,14,11,10,6,1.

Yet another thing we don't know is if you, our reader, happen to be a Professor yourself. But that's really immaterial. In fact, if you solve this problem correctly, we'll give you the title of Honorary Professor of Checkers. With an incentive like that, we know you'll want to solve it, so do so, and click on Read More to verify your solution.

Shown above are the board and pieces for the game Konane, also commonly know as "Hawaiian Checkers" even though the game has nothing at all to do with checkers! Still, it's an excellent game of skill, and has been played in Hawai`i since ancient days.

Seemingly less common in Hawai`i is our own game of checkers; we can't find any history of formal competition and there is certainly no officially recognized state champion. But local checker fan Geoffrey Pang is about to change all that. He's organizing and sponsoring an honest-to-goodness checker tournament in Mililani, on the island of O`ahu, on July 24, 2010, at the Mililani Town Center. The tournament is informal (and not an official American Checker Association event). If you're on O`ahu on the 24th, we encourage you to play. There is no entry fee. Simply contact Geoff at gpang_abm@msn.com to let him know you're coming, and show up at 9:00 AM. The tournament will take place at the beautiful outdoor location shown below. The Checker Maven will be on hand to cover the event, and we'll publish the results in a forthcoming Saturday edition.

Now, for today's column, we really couldn't come up with a Hawaiian-themed checker problem. But after a little thought, we decided that given Hawai`i's storied history of kings, queens, and other royalty, a problem involving many kings might be just the ticket; and fortunately, we were able to locate one. It's diagrammed below, and a festival of kings it surely is.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:WK10,28,K32:BK11,K18,K19,K20.

This one is really easy enough to have been a fifteen second speed problem, but in Hawai`i, we're hardly ever in a hurry, so take your time, then click on Read More to see the royally simple solution.

The Fourth of July, American Independence Day, is one of our favorite national holidays, as we've said in these columns many times before. We're unabashed patriots, happy and proud to celebrate the anniversary of America's birth each and every year.

The Checker Maven, when marking a special occasion, invariably turns to the dean of American problemists, Tom Wiswell. In keeping with that tradition, we present a problem that Mr. Wiswell says is one of his earliest, taken from actual play. He calls it practical and pleasing; we call it spectacular, providing a display of checkeristic fireworks to go along with the aerial fireworks traditional on the Fourth of July.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W27,26,23,18,K1:B20,15,12,11,5.

Black is going to press the White man on 27, at the very least. How can White save the day? Take this one along with you to the Fourth of July picnic, and solve it with your checker friends; then be sure to click on Read More to check your solution. Enjoy the fireworks, both on and off the board!

You probably recognize the device shown above; it's called a Tesla Coil. It delivers a very high voltage but an extremely low current and so is a relatively safe gadget, and was used back in the day to do all sorts of "shocking" and "unbelievable" tricks such as making a woman's hair stand up and other stunts of a similar ilk. Of course, shining the light of scientific explanation on these parlor tricks demonstrated clearly how it was done and provided a modicum of education as well as amusement.

So, we weren't sure whether to call this column "Shocking" instead of "Believe It Or Don't" because today's problem contains an element of both sharp surprise and incredulity; and it's entertaining as well as didactic. Let's go straight to the diagram.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W18,14,12,K4:B9,5,3,K2.

Although you may not believe it at first glance, Black has an easy win in this position! As with many such "unbelievable" things, a little deeper look usually reveals the truth of the matter. Still and all, Black seems to be in as much of a jam as White; how can he pull off what might be seen as a rather shocking quick win? As they say, believe it and make it so.

When you've come up with your answer, click on Read More for the electrifying and completely believable solution.

Croon, June, spoon, moon ... these were the rhymes used in many a song during the days of what was known in the music business as "Tin Pan Alley," which had its reign during much of the same era that the game of checkers had its own, from the late 1800s through perhaps the 1930s. Though the songs of Tin Pan Alley might seem trite and shopworn to a modern audience, in their own day they were, as they say, "The Cat's Meow."

You certainly aren't reading our column, though, because you think checkers is shopworn or trite; we're certainly of the opinion that it remains as fresh and interesting as ever a game could be. So, to help you croon at the start of June, we've brought you an especially pleasing speed problem. Bit we won't give you the typical three or so minutes that a Tin Pan Alley song would last; you've got only 20 seconds--- maybe just enough time for a quick chorus.

When you're ready to croon, click on the link below to display the problem and start the clock ticking. When you're done, come back and click on Read More and we'll sing out the solution.

June Speed Problem (20 second time limit; fairly easy)

Perpetual motion, like alchemy, was a dream of scientists of a bygone era. Not equipped with the knowledge and tools of later days, they hoped to build a machine that was self-sustaining and would operate forever. Alas, such a thing is not possible; reaching 100% efficiency in the practical world simply doesn't happen, and, lacking energy input of some type, everything runs down in the end. As with the search for a way to turn base materials into gold, the quest for perpetual motion was never to succeed. Still, much time, effort, and ingenuity was expended designing devices such as the one shown above.

Perpetual motion of a different kind, however, can be found in the game of checkers. While we're not going to give away any more than that, you'll understand our meaning when you've worked through today's problem, which is diagrammed below.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Draw

W:W8,9,10,21,26:BK1,K2,K18,K29.

White has five men against four kings; his extra piece is going to go fast and then four men have to face four kings. It seems hopeless, but there is a brilliant way to draw which demonstrates once again the incredible possibilities present on the checkerboard.

Don't just go through the motions; perpetuate your efforts and find the solution! And as you know, clicking on Read More is our perpetually-valid means of moving to the solution.

Following on the heels of last month's "Two Fisted" checker problem, this month we again play real "hardball" with a position that one of the greats of checker history managed to get wrong. More about that when we discuss the solution, but first let's look at the following diagram.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W19,20,25,27,28,29,30,32:B3,7,8,11,12,13,14,17.

The originally published comment on this position was "... the following beautiful position ... appears to be a forced White win." That was something over 85 years ago. Modern computer analysis by KingsRow with the 10-piece endgame database declares the position a likely White win, but with a line of play different from the one published decades back.

In the solution, reached by clicking on Read More, we'll show you the computer line and give you a little more historical background. But first, we invite you to do your own analysis, and at the very least, decide how you would play the position. Certainly, it's a practical exercise, and although indeed we're playing hardball in asking you to do better than one of the game's leading champions of yore, the solution is surprisingly accessible.