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R. King-E. Lowder, 1995 WCM, game 9

© Copyright 2001, 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.

This is a long game, played in the 1995 World Championship match. But, I think it is exciting, and instructive, all the way. This is a classic ending. Similar endings in Boland's Border Classics (see Lear-Pool Family, page 38) are somewhat easier to handle (see the addendum, below). King performs a super-human task here, winning in a very difficult situation (without the move). In several positions, King didn't choose the fastest way to win. Instead, he experimented, trying one line, then back-tracking, then trying another line. You can sometimes do that in checkers endings.

R. King-E. Lowder, 1995 WCM, game 9
11-15 22-18 (the Single Corner)15-22 25-18 12-16 29-25 10-14 24-19 16-20 18-15 8-12 28-24 7-10 32-28 4-8 19-16 12-19 23-16 10-19 24-15 2-7 16-12 6-10 (9-13 25-22 14-18 30-25 draws in PP) 15-6 1-10 26-23 8-11 23-19 11-16 19-15 10-19 27-24 20-27 31-15 16-19 15-10 14-18 10-6 9-13 6-2 7-11 2-6 18-23 25-22 23-27 22-18 (Nexus, the program that I currently use, plays 22-17??, a flaw in its opening book) 27-31 6-10 (18-14 seems to be a draw) 5-9 10-15 (Perhaps the losing move. 10-6 and eventually 21-17 is better) 9-14 15-8 14-23 8-11 23-27 11-15 19-23 28-24 27-32 24-20 32-27 30-25 23-26 25-22 27-23 15-19 23-16 20-11 31-27 22-18 27-23 18-14 23-18 14-9 18-15 (26-31 is apparently faster) 11-8 26-31 8-4 31-27 4-8 27-23 9-5 23-18 5-1 18-14 1-5 15-18 [diagram] (same position as Sheehan-Podoff, PSCA Ladder, 2000, colors reversed, as pointed out by Murray Cash)

8-11 13-17 11-16 17-22 16-19 22-26 19-24 26-31 5-1 18-23 (18-15 is faster) 1-5 23-27 24-28 31-26 5-1 26-23 1-5 23-19 5-1 19-16 28-32 27-24 1-6 16- 11 6-1 24-19 32-27 19-15 27-24 15-10 24-19 14-9 1-5 9-13 19-24 10-14 (10-15 is faster) 24-19 14-10 19-23 10-15 23-27 15-19 5-1 13-9 1-5 9-6 27-32 19-24 21-17 24-19 17-13 11-15 5-9 6-10 9-5 19-16 5-1 16-11 32- 28 11-7 28-24 7-2 24-28 2-6 28-24 15-18 1-5 6-1 24-28 10-14 28-24 18-15 24-20 15-11 20-24 3-7 24-19 7-10 19-24 10-15 24-28 15-19 28-32 19-24 32-28 11-16 28-19 16-23 12-8 23-19 8-3 14-10*(A) 3-8 19-15 RW.

A - The game record, on two WWW sites, says that 14-18 was moved here. But the move made was probably 14-10. After 14-18 3-8 19-15, then Chinook's database gives 5-9* 15-10 9-6* 10-14 6-2 18- 15 8-3* 14-10 2-7* draws.

Addendum:

Here is Ending #3 (by Fred Allen), of the "Lear-Pool Family" in Boland's Border Classics (page 39), which is given as a draw. The above game suggests that this should be a WW. Continue: 10-15 23-27 24-20 27-32 15-18 22-25 19-15 32-28 15-10 28-24 18-15! (Boland shows 10-7 24-19 to a long draw, #232 Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette, June 25, 1870) WW. This should be an easier win, than King's above, as White has the move here.

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