Question about a section inside Checkers for the Novice by Richard Pask

[justlucky]

Hello fellow fanatics

I have a question regarding the book for novices by Richard Pask on lesson 19 development.

In example 1. 11-15 24-19; 15-24 28-19. it says that a black man is removed from the 4th rank and a white man from the 2nd rank. It then goes on to state that white has gained two moves in development.

I am having trouble understanding exactly what has white gained? I don't understand what it means by gaining two moves in development, can someone please explain this to me.

I would also like to thank Richard Pask himself for sharing these books with us for free and would like to let him know that I have ordered his book to support the great work he is doing for the checkers community.

[Richard Pask]

There are two ways of looking at this exchange, both of which come to the same thing.

First, as explained in CFTN, the final outcome of this exchange - and it's the way some players visualize jumps - is that a black man is removed from the (Black's) 4th rank and a white man from the (White's) second rank. As a result, White has hastened his development - the extent to which his forces as a whole have made progress towards the king-row - by 2 moves. If you remove black & white men from the board which are on the same ranks after the exchange, this will readily be seen.

Alternately, you could view the exchange as Black jumping a man which has reached the 4th rank and White jumping a man which has reached the 6th rank - this corresponds to visualizing the actual jumps being carried out - and of course again results in White gaining two moves in development.

Again, as noted in CFTN, the state of development is only one factor at play in a given position so one should not become obsessive about it.

[justlucky]

Thank you for clearing that up Richard