Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest #49
2020-01-18 through 2020-02-29
So far 249 visitors have viewed this contest 709 times.

The ACF Website wishes a big congratulations to Mark Sokolovsky, the composer of Pendulum , which was voted the winner of
Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest #49.
Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest 49 - More Kingless Kapers - Results

A first-time entrant, Mark Sokolovsky, won with 10 votes. His winning problem, Pendulum, was a subtle, 16-star study of an astonishingly difficult setting. He reached it in a practice game with Richard Beckwith, but missed the win. Ed Atkinson called it "a remarkable accomplishment". Ed, Kathy Wirthwein and Slava Goren (Russia) voted for it.

Our winningest composer, Roy Little, was second with 9 votes for his Bewildered, a sensational deferred shot, based on a squeeze, two counterintuitive pitches, and a critical choice between alternate jumps. What a thrill it would be to pull it off in a crossboard game! Gary Ellison, George Hay and Lloyd Gordon (Canada) voted for it.

Third with 5 votes was Reunion, by Bill Salot. Gene Ellison, Bob Newell and Liam Stephens voted for it. It was so named because the last move intersected an identical cramp published 113 years earlier, but from a different setting with an entirely different solution. See Lyman's Problem Book (1881), No. 686 (colors reversed), by Fred Allen, Leeds, England.

Fourth with one vote was Now You See It, a clever escape, by occasional composer, Liam Stephens (Ireland).

Vote for Me, another Jim Loy correction of a published game, trailed with zero votes. He suggested changing its name to Don't Vote for Me.

249 visited the web site, and 25 (10%) of them voted, the most votes and
highest percentage since Contest 3 in April 2012.

The Voters' Ladder, based on a minimum of 6 contests, now stands as follows:

1. Liam Stephens (Ireland) 10 winners picked in 16 tries (62%)
2. Kathy Wirthwein 8 in 14 tries (57%)
3. Slava Gorin (Russia) 7 in 13 tries (54%)
4. Gene Ellison 8 in 16 tries (50%)
5. Wilma Wolverton 3 in 6 tries (50%)
17 others have either picked fewer than 50% winners or have voted in fewer than 6 contests.

Here is how this contest was introduced:

Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest 49 - More Kingless Kapers

This contest introduces a new contestant; and reintroduces an infrequent one. Will their original, unpublished challengers upset the old timers?

Most of these original, unpublished, kingless settings can or did arise in games. So enjoying them brings a possible bonus of learning something practical. They are otherwise quite dissimilar in theme and style.

Play out their animations at this web site and vote for the one that impresses you most. You don't have to be a great problem solver, as long as you appreciate checker beauty when you see it.

The current voters' ladder standing has Leo Springer, Netherlands, on top by picking winners in 75% of his tries. Get on the ladder by advising Bill Salot how you voted. His address is beneath the diagrams.
Reunion
Composed By: Bill Salot
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*30 25, 10-14A, *25 21, 14-23, 27 18, 7-10 {or 12-16 first}, *21 17, 12-16, *18 15, 10-19, *32 27White Wins
A12-16 (7-11, *18 15, WW), *25 21, 10-14 (7-11, *21 17, WW), *18 15White Wins
Now You See It
Composed By: Liam Stephens (Ireland)
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*29 25A, 16-19B, 23 16, 12-19, *13 9C, 14-18, *31 26, 5-14, *26 22, 18-23, *22 18Draw
ANot 13 9, *10-15, RW; not 31 26, *2-6, RW; not 31 27, *16-19Red Wins
B2-6, *23 18, 14-23, *25 22 (not 17 14, 10-17, 21 14, *16-19, 25 22, *23-26, 22 18, *26-30, 18 15, 19-23 or 30-25, RW), 23-26, *22 18, 26-30, *18 14Draw
CNot 25 22 nor 31 26 nor 31 27, *2-6Red Wins
Pendulum
Composed By: Mark Sokolovsky
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*24 19, 1-5 {18-22, *19 15, WW}, *16 12, 5-9A,*12 8 {Not 17 13, *18-23, Draw}, 3-12, *19 16 {Not 19 15, 10-19, 17 3, *19-24, Draw}, 12-19, *27 23B, 18-27, 31 6, 14-18, *17 13, 7-11 {or 9-14, *6 2, 7-11, same}, *6 2, 9-14, *2 7C, 11-16, *7 11D, 16-19, *11 7E, 20-24, *7 11F, 24-28, *13 9, 28-32 {or 18-23, *26 22, WW}, 9 6 {or 9 5}, 32-28 {or 18-23, *26 22, WW}, 6 2 {or 6 1}, 28-24 {or 18-23, *26 22, WW}, *11 15, 18-23, *26 22, 14-18, *22 17, 18-22, *15-18White Wins
A7-11, *19 16, 11-15, *17 13White Wins
BNot 26 23, 19-26, 31 6, 7-10 or 14-18Draw
CNot 2 6, 11-16 or 20-24Draw
DNot 7 10 (also not 13 9, *20-24, 9 6, *24-27, Draw), *16-19, 10 17, *18-22Draw
ENot 13 9 (also not 11 15, *18-23, Draw; also not 11 16, *20-24, Draw), *18-23, 26 22, *23-26, 11 7, *26-30, 7 10, *30-25Draw
FNot 13 9, *24-27, 9 6, 19-24 (or 14-17, 21 14, *27-31, Draw), 6 2, 24-28 (or 14-17, 21 14, *27-31, Draw), 2 6, 28-32 (or 14-17, 21 14, *27-31, Draw), 7 11, *14-17, 21 14, *27-31Draw
Bewildered
Composed By: Roy Little
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*27 23, 19-24, *32 27, 24-31, *23 18, 31-22A, *18 2BWhite Wins
A14-23 or 15-22, 26 1 or 26 3White Wins
BJump via *18-11-2 is correct; not via 18-9-2, because then *7-11, 2 7, *11-16, DrawDraw
Vote for Me
Composed By: Jim Loy
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*25 22A, 20-27, 32 16, 12-19, *22 18, 14-23, *15 11, 8-15 {or 7-16}, *28 24, 19-28, 26 3Draw
ACorrects 32 27, Earl K. versus <(-_-)>, 6/1/2012, http://www.itsyourturn.com), *14-18Red Wins
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.