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01. Fundamentals
02. Winning Tactics
03. Spectacular Traps
04. Opening
05. Endgame
06. Draw
Appendix I: Laws
Appendix II: Variants
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3. Spectacular Traps in the Opening
Every checker player is thrilled by the opportunity to set off a brilliant multiple capture right in the opening. Such a capture generally leads to your getting an early King, and leaves your opponent demoralized and practically beaten at the very start.
But these traps are not only fun; they are eminently practical. Knowing them, you can make use of them repeatedly against weaker players; and, by the same token, you can avoid being trapped yourself.
The most valuable feature of these traps is the useful insight into correct opening play which they give you. They teach you to exercise caution and foresight in considering your opening moves. They demonstrate graphically the importance of solid opening formations. They also help you to become a good tactician, as you come to realize the lively possibilities so often buried in colorless-looking positions.
As you look at trap after trap, you must remember the moral that is constantly repeated: these traps come about from the obligation to capture. So, wtch out for capturing possibilities!
(At the beginning of each trap we give the name of the opening in which it occurs. The openings are treated in detail in Chapter 4.)
BRISTOL CROSS
BLACK WHITE
11-16 23-18
These moves form the opening.
16-20 24-19
8-11??
This natural-looking move leads to disaster (first pointed out by Canalejos, a Spanish player, about 1650!). The right move for Black is ... 10—14.
Diagram 31 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
BLACK WHITE
............ 19-15!!
A surprise sacrifice which leads to a series of winning exchanges.
10-19 18-14!
White is opening up the diagonal leading to 4.
9-18 22-8
4-11 27-24!
The point of the trap: White sets up a three-for-one shot.
20-27 31-8
White wins. He will be a whole King to the good after 8—4(K).
KELSO
BLACK WHITE
10-15 ..... ---------
This move forms the opening.
-------- 23-19
6-10 22-14
11-16?? --------
Variously known as the Fool's Trap or Booby Trap. Black does not dream that he is leaving his 2 square in a vulnerable condition! (The right move was . . . 1—6, for reasons that will soon become apparent.)
Diagram 32 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
------- 17-13!
To force the disappearance of the man on 2.
16-23 13-6!
The other captures (27—11 or 26—19) would lose White his chances of carrying out the trap.
2-9 --------
Forced. But now the position is opened up for Black's three-for-one shot.
BLACK WHITE
----- 27-2(K)
White wins. His material advantage is overwhelming.
KELSO
BLACK WHITE
10-15 22-18
15-22 25-18
White captures toward the center—good on principle.
6-10 29-25
Playable—but White must bear in mind that he may become vulnerable on his 29 square.
10-15 --------
With a nasty threat that can be satisfactorily defended by 18—14 (evading the threat on the long diagonal) or 26—22 (strengthening White's position on the long diagonal).
-------- 25-22??
Now Black can smash through to 25. (See Diagram 33.)
BLACK WHITE
15-19!! ----------
As in all these traps, the order of the moves is important. To win, Black must first play . . . 15—19!! and then . . . 9—14! in due course.
---------- 23-16
Diagram 33 (Black to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
If White plays 24—15 Black wins with . . . 9—14! as in the text continuation.
BLACK WHITE
12-19 24-15
Now Black has the position he wants. He forces White to open up the enfeebled diagonal with:
BLACK WHITE
9-14! 18-9
11-25 --------
Black wins. He will win the man on 9 and then get a King with .. 25—29(K).
BLACK WHITE
10-15 23-18
12-16 26-23
8-12 30-26
Playable, but White must watch out for trouble on his 30 square.
16-20 21-17
9-13 17-14
6-9 23-19??
Overlooking Black's master stroke. The right way is 24—19.
Diagram 34 (Black to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
BLACK WHITE
13-17!! ---------
This sacrifice is aimed at White's 30 square. Thus, if White plays 19—10 Black replies with the deadly . . . 17—21 and White is helpless.
-------- 22-6
1-17 19-10
This forced capture lays White open to a catastrophe. 7-30(K)
Black wins. He has an overwhelming material advantage.
KELSO
BLACK WHITE
10-15 21-17
11-16 17-13
16-20 25-21
8-11 29-25
4-8 ---------
After this, the 4 square may become vulnerable.
