Unoffical World Championshop Checker Problem Composing Contest #31-2
2017-01-21 through 2017-02-28
So far 287 visitors have viewed this contest 590 times.

The ACF Website wishes a big congratulations to Roy Little, Oklahoma City, OK, the composer of Tight Squeeze, which was voted the winner of
Unoffical World Championshop Checker Problem Composing Contest #31-2 .
Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest 31 - Escapes - Overall Results

Round 1, December 2016 - 347 visitors; 13 voted

Winner: Tight Squeeze by Roy Little, 10 votes; Roy regains World Championship, Problemist of the Year again; Tight Squeeze advances to Round 2;

2nd Place: Scattered Brains by Bill Salot, 2 votes; eliminated;

3rd Place: Desperate Escape by Ed Atkinson, 1 vote; eliminated;

4th & 5th Place Tie, Simple Simon by Louis Cowie & Ook by Jim Loy, 0 votes each; eliminated.

Round 2, February 2017 - 287 visitors; 12 voted

Overall Winner Tight Squeeze by Roy Little, 8 votes; still the winner; still World Champion;

2nd in voting, but disqualified, Sharecropper, a variation of a larger problem co-authored by 19th-Century Chicagoans G. H. Slocum and his mentor Charles Hefter, 2 votes; disqualified due to prior publication by them in the Chicago Inter Ocean, October 15, 1892; this was the first of two times in his career that Slocum shared co-authorship of a problem; Mr. Slocum will try again.

2nd & 3rd Place Tie: Choose Wisely, Grasshopper by Brian Hinkle and It's a Draw! by John Webster, 1 vote each; "It's a Draw!" is what Webster said after Teal Stanley conceded their last game to him at the 2016 Virginia Tourney.

Here is how Contest 31, Part 2 was introduced:

If you are planning on playing in the Branson 11-man Ballot Tournament, you will find no better practice than solving these escapist gems.

Don't expect any beginners' problems here. These are original and unpublished. All are deceptive draws. Two arose in games. All require at least five star moves to consummate. They all must contend against either one or two aggressive, mean-spirited, Red Kings. Two have critical variations (fake solutions), and two don't.

Four of the eight entries in this Escape contest were eliminated in Part 1. The winner of Part 1 now joins three first-time entrants in Part 2 to determine the overall world champion drawmaster composer. The three first-timers are well-known names in the checker world. They will not be pushovers.

While you are taking your practice, please help us determine the best escape by viewing the animator and voting your conscience. Then monitor the progress of the voting.
Tight Squeeze
Composed By: Roy Little, Oklahoma City, OK
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*18 15, 7-11, *15 10, 22-18, *14 9, 18-14, *9 6, 14-7, *8 3, 7-10, *3 8Draw
Sharecropper
Composed By: G H Slocum & C Hefter

DISQUALIFIED

Previously published; Chicago Inter Ocean, October 15, 1892
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*10 7A, 19-15, *7 3, 15-11B, *25 22, 9-14, *4 8, 11-4, *3 7, 12-16, *7 10 Draw
ANot 10 6, *19-15, 6 1, *15-10, 1 5, *10-14, 25 21, *9-13, 1st Position with extra pieces Red Wins
B15-10, *4 8, 12-16, *8 4, 9-14, 4 8 or 3 8Draw
Choose wisely, Grasshopper
Composed By: Brian Hinkle, Ofallon, MO
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*14 10, 26-19 {26-17, *25 21, Draws}, *10 7A, 5-9B,*22 18, 19-23, *18 15, 13-17, *25 21Draw
ANot 10 6 (Not 25 21, *5-9, 10 6, *9-14, 6 1, *14-18, RW by 1st Position), *5-9, 22 18, *19-23, 18 15, 13-17 (9-14 also RW), 6 1 (25 21, *23-19, RW), *9-13, 15 11 (25 21, *23-19, RW), *17-21, 25 22, *21-25, 1 6, *25-30, 6 10, *30-26Red Wins
B19-15, 7 3(or 25 21 first; 7 2 loses), 5-9, 3 7(or 25 21 first; 3 8 loses), 9-14, *25 21Draw
It's a Draw!
Composed By: Dr. John R. Webster, Stoneville, NC
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*6 10, 21-17, *19 16, 12-19, *10 14, 17-10, 15 6, 19-23, *6 10, 24-19 {13-17, *10 14, Draw}, *10 6, 19-16, *6 10, 16-11, *10 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.