Checker School today brings us the third in our series of famous shots, taken from Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers. As is the case with the other entries in this series, experienced players should recognize it by sight, while less experienced players would do well to learn the position.

Here's this week's run-up:

11-15 23-19 8-11 22-17 4-8 17-13 15-18 24-20 11-15 28-24 8-11 26-23 9-14 31-26 6-9 13x6 2x9 26-22 9-13---A

A---Loses. 3-8 or 1-6 would be correct. White to play and win.

BLACK

WHITE
White to Play and Win

W:W32,30,29,27,25,24,23,22,21,20,19:B18,15,14,13,12,11,10,7,5,3,1.

We're not sure which looks more interesting: the checker position or the attractive concoction shown in the photo at the top. Right now, though, let's go for the checker position. Find the solution, name the shot (both of them!), and then click on Read More to see the solution.

Solution

This shot is called The Scrub's Delight. Recall that "scrub" is an older word for an unskilled or less than proficient player.

Continue from the diagram:

20-16 11x20 22-17 13x22 21-17 14x21 23x14 10x17 25x2 17-22 19-15 5-9 15-10---B 9-13 2-7 18. 1-5 7-11 13-17 32-28 12-16 10-6 5-9 6-2 9-14---C 2-6 14-18---D 29-25! 22x29 11-7 3x10 6x13 White Wins.

B---Freeing the king.

C---If 3-7 then 2-6.

D---Black is running out of safe moves; the computer recommends pitching a man here to avoid the following ending.

The other shot? It's known variously as a Lava Flow or a Lava Lava, and may be as much a California drink as it is a Hawaiian one, but it certainly calls Madame Pele to mind.