------- 22-17
7-10 25-22
9-14 24-19
15-24 28-19
15-25
Now the right play for Black is ……. 11—15 etc.
11-16?? ---------
Diagram 35 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
Now White is in position to triumph on the long diagonal by a series of smart exchanges.
BLACK WHITE
19-15!!
10-19 17-10
6-15 13-9!
This second sacrifice is the real point.
5-14 23-18!
14-23 27-4(K)
White wins. His King will have decisive effect.
DENNY
BLACK WHITE
10-14 --------
This move forms the opening.
------- 23-19
11-16 26-23
9-13 -------
Now White can play 22—18 or 22—17 with a satisfactory game;
------- 24-20??
Diagram 36 (Black to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
As a result of White's last move, his obligation to capture will soon prove ruinous for him.
BLACK WHITE
14-17!! 21-14
Or 20—11; . . . 17—26, 31—22 and White's position is opened up for the murderous shot . . . 8—31 (K).
6-10! 20-11
Must.
10-26 31-22
8-31 (K) -------
Black wins. He has an overwhelming material advantage.
DENNY
BLACK WHITE
10-14 24-19
11-16 28-24
16-20 19-15
9-13 23-19
7-10 32-28
14-18 ---------
Now White's best is 26—23, after which . . . 2—7 leads to exchanges.
-------- 21-17??
By a series of brilliant moves, Black will now reach 31. Note that his moves must be played in the exact order given.
BLACK WHITE
10-14!! 17-10
13-17! 22-13
BLACK WHITE
18-23! 27-18
20-26 31-24
8-11! --------
Breaking up White's formation.
------- 15-8
6-31 (K) -------
Black wins. He will win the man on 8, and he has a King.
Diagram 37 (Black to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
DENNY
BLACK WHITE
10-14 24-19
6-10 27-24
9-13 22-18
11-15 18-11
8-15 23-18!
Diagram 38 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
A tricky move that gives Black a chance to go wrong. His proper reply is
------ 15—22!
14-23? --------
Plausible but fatal, as White neatly demonstrates.
BLACK WHITE
--------- 19-16!!
12-19 21-17!
12-20
First White sacrificed in the center, then on the right wing and now on the left wing. Remarkably imaginative play!
13-22 25-11
7-16 24-6
1-10 26-12
Black wins. His sacrifices have netted him a man to the good.
DENNY
BLACK WHITE
10-14 22-18
11-16 25-22
16-20 24-19
8-1 19-15
4-8 22-17
12-16 --------
Here . . . 9—13 leads to a more solid formation for Black.
------- 17-10
7-14 29-25
3-7?? -------
Instead, . . . 2—7 would have avoided the following remarkable shot. (See Diagram 39.)
This startling sacrifice allows Black to win three men and get a King—and yet White wins.
6-29 (K) 30-25!
Now we see the reason for White's generosity.
29-22 26-3(K)
8-12 3-8
White wins. His King will prove too strong for the Black men.
Diagram 39 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
Diagram 40 (Black to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
CROSS
BLACK WHITE
11-15 23-18
These moves form the opening.
8-11 27-23
10-14 24-20
6-10 28-24
3-8 23-19??
This proves disastrous, as it commits White to a later capture that will be ruinous for him.
BLACK WHITE
14-23 31-27
White expects to recover his man without complications, but Black has a surprise reply.
15-18!! 22-6
1-10 27-18
11-11
Now Black plays a move that forces a three-for-one shot.
11-16! 20-11
8-31 (K) --------
Black wins. His King will have a decisive effect.
CROSS
BLACK WHITE
11-15 23-18
9-14 -------
Varying from the previous example, where Black played . . . 8—11.
-------- 18-11
8-15 22-17
4-8 26-23
7-11 23-19
5-9 30-26
Now Black should continue . . . 15—18 with an even game.
9-13 ---------
But this is wrong, as White neatly demonstrates.
As so often happens in these traps, a mistake on one wing is punished by a surprise reply on the other wing. The effect is to produce an over-all weakening in the victim's formation.
BLACK WHITE
--------- 19-16!!
Diagram 41 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
If Black now plays . . . 11—20, there follows 26—23; . . . 13—22, 25—4(K) and wins.
