Yes, there is such a place. It's a small town in Texas, population not much over 100. How many of those residents, do you suppose, are checker players?

We can't really say, but we can say that in honor of the release of the print edition of Checkers for the Novice, today we're presenting something vital, yet which actually won't be very easy for novices. Experts, of course, should have no problem --- right?

3 kings vs. 2 kings seems like it ought to be an easy win, yet it in fact baffles many a player, even some players with a fair amount of experience with our game. Let's look at an example, in two different ways.

BLACK

WHITE
Either to Play, White to Win

W:WK22,K23,K24:BK31,K32.

First, try this with White to play. How does White win it? If you're a top-level player, you'll see how to do it in just a few seconds --- right?

How about if Black plays first? Can you win with White? It's a little harder, but again an expert should solve it fairly quickly --- right?

We're teasing a little. Even most experts have to stop and think. 3 vs. 2 endings aren't easy, but they come up all the time and knowing how to win them is essential. Take as much time as you like and then click on Read More to see the solutions.

Solutions

With White to play, an amazing first move wins at once.

22-25! 32-28 25-30! 28x26 30x23 White Wins.

With Black playing first, the win takes a little longer. Variations on the play below are possible.

32-28 24-20 28-32 20-16 31-27 22-18 27-31 16-11 32-28 11-15---A 28-32 23-26 31x22 18x25 White Wins---B.

A---White completes his king maneuver. Now he can force an exchange.

B---Unlike a 3x2, a 2x1 ending is quite easy to master.