Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest 45 - Kingless Kapers - Results

[Bill Salot]

5 kingless entries turned out to be in a 2-horse race decided by a score of 7 votes to 6. Ed Atkinson's compound stroke, Mining for Gold, a win, edged Roy Little's 5-piece sweep, Hot Spot, a draw. Ed's stroke was triggered by a Domino pitch; Roy's by an In-and-Out pitch. Gary Ellison, Mark Sokolovsky, Leo Springer (Netherlands) and Liam Stephens (Ireland) voted for Mining for Gold. Gene Ellison, Tony Gallagher (UK), Lloyd Gordon, Slave Gorin (Russia) and George Hay voted for Hot Spot.

Tie for a distant 3rd with less fireworks and only 2 votes each were Last Stand, a win that John Aker achieved in a game; Swiss Cheese, a composed escape by Bill Salot; and Sting Like a Butterfly, a co-authored, historical masterpiece by John Drummond (1861) and Jim Loy (2019). Drummond published an intricate win over a stalwart defense in his analysis of a Single Corner game. But 158 years later, Jim found the one drawing twist necessary to validate Drummond's defense. Donald Oliphant (UK) and Kathy Wirthwein cast their votes for it.

Among those who have voted in more than 3 contests, the International Voters' Ladder has a new leader:
1. Leo Springer (Netherlands) 3 winners picked in 4 tries (75%)
2. Liam Stephens (Ireland) 9 in 13 tries (69%)
3. Gene Ellison 7 in 12 tries (63%)
4. Lloyd Gordon (Canada) 5 in 8 tries (62.5%)
5/6/7 (tie). Slava Gorin (Russia) & Kathy Wirthwein 5 in 10 tries (50%); Wilma Wolverton 3 in 6 tries (50%)
14 others have either not voted in more than 3 contests or have scored less than 50%. It ain't easy!

425 visited the contest web site, 19 of whom voted.

[George Hay]

Congratulations to Ed Atkinson for 1st place with 7 votes for Mining for Gold. Congratulations to Roy Little for 2nd place with 6 votes with Hot Spot. Congratulations for a three way tie for 3rd place to John Aker with Last Stand, and to Bill Salot with Swiss Cheese, and to Jim Loy with Sting like a Butterfly. I voted for Hot Spot by Roy Little even though I usually vote for a win, but this man down draw was rich in tactics in its overall strategy. Hot Spot also had a spectacular quintuple jump, very competitive! I'm impressed that John Aker won in an actual game with Last Stand.

I am intrigued by Jim Loy's rare correction of a Single Corner opening game in Sting like a Butterfly. Will the full game by Drummond with Jim Loy's correction be published soon?

--George Hay

[Edgar C. Atkinson]

Thank you, George Hay. Nowadays I don't think too much about getting votes. The idea is to provide worthwhile problems for these fine contests. All the problems were very good.

Emd Atkinson

[Bill Salot]

George,

You asked for the Drummond Single Corner analysis in 1861 that led up to Jim Loy's "Sting Like a Butterfly".

Here it is in Jim's format.

1.11-15 22-18 2.15x22 25x18 3.08-11 29-25 4.04-08 24-20 5.10-15 18-14 (25-22 draw PP) 6.09x18 23x14 7.06-09 26-23 8.09x18 23x14 9.01-06 30-26 10.06-09 26-23 11.09x18 23x14 12.02-06 31-26 13.15-19 25-22 (21-17 draw, J. Drummond) 14.11-15 forms "Sting Like a Butterfly".

[George Hay]

Bill, thank you for the complete Single Corner game by Drummond. It is amazing how well those old published Single Corner opening games hold up! I have not seen many corrections to Single Corner published play. Another exception is Payne's (and Sturges') second game that has been corrected by Jim Loy and John Reade as a loss, not a draw. The first of Payne's games is the famous Goose Walk trap. That leaves Payne's third game from way back in 1756 as the first example of a Single Corner draw with "correct play." The original Goose Walk would make a good contest entry, too bad that it has already been published!

--George Hay