This month's lesson in Checker School is due to Mr. Charles Hefter, famed analyst, problemist, and player, who held forth in the last part of the 19th century. We present three positions, closely related but with slight changes from one to the next. Yet, as we well know, subtle differences matter a great deal in our game. These studies were originally published decades ago in Ben Boland's Famous Positions in the Game of Checkers, but remain fresh and interesting today.

Try out these problems and see if you can retire the opposition by turning a triple play. Then, clicking on Read More will bring you Ben Boland's complete analysis, notes, play, and variations, all without missing a single pitch.

Solutions

Ben Boland's solutions and notes follow. We've added a few notes of our own to clarify points that we, at our own modest skill level, didn't find obvious.

Diagram No. 1: 15-18*, 27-32---A, 18-23*, 32-28, 17-13*, 9-14, 13-9*, 14-17, 9-6, 5-9, 6-1, 9-13, 1-6, 28-24, 6-10, 17-21, 10-14, 24-28, 14-18, 28-24, 23-26, 24-27, 26-30, 27-31, 29-25, 31-27, 25-22, 27-31, 18-15, 31-27, 15-19, 27-32, 19-23, 32-28, 22-18, 13-17, 30-26---B. White Wins---i.

Diagram No. 2: 29-25*, 5-9---C, 25-21*, 31-27, 15-18, 9-13, 17-14, 13-17, 18-15, 17-22, 15-18---D, 22-26, 21-17, 26-31, 18-15, 31-26, 17-13, 26-22, 14-9. White Wins.

Diagram No. 3: 27-24---E, 18-23, 24-20*, 17-13, 9-14, 13-9, 20-16*, 9-6, 16-11*, 6-2, 11-15*, 2-7, 14-17. Drawn.

Game: 11-15, 23-18, 8-11, 26-23, 9-14, 18-9, 6-13, 23-18, 12-16, 21-17, 10-14, 17-10, 7-23, 27-18, 16-20, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 4-8, 19-16, 2-7, 16-12, 7-10, 25-21, 11-16, 30-26, 8-11, 18-14, 10-17, 21-14, 11-15, 14-10, 16-19, 12-8, 3-12, 10-7, 19-24, 7-3, 24-27, 32-23, 15-19, 23-16, 12-19, 3-7, 19-24, 22-17, 13-22, 26-17, 1-6, 7-11, 24-27, 31-24, 20-27, 11-15---F, 27-31---G, 15-18, 31-27, 29-25, 6-9, 25-21. Forms Diagram No. 3. J. T. Sullivan vs. A. F. Bartholomew, Game No. 24, the American Checker Review, Vol. 1, 1888.

Game: 10-15, 22-18, 15-22, 25-18, 9-13, 29-25, 11-15, 18-11, 8-15, 25-22 4-8, 23-18, 8-11, 27-23, 5-9, 32-27, 6-10, 24-19, 15-24, 28-19, 2-6, 27-24, 10-15, 19-10, 7-14, 24-19, 6-10, 19-15, 10-19, 23-7, 3-10, 18-15, 10-19, 22-17, 13-22, 26-10, 19-23, 10-7, 12-16, 7-2, 16-20, 21-17, 23-27, 31-24, 20-27, 2-7, 27-31, 7-11, 31-27, 11-15, 27-23, 30-25, 23-27, 15-18, 1-5, 25-21---N. Forms Diagram No. 3. F. Tescheleit, Master Play, Part 4, K-3, Var. L.

A---9-13, 17-14, 13-17, 14-10, 5-9, 10-6, 9-13, 6-1, 27-32, 18-23. White Wins.

B---Compare to the "Drinkwater Draw," where the move is different, and also to W. Bennett's Position, Pages 63 and 103.

C---If 31-27, then 17-13, 5-9, 15-18, Wins; if 31-26, then 25-21*, 26-22, 17-13, 5-9, 21-17. White Wins---ii. And if 6-9, then White wins as follows: 6-9, 25-21---H, 9-13---I, 17-14, 31-27, 15-18, 27-24, 14-10. White Wins.

D---21-17, 27-23*, 15-18, 6-9. Drawn.

E---Corrects Sullivan and Bartholomew, who continued: 27-32, 17-14---J, 32-27, 14-10---K, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 10-6, 27-23, 6-1, 23-18. Drawn.

F---To this point the game is rather odd, but it now assumes problematical form and proves to be exceedingly interesting. C. Hefter.

G---Forms Diagram No. 2. And 6-9, forms Diagram No. 1.

H---17-13 would only draw: 17-13, 9-14, 25-21, 31-26*, 13-9, 26-22, 9-6, 5-9*---L, 6-2,9-13,2-6, 14-18. Drawn.

I---31-27, 17-13, 9-14, 15-19. White Wins---iii.

J---18-23, 9-13, 17-14, 32-28, 14-10, 28-24, 10-6. White Wins---iv. K. Price. Note that the move is different than in Deans' Position, Page 50.

K---21-17*, 9-13, 18-22, 27-23, 14-10, 23-26---M, 22-31, 13-22, 10-6, 5-9, 6-2, 9-14, 2-6, 14-18, 6-10, 18-23, 10-14, 23-26, 31-27*, 26-30, 27-23*, 22-25, 14-17. White Wins. A. J. Heffner, in his Yankee Blade.

L---In anticipating the solution of this position in the "Mercury," Frank Dunne overlooked this move and lost by: 14-18, 21-17, 22-13, 15-22, 13-9, 6-1, 9-13, 1-6. White Wins.

M---This beautiful and instructive ending was unfortunately stranded by Mr. Hefter, with: 5-9*, 10-6, 23-19, 6-1, 19-15, 1-6, 15-19. Drawn.

N---25-22, 27-24---O, 18-23, 24-28*. Drawn. Unknown.

O---27-32, 17-14, 32-27, 22-17, 9-13, 18-22, 27-31, 14-10, 5-9, 10-7, 31-26, 22-31, 31-22, 7-2, 9-14, 2-6, 22-25, 31-26. White wins by the American Position. C. H. Freeman vs. J. P. Reed.

The above positions by Charles Hefter came out of Game No. 24, in the American Checker Review, Vol. 1, June 15, 1888. It may also be found as Game No. 77, in Stearns' Book of Portraits, Vol. 1.

Editor's Notes: Page references above refer to material found elsewhere in Famous Positions. Complete electronic republication of this classic work is in process, though it will be some little while until completion.

i---If 21-25, 26-22 17-26 23-21 and Black can only shuttle his king around, while White crowns the man on 18 and moves the new king to 13 to steal the Black man on 17, cinching the victory.

ii---Once the Black king moves away, White plays 15-18 followed by 17-14.

iii---The man on 14 is doomed after 27-32 19-23.

iv---Demonstrating the win was not obvious to us and is a bit long. Here is one way: 24-28 6-2 28-24 2-7 24-28 7-10 28-24 10-15 24-28 15-18 28-24 18-22 24-28 21-17 28-24 17-14 24-28 14-10 28-24 10-6 24-28 6-2 28-24 2-6 24-28 6-10 28-24 10-14 24-28 23-27 28-32 22-18 32-23 18-27.