12-19 27-23!
This creates the setting for a different kind of three-for-one
shot.
13-22 23-7
2-11 25-2 (K)
White wins. He has an overwhelming material advantage.
SINGLE CORNER
BLACK WHITE
11-15 22-18
These moves form the opening.
15-22 25-18
8-11 29-25
4-8 25-22
10-15 24-20
White threatens to win with 20—16! Black parries with a trap of his own.
12-16 ---------
Now the right reply for White is 21—17.
------- 27-24??
An insidious move which threatens a two-for-one shot by 24—19 etc. However, the refutation of this move goes back to at least 1756. (28—24?? loses in the same way.)
White has stumbled into the trap variously known as "the Old Farmer" and "the Goose Walk."
Diagram 42 (Black to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
15-19! ----------
Another way to work the same trap is ... 16—19!!, 23—16; . . . 15—19!, 24—15; and now . . . 9—14! leads to the same position.
-------- 24-15
16-19! 23-16
9-14! ..... ------
Smashing White's formation on the long diagonal.
--------- 18-9
11-25 ---------
Black wins. He picks up the unprotected man on 9 and then proceeds to get a King with . . . 25—29(K).
SINGLE CORNER
BLACK WHITE
15-22 25-18
15-22 25-18
8-11 29-25
10-15 25-22
4-8 24-19
15-23 28-19
9-13 18-17
Now Black should continue . . . 6—9 with a safe game.
11-16?? --------
With this blunder Black lays himself open to a vicious attack which reaches into his 4 square. (See Diagram 43.)
Note that here too White answers a mistake on one side of the board with a surprise reply in an apparently remote sector.
--------- 14-10!!
Diagram 43 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
Giving Black the opportunity for ... 6—24, 27—4(K). Black squirms, but ultimately he is forced into the capture.
7-14 22-17!
13-22 26-10
Thus Black is forced to bite into the sour apple.
6-24 27-4 (K)
Black wins. With a King to the good, he naturally has an easy win.
SINGLE CORNER
BLACK WHITE
11-15 22-18
15-22 25-18
8-11 24-19
10-15 1-10
6-22 26-17
9-13 17-14
11-15 28-24
Black's safe course is now . . . 1—6—or even . . . 15—18.
4-8?? ---------
But this is all wrong, as it creates a vulnerable formation on the long diagonal. White's job is now to play 23—18 in such a way that Black cannot stop the double jump. Watch how White achieves this objective.
Diagram 44 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
-------- 21-17!!
The first step.
13-22 14-10!
7-14 -------
-------- 23-18!
How he can play it. 14-23 7-4(K)
White wins. He continues 30—25 followed by 25—18 and with the help of his extra King he has an easy win.
BRISTOL
BLACK WHITE
11-16 24-20
These moves form the opening.
16-19 23-16
12-19 22-18
8-11 27-23
4-8 -------
Black will regain his man with: ….. 8-12
-------- 23-16
8-12 32-27
12-19 27-23
Now Black can maintain equality with . . . 11—16, 20—11; . . . 7—16 etc.
..... 3-8?? ----------
Black plans on answering 23—16 with . . . 8—12 as he did previously. But here he critically weakens his King row, as White demonstrates incisively by a series of brilliant moves. (See Diagram 45.)
BLACK WHITE
------- 23-16
........... 8-12 --------
So far so good.
21-17!! ---------
Preparing the following stroke.
BLACK WHITE
12-19 18-14!!
9-18 26-23!
18-27 ---------
Diagram 45 (White to play and win)
BLACK
 |
WHITE
Or ... 19—26, 31—8 with the same effect.
--------- 31-8
White wins. He has a decisive material advantage and is about to reach the King row.
In these traps you have seen how it is possible to win quickly and brilliantly when your opponent overlooks the possibility that forced captures can lead to instant ruin. Thus these traps stress the need for constant vigilance and foresight.
Another valuable feature of these traps is that they form a natural introduction to the study of opening play. Not only do they teach you the importance of careful planning; they also emphasize the need for solid formations and due attention to the vulnerable state of the King row. Thus, by stressing a blend of strategy and tactics, they lead us to a study of the principal checker openings.
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