Our May Checker Maven Reader's Survey demonstrated to us the popularity of our electronic republications of classic checker literature, and contained suggestions to publish more as time permits. In response to these requests, we're inaugurating a new series that we're calling Checker School. This will, over time, amount to new electronic editions of Ben Boland's classics Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers, and Familiar Themes. These are seminal works that prove as valuable today as they did when they were published over six decades ago. Now, these books contain much complex material, so a complete reissue will likely take many months if not years, but we're working at it!

Let's get started with a delicate endgame of a very practical nature. Class is in session!

Click on Read More for the solution, a runup to the position, and additional notes and quotes from Famous Positions.

(Editor's Note: the color diagrams will return as soon as we work through our article backlog.)

8-11-A, 32-27, 11-16, 2-7, 28-32*, 27-24, 32-28*, 24-20, 16-19, 7-11, 28-32, 20-16*, 19-23. Drawn.

Game: 11-15, 21-17, 9-13, 25-21, 5-9, 23-18, 1-5, 18-11, 8-15, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 4-8, 30-25, 7-11, 22-18, 13-22, 26-17, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 25-22, 11-15, 27-24, 8-11-B, 31-27, 3-8, 29-25, 6-9, 17-13, 14-18, 13-6, 2-9, 24-20, 15-31, 22-6, 9-14, 6-1, 14-18, 1-6, 18-23, 25-22, 31-27, 6-10, 27-24, 22-17, 24-19, 32-28, 23-27, 17-13, 27-32, 13-9, 32-27, 9-6, 11-15, 6-2, 15-18, 2-7, 18-22, 21-17, 22-26, 17-13, 26-30, 13-9, 30-26, 9-6, 26-22, 6-2, 22-18, 28-24, 19-28, 20-16, 12-19, 10-15, 18-11, 7-32. Forms above position. G. Buchanan vs. R. Stewart, Game 90, Third Scottish Tournament, 1895.

A---Buchanan here played; 28-24, 2-7, 24-20, 7-10, 8-11, 32-27, 20-16, 27-24, 16-20, 24-19 and White, Stewart Won. After the game was over N. Currie demonstrated the above draw.

B--6-9, 17-13, 8-11, 13-6, 2-9, 31-27, 9-13, 27-23, 11-16, 24-20, 15-24, 20-11, 12-16. Drawn. George Izatt, 1888.

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"Ulterior Issues." The novice in the game of checkers sees only the instant result of his hasty move, but as he gains insight into the game he finds another and another consequence involved; and he learns to sacrifice many a supposed advantage for the sake of ulterior issues. So in life the intelligent man, to the extent of his ability, looks beyond the immediate efect he desired to produce to the more and more results that are likely to follow, and studies them calmly and dispassionately.

The Draughts World.