DID YOU OVERLOOK THIS CONTEST?

[Bill Salot]

There is some action over in the "Positions" section of this Forum.

An experimental checker problem composing contest is underway.

Your vote in the poll there to determine the best problem would be appreciated.

The poll closes on Sunday, November 6.

It will be followed periodically by similar contests as more players enter original, unpublished, compositions of their own. There will be no time limit; no entry fee; no travel; no restriction, and no prejudice. Everyone is invited to compete in any or all future such contests and/or to cast votes in the polls to determine the winners.

The prize for each contest winner will be the soon-to-be-coveted, prestigious, unofficial title of "Current World Champion Checker Problem Composer Until the Next Contest"

Bill Salot wjsalot@comcast.net

[Jay H]

There is some action over in the "Positions" section of this Forum.

An experimental checker problem composing contest is underway.

Your vote in the poll there to determine the best problem would be appreciated.

The poll closes on Sunday, November 6.

It will be followed periodically by similar contests as more players enter original, unpublished, compositions of their own. There will be no time limit; no entry fee; no travel; no restriction, and no prejudice. Everyone is invited to compete in any or all future such contests and/or to cast votes in the polls to determine the winners.

The prize for each contest winner will be the soon-to-be-coveted, prestigious, unofficial title of "Current World Champion Checker Problem Composer Until the Next Contest"

Bill Salot wjsalot@comcast.net

Bill,
If I had any talent whatsoever in this field, I would contribute.
BUT, I have no talents in the field of "problems" other then seeing them, trying to solve them and then, (after failing) seeing the actual solution.
...................................
I look forward to your efforts, and the efforts of others, in trying to reinvigorate this form of the game, which has become a "lost art".........and look forward to the efforts of anyone else who accepts your challenge....

Jay H

[Dennis Cayton]

There is some action over in the "Positions" section of this Forum.

An experimental checker problem composing contest is underway.

Your vote in the poll there to determine the best problem would be appreciated.

The poll closes on Sunday, November 6.

It will be followed periodically by similar contests as more players enter original, unpublished, compositions of their own. There will be no time limit; no entry fee; no travel; no restriction, and no prejudice. Everyone is invited to compete in any or all future such contests and/or to cast votes in the polls to determine the winners.

The prize for each contest winner will be the soon-to-be-coveted, prestigious, unofficial title of "Current World Champion Checker Problem Composer Until the Next Contest"

Bill Salot wjsalot@comcast.net

Bill,
If I had any talent whatsoever in this field, I would contribute.
BUT, I have no talents in the field of "problems" other then seeing them, trying to solve them and then, (after failing) seeing the actual solution.
...................................
I look forward to your efforts, and the efforts of others, in trying to reinvigorate this form of the game, which has become a "lost art".........and look forward to the efforts of anyone else who accepts your challenge....

Jay H

I can really relate to this.

I have NEVER been any good at solving problems.

I almost quit checkers in my youth because Tom Wiswell kept telling me that I was supposed to solve problems "without touching the pieces" in his books.

I was unable to solve most of them, even after touching the pieces and moving them around for several hours.

This left me very discouraged.

I was never able to solve any of the "Scorpion" problems in the old ECB magazines.

My problem solving ineptitutde persists even today.

Sometimes I will see a problem setting that says, for example: "White To Play And Draw."

This tells me that White must be in trouble and in danger of losing.

I look and I look and I look and most of the time I don't see how White is in any trouble to begin with.

It was only by sheer perseverance that I ever went as far in checkers as I did.

In any event, I wish this checker composing contest the best of success.

Maybe I might finally learn something about problem solving in my "old age."

Good luck, Bill!

Best Wishes,

Dennis

[Alex_Moiseyev]

No, I didn't overlook this contest.

[Bill Salot]

Jay, Dennis, and Alex, Thanks for noticing the contest and voting.

Jay and Dennis, It's not about problem "solving"; it's about problem "appreciation". If the problems are effective, you are not going to readily solve them.

If instead you just take a few minutes to play out the solutions provided, with or without the board, you can recognize the composers' ideas and react.

If the ideas are good, you may be surprised, pleased, impressed, edified, etc., and you are the better for it.

If the ideas are not so good, you may be unimpressed, bored, doubtful, critical, etc., but you are no worse for it.

Then if there is a poll, you have the opportunity to convey your collective reactions to the composers, either anonymously or with ensuing dialog.

Finally the poll benefits the composers by providing a thoughtful audience, perhaps by receiving encouraging or helpful comments, and by being ranked among peers.

It's "appreciation" all around.

Bill Salot

[Danny_Alvarez]

Mr Salot i have spent a couple of hours tryng to compose a problem .... only to find a problem that was using the same idea but in a much more impressive setting.... i don't think my talents lie in problem composing but if perchance i come up with something worthy i might post it. So far it is hard going.

cheers
Danny Alvarez

[Bill Salot]

Danny,

Be patient. I sometimes spend weeks, even months juggling ideas before settling on a setting that satisfies me. Other times I stumble on something the first day. Even then, it pays to sleep on it.

If you come up with something you like, don't post it; send it to me for entry in the next contest.

Bill Salot

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Danny, there are some technics ... can you share with us just an idea, skeleton which you want to handle ? Bill and me will try to help you.

In general there are two major type of composers.

One group try to find bright, nice motive and final position and after then build it "back" to initial position. Another group of composers try to develop "combinational mechanism" first and after then extend it to the end.

Both ways work OK. It's up to your personality and preferences.

[Dennis Cayton]

Jay, Dennis, and Alex, Thanks for noticing the contest and voting.

Jay and Dennis, It's not about problem "solving"; it's about problem "appreciation". If the problems are effective, you are not going to readily solve them.

If instead you just take a few minutes to play out the solutions provided, with or without the board, you can recognize the composers' ideas and react.

If the ideas are good, you may be surprised, pleased, impressed, edified, etc., and you are the better for it.

If the ideas are not so good, you may be unimpressed, bored, doubtful, critical, etc., but you are no worse for it.

Then if there is a poll, you have the opportunity to convey your collective reactions to the composers, either anonymously or with ensuing dialog.

Finally the poll benefits the composers by providing a thoughtful audience, perhaps by receiving encouraging or helpful comments, and by being ranked among peers.

It's "appreciation" all around.

Bill Salot

Hello Bill,

Thank you very much for opening my eyes to a fresh outlook.

Indeed, the key to this outlook is "appreciation."

I guess I was taking my inferiority complex with problem solving too personally.

I can remember marvelling with appreciation over the simpler "shot" problems which used to appear in the "Junior Scorpion Club" section of Elam's Checker Board (ECB).

I also had a few problems published in the Keystone Checker Review (KCR) back in my mail playing days before computers. However, these were problem positions which came directly from my mail games.
Unfortunately, I had to sell my entire library a few years ago and no longer have these positions.

Thanks again for the outlook.

I will look these problems over and vote accordingly, not based upon my very limited skill, but by sheer appreciation, instead.

Best Wishes,

Dennis

[Bill Salot]

See the POSITIONS section of this Forum for the conclusion of the recent experimental problem composing contest, and for invitations to future such contests. Please pass the word.
Bill Salot