Issue with Problem Composing Contests

[Bill Salot]

The most serious issue with the Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contests is the need to screen out entries that are identical to or extremely similar to previously published play. We composers do not want to compete by unintentionally claiming credit for the work of others.

A little known fact is that, in recent years, every contest problem has received multiple reviews by players well versed in problem history, as well as in problem analysis. More than half of the problems submitted are rejected, and all repeat composers have experienced at least one rejection. Many have withdrawn their own problems.

Even with all the efforts to avoid the appearance of impropriety, an occasional unacceptable problem slips through. We believe the current contest is not affected. But it is with sincere regret that I must report three such incidents in the preceding two contests. They have been reported on the web site below.

"Tanglefoot", the winner of Contest 36, and my only win in recent years, has been disqualified because of its extreme similarity to Lees' Guide, Problem 51, by J. Tyrie. This was pointed out by Brian Hinkle after the contest was concluded. Louis Cowie's problem, "Swiper", has since been declared the winner of Contest 36.

In Contest 37, both of Roy Little's entries have been disqualified. The disqualifications do not affect the winner of the contest. Roy disqualified his own "Traffic Jam" as soon as he remembered it had been published as No. 34 in his book, “Roy Little’s Checker Problems!” (2015). I disqualified his "Every Which Way" when I realized it was essentially the same as No. 74, "Shorty", in the Slocum Strokes book. Slocum published it in an 1893 Pittsburgh newspaper.

Roy and I are embarrassed by these mistakes and we hope they will not be regarded as intentional in any way. This is the main risk in competitive problem composing.