The Unknown Derek Oldbury

 COLUMN NUMBER 21

Problem Number 21: By Derek Oldbury

White to move and win; meeting an unusual defence

Solution To Problem Number 20: 26-30 9-6; 30-25 6-2; 25-18 2-11; 13-22 32-27; 22-25 (for 15-19 would lose by 31-26) 27-23; 18-27 31-24; 15-18 11-7; 10-14 7-10; 25-30 10-17; 18-22 17-26; 30-23 24-19; 23-16 28-24. Drawn.

Game Number 21. 'Kelso' Opening

A game I win quite often when I have the whites. Set black men on squares 1 to 12; white men on squares 21 to 32.

Start moving: 10-15 21-17; 11-16 17-13; 16-19 (the master players shun this move, and wisely) 23-16; 12-19 22-18 (White forces the pace from here on); 15-22 24-15; 7-11 25-18; 9-14 18-9; 11-18 29-25 (giving Black no respite); 5-14 26-22; 3-7 22-15; 7-11 31-26; 11-18 26-22; 2-7 22-15; 6-9 13-6; 1-19 Forms Diagram: White to move

Continue:   27-24; 7-11 24-15; 11-18 28-24; 8-11 24-19; 18-23 25-22 (having forced Black on to square 23, White now breaks through); 4-8 22-18; 14-17 18-14; 8-12 14-9; 17-22 9-6; 22-26 6-2; 26-31 2-7; 31-27 (a life saver) 7-16; 27-24 16-20; 24-15 20-24; 12-16 24-20 and now 16-19 is a loss, forming Problem Number 21 above, but 15-11 Draws. The student should run through this game several times, as it teaches some valuable ideas in tactics.