You've read in our companion article about competitive over the board play and excellent beer at the Manchester Draughts Club. The "rest of the story" is the Lancashire Checker Newsletter, published on alternate months, also by Dr. John Reade. This is a professional quality twelve page printed newsletter, with feature articles, news items, commented games, and challenging problems.

The best of this is that the newsletter is available by subscription to anyone who wants it; the annual cost is just 10 pounds in the UK, 15 euros in the rest of Europe, and $20 in the USA. Dr. Reade offers the first two years for the price of one at initial signup. He may be reached by email at sue.reade@virgin.net. Trust us; you won't want to miss out on this fine publication.

Dr. Reade has given us permission to feature a problem from the February 2005 newsletter. It is by American problemist Will H. Tyson, who lived from 1865 to 1928.

You will find this of approximately intermediate difficulty, with a nice theme, an instructive solution, and a great opportunity for less experienced players such as the editor of The Checker Maven to go badly wrong. As usual, click on Read More to check your answers.

Solution

22-18---A 14-17--B 20-16 17-22 23-19 22-25 18-15 10-14 15-11 7-10 11-7 6-9 7-2 9-13 2-6 White Wins.

A--- The natural looking 20-16 must of course wait one move: 20-16? 14-18 23-14 (or 22-15) 10-26 31-22 drawn.

B--- 6-9 20-16 14-17 18-15 10-26 31-6 White Wins.