Diagram
#2 is a similar position (Dunlap 1865): 22-18! (It is tempting to move 24-20?
15-19 20-11 19-26 11-7 26-30 7-2 30-25 RW) 15-22 24-20 draw.Return to my Checkers pages
Go to my home page
Copyright 1996, Jim Loy
You may print this and show it to others.
But, this article will eventually be part of a book that I am writing. So,
please do not distribute it widely.
If you need help reading checkers notation, please print out the numbered board.
Diagram #1 is an example of Fifth Position, by Drummond (1861). This type of position happens when the two sides face off near the middle of the board (as in all of these diagrams). Some of these are wins for one player or the other, and some are draws. The most important things that you can learn here are some of the winning or drawing tricks. Then when you get into a similar ending, you will have an arsenal of weapons to consider, and you shouldn't be shocked by your opponent's pitch (sacrifice).
Starting at diagram #1, we see that 27-23 loses: 27-23? 11-15 20-16 15-24 16-11 10-15 23-19 14-18 RW.
Going back to diagram #1, let's look at a much better idea: 20-16! (This kind of move is worth considering in many positions) 11-20 27-23 20-24 22-18 24-27 18-9 10-14 (27-31 23-18 and 18-14 draw) 9-6 27-32 6-2 32-27 2-6 27-18 6-9 13-17 19-15 draw.
Diagram
#2 is a similar position (Dunlap 1865): 22-18! (It is tempting to move 24-20?
15-19 20-11 19-26 11-7 26-30 7-2 30-25 RW) 15-22 24-20 draw.
In
diagram #3, we see another idea (Drummond): 22-18 14-17 (7-11 18-9 11-15 9-6
15-24 23-18 WW) 21-14 10-17 19-15 17-22 18-14 22-25 (22-26 20-16 WW or 13-17
23-19 22-26 15-10 7-11 10-7 26-31 7-3 31-27 3-8 WW) 23-19 25-30 20-16 (15-10
also wins) 30-26 15-11 26-23 11-2 13-17 14-10 17-22 10-7 22-26 16-11! 23-16 7-3
16-7 2-11 WW (First Position).
Let's
look at one more position. Diagram #4 looks like a Red win. Instead, White
draws. This is called Cowan's Coup (although originally discovered by F.
Allen). You see it popping up in games once in a while: 19-16! 12-26 (12-28
23-19 is similar) 24-19 14-23 21-7 26-31 7-3 31-27 3-8 draw. You'll see this
idea very often. You sacrifice a piece to gain a king, and then use your king
to regain the piece later. That often works very well in the opening,
especially against computers and beginners.
All of these (and similar) positions are studied in greater depth in Ben Boland's Famous Positions.
Addendum:
This is the
Lucas Position, which comes up fairly often. Red wins with 11-15 28-24 13-17
22-13 15-18 13-9 18-27 9-6 27-31 6-2 31-27 24-20 (2-6 27-20 6-15 20-24 RW B.
Boland) 27-24 2-6 24-15 6-9 14-18 RW, S. A. Lucas, in Boland's Famous
Positions.