Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest #53
2020-09-19 through 2020-10-31
So far 139 visitors have viewed this contest 374 times.

The ACF Website wishes a big congratulations to Leo Springer, the composer of Never Be Shy, which was voted the winner of
Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest #53.
The "Unfamiliar Maneuver" featured in this contest might be called the "*32 27 Unforced Double Corner Block Release". A Red man in the Double Corner Dog Hole on Square 28 is blocked by a White man on Square 32. Then White Wins by making the dumbest-appearing, star move ever, deliberately releasing the block by *32 27 to win!

The number of settings known so far that demonstrate this maneuver can be counted by the thumb and fingers of one hand. Four of the settings were in this contest. If you can find or create another, please publish it or forward it to Bill Salot and we will publicize it.

Never Be Shy, by Leo Springer (Netherlands), was voted best of all by 7 voters, including Ingo Zachos (Germany), Lloyd Gordon (Canada), Liam Stephens (Ireland), George Hay, and Kathy Wirthwein. It was Leo's 6th win (or tie for 1st) in 8 tries. He tied for 2nd in the other 2.

Buttercup, by 21-time winner, Roy Little, was 2nd with 3 votes, including Gene Ellison's.

Invincible, by 2-time winner, Mark Sokolovsky, was 3rd with 2 votes, respectively by Slava Goren (Russia) and 14-time winner, Ed Atkinson, who was unable to create an entry on this theme

Reinforcement, by 11-time winner, Bill Salot, was last, with 0 votes for the 6th time.

The contest had 139 visitors, 12 of whom voted. That was the fewest votes since Contest 39, June 2018.

The International Voters' Ladder now stands at:
1 - Leo Springer (Netherlands), picked 3 winners in 5 tries (60%)
2 - Liam Stephens (Ireland) 11 wins in 21 tries (52%)
3 & 4 tie - Kathy Wirthwein, 9 wins in 18 tries (50%); Wilma Wolverton 3 wins in 6 tries (50%)
5 - Slava Gorin (Russia), 7 wins in 15 tries (47%)
6 - Gene Ellison, 9 wins in 20 tries (45%)
7 - Richard Marlowe, 2 wins in 5 tries (40%)
8 - George Hay, 8 wins in 21 tries (38.1%)
9 - Lloyd Gordon (Canada), 6 wins in 16 tries (37.5%)
13 others have either picked fewer than 37.5% winners or voted in fewer than 5 contests.

Here is how Contest 53 was introduced.

Some checker moves are so strange, so abnormal, and so counter-intuitive that they are seldom made. You could spend a long career in checkers and never see the move featured in this quartet. Two are draws, and two are wins, but all four settings are shockers. Only one diagram has a King.

See them animated, and cast a vote here for the one you deem best.

Please let us know of any other problems, published or unpublished, that make the crazy maneuver in this contest. The only other such problem of which we are aware is No. 13 in Lyman's Problem Book (1881), a 2x2 by M. Wardell.

Also, if you tell us which entry got your vote, we will put you on the Voters' Ladder, which recognizes and compares our most astute judges of checker problems.

Send all messages to the address under the diagrams.
Buttercup
Composed By: Roy Little
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*18 14A, 9-18, *32 27B, 7-14, *24 19, 15-31, 22 8, 3-12, *30 26, 31-22, 25 2Draw
ANot 20 16, *7-23, 16 7, 3-10Red Wins
BBlock released. Not 30 26, 7-14, 24 19, 15-24, 22 8, 3-12, Red Wins Not 24 19, *7-14, 19 10, 6-15 Red Wins
Invincible
Composed By: Mark Sokolovsky
Current Votes:
White to move. Draw
View Animation
Trunk*21 17A, 9-13B, *17 14, 24-28, *19 15, 13-17, 15 8, 4-11, *32 27D, 28-32E, *27 24F, 32-27, *24 19, 27-23, *19 15, 17-22, 15 8, 23-19G, *31 27H, 22-25, *27 24, 19-28, *8 3, 7-11, *14 10IDraw
ANot 32 28 (not 19 15, 9-14 or 24-28, RW), 9-14 or 7-10Red Wins
B24-28 (7-10, *17 13, Draw), 19 15 (or 17 14, 9-13, back to Trunk, Draw), 9-13, 15 8, 4-11,*17 14, 13-17, back to TrunkDraw
CDeleted
DBlock released! Not 31 27, 17-22, 27 24, 22-26, 24 19, 26-30, 19 15, 30-26, 15 8, *7-11, 8 3, *26-22, Red Wins
E17-22, 27 23, 22-25, 23 19, 25-30, 19 15, 30-25, 15 8, 7-11, *31 26, Draw
FNot 27 23, *12-16Red Wins
G22-25, *31 27 (not 31 26, 23-30, 8 3, *30 26, 3 10, *26-22, 10 15, *25-30, 14 10, *30-26, 18 14,*26 23, RW), 23-32, *8 3, 7-11, *3 8, DrawDraw
HNot 8 3, 5-9 or 19-23Red Wins
INot 3 8, *12-16, 8 15, *16-19Red Wins
Never Be Shy
Composed By: Leo Springer
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*22 18A, 13-17B, *32 27C, 28-32D, *30 25E, 21-30, *19 15, 10-19, 23 7, 30-14F, *7 2, 32-23, 2 27White Wins
ANot 23 18, *6-9, 26 23, *10-14Red Wins
B6-9 or 21-17, *19 15White Wins
CBlock released! Not 19 15, 10-19, 23 7, *17-22Draw
D6-9, 18 15 or 18 14, WW, but not 19 15, 10-19, 23 7, *17-22, RW
ENot 27 24, *6-9, 24 20, 9-14 or 10-15Red Wins
F32-14, *7 2, 30-23, sameWhite Wins
Reinforcement
Composed By: Bill Salot
Current Votes:
White to move. White Wins
View Animation
Trunk*29 25A, 11-15, *25 22B, 4-8, *32 27C, 28-32, *27 23, 32-27, *23 18, 8-11, *9 6, 2-9, 13 6, 27-23, *6 2, 23-26, *21 17, 26-23, *2 7White Wins
A 14 10 only draws
B14 10 only draws
CBlock released! 14 10 only draws
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.