In our photo, it looks like Christie O'Shea of Ithaca College is about to make quite a shot. Obviously, that would be a golf shot. Although we know Christie is a top-notch golfer, we don't know if she plays checkers; and our subject for today is of course a checker shot known most appropriately as "Christie's Shot." However, that's Henry Christie of Great Britain ... and we're getting ahead of ourselves. Willie Ryan, in his classic Tricks Traps & Shots of the Checkerboard presents both the history and practice of this deft maneuver. Let's let Willie take over the narrative.

"In the 1891 English Tourney, Champion Henry Christie hooked J. L. Richmond on the following blitzer, and ever since it has been known as the Christie Shot. However, some authorities claim Charles Hefter dropped J. P. Reed on the same scoop prior to 1891. Actually, the Christie Shot was first shown by E. Jacques of Malvern, Ont., Canada, in 1865, bringing up the stroke from a Cross game. Hence, Jacques was first. But it remained for Christie to give the coup historical significance. In this book, I have followed the policy of several authors, by labelling the stroke on the next page 'Christie's Shot,' so as to distinguish it from the Jacques Shot on page 95.

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Win

B:W32,30,28,27,18,15,14,10:B22,20,11,8,7,5,3,1.

A---Black can shoot for an alternative fast win by: 1-6, 26-23, 13-17, 31-26, 6-9, 24-19, 9-13, 14-9---B, 5-14, 18-9, 2-6, 9-2, 17-22, etc.

B---Into the cauldron! The correct sequence for a draw is: 19-15---1, 17-22, 26-17, 13-22, 14-9, 5-14, 18-9, 22-26, 9-5, 26-31, 5-1, 31-24, 28-19, 20-24,1-5, 8-11,15-8, 4-11, 5-9, 7-10, 9-13,11-15, 23-18, 15-22, 13-17, 22-26, 30-23, 24-27. J. Tonar.

C---Another good game gone wrong. White should play: 19-16, 13-22, 16-12, 1-6, 27-23, 22-25*, 30-21, 7-10, 14-7, 3-26, 12-3, 6-9, 3-7, 11-16, 32-27, 9-14, 18-9, 5-14, 7-10, 16-19, 10-17, 26-31; a draw. F. C. Oakley."

1---28-24 also draws---KingsRow.

Can you "drive" to a win, or have you "sliced" off a little too much? You can always "hook" the solution by clicking on Read More to see the proper follow-through.

Solution

"Continue: 22-26*, 30-23, 11-16, 28-24, 16-19*, 23-16, 5-9, 14-5, 7-23, 27-18, 20-27, 32-23, 8-11, 15-8---2, 3-26, and black wins on the move."

2---16-7 of course gives the same result---Ed.