Having your child read along with you is a wonderfully rewarding activity. We can't say for sure if this mom is sharing a book about checkers with her daughter, but we can certainly hope so.

Today in our Checker School installment, we invite you to a "Reid-Along" of our own, with a problem attributed to checkerist H. Reid.

H. REID
WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W26,21,19,17,16:B14,10,9,7,3.

Can you "Reid" the position and come up with the surprising move that gains Black the draw, or will you "Reid-em" and weep, as the saying goes? Either way, clicking on Reid More (!) will of course bring you to the solution, a sample game, and explanatory notes.

Solution

As is our custom, lettered notes and other commentary are by Ben Boland, in Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers. Numbered notes are by the editor, using the KingsRow computer engine and 10-piece endgame database.

10-15---A,1, 19-10---B, 9-13, 26-22---3, 14-18, 22-15, 13-22, 10-6, 7-11. Drawn---4.

Game: 11-16, 23-18, 16-20, 26-23, 8-11, 22-17, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 25-22, 11-15, 29-25, 15-18, 22-15, 10-26, 17-10, 7-14, 30-23, 4-8, 24-19, 8-11---5, 31-26, 2-7, 25-22, 6-10, 19-16, 12-19, 23-16, 11-15, 27-24, 20-27, 32-23, 1-5, 23-19, 15-24, 28-19, 5-9---6, 22-17. Forms above position. S. Gonotsky vs. L. Ginsberg, Game 10, in their 1925 Match Book.

A---If this is delayed one move, White Wins; 9-13, 26-22, 10-15, 17-10*, 15-24, 10-6, etc. White Wins.

B---17-10, 15-24---2, 10-6, 24-27, 26-22, 9-14, 6-2, 14-18, 22-15, 7-11, 15-8, 3-19. Drawn.

1---A remarkable move. See Note A for what happens with the natural-looking 9-13.

2---Obviously not the losing 7-14.

3---Or 26-23.

4---It's a clear draw after 16x7 3x19.

5---End of KingsRow opening book.

6---The computer gives 3-8 here but there is no difference. The game was played virtually without flaw all the way through, not very surprising from these two legendary players.

The above game was also played between, Vodola and Young, Game No. 46, Eighth National Tourney Book, 1934.

The above position by H. Reid, may be found colors reversed as No. 488 in Lyman's Problem Book. Also No. 19, Page 59, in "Boland's Familiar Themes."