The Unknown Derek Oldbury

 COLUMN NUMBER 8

Problem Number 8: By Ken Marriott

White to move and draw

Neat forcing tactics by the rising Rotherham star.

Solution To Problem Number 7:  22-17; 10-15 7-3; 25-22 3-12; 22-13 12-16; 31-27 21-17 (elegance); 27-18 17-14; 18-9 5-14. Drawn.

Game Number 8. 'Kelso' Opening

Black: Derek Oldbury; White: Percy Crabbe. Set black men on squares 1 to 12; white men on squares 21 to 32.

Start moving: 10-15 22-17; 7-10 (inviting an attack) 17-14; 10-17 21-14; 9-18 23-14; 3-7 24-19; 15-24 28-19; 11-16 27-23; 6-9 23-18; 16-23 26-19 (White commands a lot of territory); 1-6 31-26; 8-11 32-27; 11-16 27-24; 16-23 26-19 Forms Diagram: Black to move

Continue: 7-10 (the move that shook the room) 14-7; 2-11 19-15; 12-16 15-8; 4-11 25-22; 6-10 30-26 (hoping for 16-20, then 29-25 escapes); 9-13 29-25; 10-15. Black won. From the 1952 British Championship Tournament.