Unoffical World Champioship Checker Problem Composing Contest #48

[Bill Salot]

Check out the three original, unpublished, lookalike pairs of problem "Twins" by three composers.

Appearances deceive. The solution to one twin may not be of help in solving the other. Composing such pairs is not easy, and may be more luck than skill.

If the "Twins" baffle or confuse you, let the solutions straighten you out; then give the best one your vote. A vote for one problem is a vote for a pair of twins.

Reward yourself with the counter-intuitive ideas and the lucky composer with the gift of a 2-month reign as a World Champion.

Also grab a rung on the Voters' Free Ladder, before the contest ends, by notifying Bill Salot which problem got your vote. His address is under the diagrams at the link below.

The Voters' Ladder now stands as follows:
1. Leo Springer (Netherlands) 3 winners picked in 4 tries (75%)
2. Liam Stephens (Ireland) 10 in 15 tries (67%)
3. Gene Ellison 8 in 14 tries (57%)
4-5 tie Kathy Wirthwein 6 in 12 tries (50%)
Slava Gorin (Russia) 6 in 12 tries (50%)
6. Lloyd Gordon (Canada) 5 in 10 tries (50%)
7. Wilma Wolverton 3 in 6 tries (50%)
14 others have either picked fewer than 50% winners or have voted in fewer than 4 contests.

[Bill Salot]

Hi Checker Friends,

This is your reminder that Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest 48 is underway here at http://www.usacheckers.com/problems/show_contest.php and will be deactivated at midnight on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2019.

It is capping the year with perhaps the most special contest yet . . . featuring three pairs of rare, original, unpublished “Twin” compositions . . . the paired gems appear so similar to each other that you need to look for the differences . . . in contrast, their solutions demonstrate fundamentally unrelated ideas. It took years to collect them, and may take years more to duplicate the feat.

Your vote will have the double effect of helping determine the winning setting plus the winning pair, including of course the winning composer. Also if you respond to this e-mail to tell me how you voted, I’ll put you on the Voters’ Ladder.

Any interesting comments that you send in with your vote, I’ll include in the next issue. Here are sample comments on current Contest 48:
• Gene Ellison recently voted and said, “It was a tough decision as all were good problems”.
• Mark Sokolovsky said his vote was influenced by the “Endgame”.
• Bob Newell said, “I haven't looked at all of the problems in enough detail as of yet. I normally do vote, but not until I've given the field a fair shake.

Here are the expanded standings of the top voters on the Voters’ Ladder after the conclusion of Contest 47:

1. Leo Springer (Netherlands) 3 winners picked in 4 tries (75%)
2. Liam Stephens (Ireland) 10 in 15 tries (67%)
3. Gene Ellison 8 in 14 tries (57%)
4-5 tie Kathy Wirthwein 6 in 12 tries (50%)
Slava Gorin (Russia) 6 in 12 tries (50%)
6. Lloyd Gordon (Canada) 5 in 10 tries (50%)
7. Wilma Wolverton 3 in 6 tries (50%)
8. George Hay 6 in 15 tries (40%)
9. Richard Marlowe 2 in 5 tries (40%)
12 others have either picked fewer than 40% winners or have voted in fewer than 4 contests. It ain’t easy!

If you have an impressive, original, unpublished checker problem, don’t hesitate to send it to me for possible entry in a future contest. Who knows? It could win you a World Championship.

Best wishes,

[Bill Salot]

Unofficial World Championship Checker Problem Composing Contest 48 - Twins - Results

293 visited the web site. 16 of them voted. In a late voting flurry, Cracker Barrel pulled away to win with 6 votes. It was an 8x8 platterful of ideas co-authored by Ed Atkinson and Bill Salot. Kathy Wirthwein voted for it.

2nd with 4 votes was Sister, a sleek, 4x4 deferred stroke, a la Slocum, by Roy Little. Gene Ellison voted for it.

Tied for 3rd & 4th with 3 votes each were the 6x7 twins, Curio & Curious, by Bill Salot. Tony Gallagher, UK, and Lloyd Gordon, Canada, voted for Curio. Gary Ellison and Mark Sokolovsky voted for Curious.

Ed's Clearly Stolen was 5th with 2 votes. George Hay voted for it.

Roy's Brother, a subtle escape from his Sister stroke, trailed with one vote.

Ed's pair of twins had 8 total votes; Bill's had 6; and Roy's had 5.

The Voters' Ladder now stands as follows:
1. Leo Springer (Netherlands) 3 winners picked in 4 tries (75%)
2. Liam Stephens (Ireland) 10 in 15 tries (67%)
3. Kathy Wirthwein 7 in 13 tries (54%)
4. Gene Ellison 8 in 15 tries (53%)
5. Slava Gorin (Russia) 6 in 12 tries (50%)
6. Wilma Wolverton 3 in 6 tries (50%)
15 others have either picked fewer than 50% winners or have voted in fewer than 4 contests.

[Bill Salot]

CORRECTIONS!
There were 18 votes, not 16.
Clearly Stolen had one vote, not 2.
Ed Atkinson's pair of Twins had a combined total of 7 votes, not 8.
The relative rankings did not change.
The numbers on the Contest Page have been corrected.

[George Hay]

Congratulations to Ed Ed Atkinson with the winning pair of twins Clearly Stolen & Cracker Barrel with a combined seven votes. Congratulations to Bill Salot with a close second with Curio & Curious with a combined six votes. Congratulations to Roy Little with a close third with Sister & Brother with a combined five votes. I had to do a "double take" in my post contest "debriefing." All problems are outstanding, but for me Ed's Clearly Stolen has the winning combinations!

--George Hay