Christmas Quiz 2011

[liam stephens]

Hope these will keep you busy over the Christmas break:

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

1. Of which player and problemist is it recorded that he conducted a
checker column in the Chicago Post when but fourteen years of age! ?

2. In which Championship of America match did the “Cough Drops “ incident occur ?


3. In 1977, who composed the shortest game of draughts in 20 moves,
ending in a block game, or with all the pieces removed ?
9-14, 22-18, 11-15, 18-11, 7-16, 24-20, 2-7, 20-2, 3-7, 2-18, 10-15 A, 18-2, 12-16, 23-18, 1-6, 2-9, 5-23, 26-3, 4-8, 3-12, W.W. all pieces taken in 20 moves.
A – 1-6, 21-17, 10-15, 18-9, 5-21, 23-19, 12-16, 19-3, 4-8, 3-12, W.W.
Block game in 20 moves.

4. Who wrote the first computer program on the game of draughts ?

5. Who is the author of the most recent super - duper, all singing and dancing checkers computer program ?


6. In 1977, who was the Chairman/Treasurer and a founding member of the Irish Draughts Association (IDA) ?

And a few for our friends from Downunder.

7. Who won the Australian Draughts Championship in 1965 ?

8. Who was the editor of the Melbourne Weekly Times draughts column for 52 years ? (1912 to 1964).

9. In 1965 a new weekly Draughts Column commenced, in the Ipswich Advertiser. The editor was a former Queensland champion.
What was his name ?

10. Prolific problem composer, George Brown, came from which city in Australia ?

[George Hay]

Liam, taking the first question first, the answer is:
1. Charles Hefter

[liam stephens]

Hi George,

I will be publishing the answers here on New Year's day.
Until then, I think it is best for me not to comment, except to say it is pleasing to note some are reading Bill Salot's great new book - Slocum Strokes. In the meantime I would ask for your forebearance - happy hunting !

Regards - Liam.

[George Hay]

Liam, sorry about that! I look forward to the answers, good questions!
--George Hay

[liam stephens]

CHRISTMAS QUIZ - Answers

1. Of which player and problemist is it recorded that he conducted a
checker column in the Chicago Post when but fourteen years of age!
Charles Hefter. Ref: Slocum Strokes by Bill Salot, page 43.

2. In which Championship of America match did the “Cough Drops “ incident occur.
Barker v Reed 1889 (won by Reed 9-7)
"A dramatic explanation is also given of Reed’s collapse in the fatal
days when Barker scored so heavily. ‘To relieve a throat irritation, Reed
procured some of ‘Smith Bros. Cough Drops’, and entirely ignorant that
their curative ingredient is morphine, he consumed one package
Monday, two on Tuesday, and three on Wednesday, and was so
completely under the effects of the drug that it is surprising that he did
not lose more than three games that day."
Ref: ibid., page 48.

3. In 1977 who composed the shortest game of draughts in 20 moves,
ending in a block game, or with all the pieces removed.
9-14, 22-18, 11-15, 18-11, 7-16, 24-20, 2-7, 20-2, 3-7, 2-18, 10-15 A, 18-2, 12-16,
23-18, 1-6, 2-9, 5-23, 26-3, 4-8, 3-12, W.W. all pieces taken in 20 moves.
A – 1-6, 21-17, 10-15, 18-9, 5-21, 23-19, 12-16, 19-3, 4-8, 3-12, W.W.
Block game in 20 moves.
Alan M. Beckerson. Ref: EDJ, Vol 17, No 3, Dec 1977.

4. Who wrote the first computer program on the game of draughts.
C. S. Strachey 1951.
Ref: Proceedings of the Association for Computing Machinery Meeting, Toronto, 1952.

5. Who is the author of the most recent super - duper, all singing and dancing checkers computer program.
Sune Thrane – Most Famous Checkers

6. In 1977, who was the Chairman/Treasurer and a founding member of the Irish Draughts Association (IDA).
Arnold Fitzpatrick

7. Who won the Australian Draughts Championship in 1965 ?
Richard Chamberlain

8. Who was the editor of the Melbourne Weekly Times draughts column
for 52 years (1912 to 1964).
Hugh Egan

9. In 1965 a new weekly Draughts Column commenced, in the Ipswich Advertiser. The editor was a former Queensland champion.
What was his name ?
J. Heffernan. Ref: MWT 1/9/65

10. Prolific problem composer, George Brown, came from which city in Australia?
Ballarat, a city in the state of Victoria.

[MostFamousDane]

I managed to get 1 answer right - yeah me!

[liam stephens]

Well Sune, I guess you haven't been reading Bill Salot's excellent book properly or the ACF forum. Back to school I'm afraid.

[George Hay]

Liam, I managed to get two questions right, 1. where I jumped the gun (from Slocum Strokes), and 7. the Australian Champion....I was wrong when I was very confident I was right on 2. the cough drops incident! Mr. Checkers had
previously identified the victim of the cough drops incident in this forum as J.P. Reed. I thought it would be an easy task
to see what match the formidable Reed did poorly in. My guess was the 1891 or '92 match that Reed lost the
American Match Championship to C.F. Barker. (Jim Loy in More Memorable Checkers Matches gives the year
as 1891 with a score of 6-0-20, while the OMOCH Timeline has the score at 5-0-23 in 1892.) I never would have guessed the 1889 AMC where Reed won the title from Barker!
--George Hay

P.S. One last look before posting revealed that in Slocum Strokes page 48 the correct year of Barker regaining the
American Match Championship is corrected from 1891 to 1892, but no score is given. I can at least say that the score given in Jim Loy's book is internally correct for the games shown in the match.

P.P.S. This is the first time that I've heard of Most Famous Checkers!

[liam stephens]

Re: Most Famous Checkers

See Slocum Strokes page 414, Note A.

Also Hugh Egan's long tenure is mentioned on page 21.

[Ingo_Zachos]

Hm.

I got the last four right, as I once purchased a few items about checkers in Australia, including magazines and the 1965 (!) tournament book. I had numbers 1, 2, but 4 was more guess then anything else.
Maybe Turing and others did program something earlier, but we`ll never know....

For 3) I was guessing it was done before 1900, so I am wrong on that.
Did not know about a dancing program, I have to attend the Danish Open.
I had some vague idea about number 6), but was not sure about the founding members, so its 6 out of 10.

Frohes Neues Jahr aus Deutschland,
Happy New Year from Germany,

I hope for a long, warm summer this time.

[liam stephens]

"Jauchzet, frohlocket. "
Well done Ingo, 6 out of 10 , not bad !
(though 5 out of 10 were available on-line )

[john reade]

This Reade usually sucks Fisherman's Friend lozenges when he has a sore throat. They contain menthol which doesn't produce the unwanted side effects that the other Reed experienced. Except the problem of coughing up odd bits of phlegm!

[Danny_Alvarez]

thoroughly enjoyable..... i didn't get many i am ashamed to say .... but i enjoyed it nonetheless. Thanks Liam

cheers
Danny