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© Copyright 2002, Jim Loy
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others. But, this article will eventually be part of a book that I am writing.
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If you need help reading checkers notation, please print out the numbered board.
In this match, all games began with the 29-25 Switcher, a difficult variation for White. The purpose of the match was to settle the question if this variation was a Red win (Martins' contention) or a draw (Wyllie's contention). The final decision was that it was a very difficult draw. At the diagram, White makes a nice sacrifice to draw.
R. Martins - J. Wyllie, 1880 Match, game #5
11-15 21-17 9-13
(the Switcher, good for Red) 25-21 8-11 17-14 10-17 21-14 6-10 22-17*
13-22 26-17 15-18 29-25? (the 29-25 Switcher, a near loss) 18-22 25-18
10-15 24-19* 15-22 27-24 11-15 (the simplest attack) 19-10 5-9 14-5 7-21
32-27 22-25 24-19 25-29 31-26 2-6 28-24 6-9 23-18 29-25 24-20 9-13 26-22 25-29
20-16 29-25 16-11 3-8 (White will king anyway; so Red forces a king too)
11-7 8-11 7-3 11-16 27-23 16-20 19-15 12-16 3-7 4-8 7-11 8-12 15-10 16-19 23-16
12-19 11-16 19-24 10-7 24-28 7-2 20-24 16-19 24-27 2-7 27-31 7-10 28-32 19-16
32-27 [diagram]
White has a
simple draw after this shot: 22-17 13-22 10-6 1-10 draw. Continue 18-15
10-19 16-32 and White can regain the piece or just repeat the position. Either
is a draw.