Ben Boland

[Dennis Pawlek]

Hi to all, would love to get some help as I am looking to write a small bio on Ben Boland. For some reason, I could only manage to obtain a picture in one of his publications but no bio. Anybody has some more leads or help about it? Thank you in advance.

[chipschap]

About 15 years ago I briefly corresponded with one of Ben Boland's nieces but for the life of me I can't find that old email and the address is in any case probably no longer valid. But if you can find an "S. B. Boland" on-line that may give you a lead.

[Dennis Pawlek]

Thank you Bob. I remember a vague discussion with Leo Springer many years about this subject and he did mention the Ben Boland was originally Dutch. I did found a few books in Dutch language of him as well. So far I only managed to unearth a picture of his taken of his very limited Black and White Doctor book. Not a lot for someone that did publish quite a few books.I did send out an email to Leo Springer two weeks ago and did drop one to Online Museum. Lets see if I can unearth some more. If I do then I will gladly share it here.

[liam stephens]

Greetings Dennis,

There is an entry in Anthony Bishop's Encyclopaedia.
Below a brief extract:

"Ben Boland was born in Lachine, Ontario, Canada in 1910. When he was ten years old his parents relocated in Brooklyn, New York.
...No finer tribute could be paid... than the statement of ... Dr. Marion Tinsley....'When I go to checker tournaments the only books I carry
are those by Ben Boland.' "

Regards - Liam.

[George Hay]

I remember the "Ben Boland and his peace pipe" picture from Al Lyman's checkers website. Al's site has had at least three domains through the years, and if it is still active, I cannot find it.

--George Hay

[whitefork]

And yet, I can't find an obituary anywhere - I may have missed one in the Bulletin, but Jim Loy doesn't know either. Ben seems immortal but 110 years is a stretch. Does anyone know?

[Dennis Pawlek]

I did manage to get a hold of it as this location is given as publishing place of one of his works. Seems like he passed away in 1999 in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, New York, USA.

Here is the link
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/132 ... land/photo

[whitefork]

BOLAND - Ben, 89, Delray Beach, FL died March 25, 1999. Beth Israel Memorial Chapel.

And that, friends, is a minor tragedy. One of the most important writers on the game gets a one line obit. The June 1999 ACF Bulletin gave him 1 line as well. No details.

[jimloy]

My book of corrections of Boland's endings lists his ending books:

Familiar Themes (1938)
Famous Positions (1940, 1965)
Materpieces (1947)
Bridges (1954)
Border Classics (1957)
Checkers in Depth (1974)

He also mailed papers with corrections to people. The second edition of Famous Positions is the first edition + his corrections. He also planned a second edition of Bridges (which I assume was going to be the first edition + corrections). And he wrote Checkers for the Millions (1939) and White and Black Doctors (1984).

[liam stephens]

In addition to his wonderful books, Ben Boland was a regular contributor to Elam's Checker Board (ECB).
The Scorpion Club feature.

I am pleased to show the article below as a Memoriam, taken from ECB.

" The club's inimitable honorary member Ben Boland has come through with another of his dazzling gems
to supplement his previous offering of a copy of his famous Border Classics to the contestant whose play
is judged the most complete and correct."

See the diagram below.



Red to play what result?

In the event, although there were several contenders, no winner emerged with a correct solution to the problem.(LS)
I will show Ben Boland's solution here later in a follow-on message.
Try to solve it without assistance from computer database programs.

[liam stephens]

Here is the solution:

Study in Strategy - Ben Boland

Red

White

Red to move. what result?

Solution: 26-30, 5-9, 30-26, 29-25, 26-23, 9-14, 23-26, 14-17, 26-23, 17-22, *2-6, 3-7, 4-8, 22-17, 8-12, 25-22, 6-9, 7-11,
23-19, 17-13, 9-14, 11-16, 19-24, 16-20, 24-19. - Drawn.
See ECB, October 1963, page 5785, for full details.

There is another position by Boland in ECB for which no correct solution was found by the readers.

Study in Strategy - Ben Boland

"ALL THAT GLITTERS"
Red

White

White to move. (colors reversed)

" Our renowned honorary member and author of many famous books had this to say when he mailed us the diagrammed position above."
'A friend of mine who is a fine analyst, believed he could correct Lees' Guide, page 243, Note A, where R. W. Vance played 16-11 to a draw in Whilter Exchange. My friend said 16-12 could win and I showed him it couldn't.' Black's previous move was 3-7 to correct 2-7 which lost (colors reversed). What result can you get playing the white side? Remember "all that glitters..."

Solution: 16-12, 7-10, 12-8, 2-6, 8-3, 14-18, 22-15, 10-19, 3-7, 19-24, 7-11, 24-27 11-15, 27-31, 26-22, 31-27, 15-19, 6-10. - Drawn.
See ECB, April 1962, page 5263, and June 1962, page 5327.

Incidentally, there is a nice tribute to Ben Boland by Willie Ryan in The American Checkerist, Vol 6, February 1950, pages 38 and 39, including a photograph. My copy is bound with other issues in a hard cover, so unfortunately I cannot reproduce it on here.