Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest #25
2015-11-21 through 2015-12-31
So far 318 visitors have viewed this contest 714 times.

We have a tie!

The ACF Website would like to congratulate
Leo Springer, Netherlands, the composer of Dutch Treat and
Bill Salot, Vitginia, the composer of Lone Ranger
who have tied with 6 votes.
Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest 25 Results - Pure Sextuples

The four contest entries were considered equal going in. But the voters saw differences that propelled two of them far ahead of the pack. In all 4 problems, a lone White King captured all of the opposing pieces, executing a 6-piece sweep in the process.

Dutch treat, by Netherlands resident Leo Springer, his second win in two tries, and Lone Ranger, by Bill Salot, tied for first with 6 votes each. They had the fewest Red Kings, but the most total Red pieces.

Dutch Treat offered Hobson's Choices twice, and ended with one piece beating two. Lone Ranger was biggest and longest, and its White King traveled farthest; from 1 to 28.

Third with 2 votes was Thirteen, by Ed Atkinson. It had a sextuple jump from 13 to 13 on the 13th move.

Trailing with 1 vote was Northwind, by Roy Little, who relinquishes his title.

The number of contest visitors increased to 318.

Here is how the contest was introduced:

These unpublished checkerboard firework displays by modern-day competing composers feature sextuple jumps. The 6-piece sweeps are bigger than in any prior problem entered during four years of running these contests. Has there ever been a documented sextuple jump in an actual game?

The following ancient quotes are from A. C. Hews' "Stroke Problems", 1917:

Stroke problems "teach the young player in a fashion that is quick, entertaining and unmistakable", Liverpool Mercury.

They "are more easily solved and for this reason favoured by the novice", Hews.

Solving them "tends to improve one's sighting abilities in actual play", Hews.

They, "if complicated, will sometimes puzzle even the expert solver", Hews.

"No problem is more expressive of the beauty and the profundity of the game than the stroke", Norwich Mercury.

If you cannot readily solve these strokes, please at least witness their animated solutions for your pure entertainment. Then cast your vote for the one that impresses you most. Will Roy Little retain his crown?
Dutch Treat
Composed By: Leo Springer, Netherlands
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*19 16, 12-19{or 28-19 first}, *26 23, 19-26, *15 11, 28-19, *11 7, 2-11, *10 7, 1 17{or 3-17 first}, *9 14, 3-10 {sextuple jump}White Wins
Northwind
Composed By: Roy Little, Oklahoma
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*27 23, 18-27, *9 13, 2-18, *11 8, 12-10, *17 14, 10-17{or 18-9}{sextuple jump}White Wins
Lone Ranger
Composed By: Bill Salot, Vitginia
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*11 7, 2-11, *31 26, 22-31, *1 6, 31-24 {or 15-22 first}, *6 2, 15-22, *23 18, 14-23, *2 7, 5-14 {or 21-14 first}, 7 16, 14-7, *16 12 {sextuple jump}White Wins
Thirteen
Composed By: Ed Atkinson, Pennsylvania
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*5 1A, 26-17, *18 23, 19-26, *1 5, 10-19. *11 7, 20-11{or 3-10 first}, *5 9, 3-10, *2 7, 11-2, *9 13, 2-9{sextuple jump}White Wins
ANot 6 1, 26-17, 15 6, 3-8, 11 4, 20-11, 4-8 or 18 15Draw
Please enter your original, unpublished, dual-free problems in future contests by sending them at anytime to:
Bill Salot
1006 Elmwood Drive
Colonial Heights, VA 23834-2905

or at wjsalot@comcast.net.