Winning a game without moving a checker

[EdTrice]

Recently I had the opportunity to win the following wager. I made this bet:

I can play an entire game without moving a checker, allowing my opponent to finish the game with all kings while I had none, and still have a position any master will agree is a draw at the end.

Let's see who can solve this riddle.

[Mr. Checkers]

Ed being a creator of checker trivia I must ask if we are to assume that you are playing a normal game of checkers or are playing checkers at all? Your question does not say. There are many other games that are played on a checklerboard as you well know.

[EdTrice]

Yes, a real game of checkers is played, all moves being legal, and plausible, and any checkers master would find each move by both players perfectly acceptable.

[Mr. Checkers]

"each move by both players"--the question states that you were not making any moves, so which is it?

[EdTrice]

"each move by both players"--your question states that you were not making any moves, so which is it?

My question was posed the following way:

I can play an entire game without moving a checker, allowing my opponent to finish the game with all kings while I had none, and still have a position any master will agree is a draw at the end.

...and I was able to do everything stated above, as it was stated, thereby winning the bet.

It is a bit of a "thinking puzzle"

P.S. I have also won bets in bars where I claim I can finish 3 full mugs of beer before my opponent can drink a shot. It's all in the wording, then the execution of the wording... so there is your hint!

[Mr. Checkers]

Ed your question says "Winning a game" but your description says agreeing to a "draw"?

[Palomino]

Ed states: "I can play an entire game without moving a checker," I know, Strickland, Banks, and Ryan played games without moving a checker so I will allow that Ed can do the same.

Ed states: "allowing my opponent to finish the game with all kings" I've been there, I've done that, no problem here, ha,ha.

Ed states: (concering kings) " had none" it seems to me that when the game started Ed certainly would have "had none" .

I can't find anywhere in Ed statement "I can play an entire game without moving a checker, allowing my opponent to finish the game with all kings while I had none, and still have a position any master will agree is a draw at the end. " the word win but I do see stated in the title, "Winning a game without moving a checker". I don't think this matters, sometimes you win sometimes you draw, and if Ed did it once that entitles him to say "I can".

Regards, "Pal" Bucker

[EdTrice]

Ed your question says "Winning a game" but your description says agreeing to a "draw"?

I know the titles says "winning" but "Drawing a game" without moving a checker sounds funny, like you are illustrating the game or something like that

[EdTrice]

Ed states: "I can play an entire game without moving a checker," I know, Strickland, Banks, and Ryan played games without moving a checker so I will allow that Ed can do the same.

Ed states: "allowing my opponent to finish the game with all kings" I've been there, I've done that, no problem here, ha,ha.

Ed states: (concering kings) " had none" it seems to me that when the game started Ed certainly would have "had none" .

I can't find anywhere in Ed statement "I can play an entire game without moving a checker, allowing my opponent to finish the game with all kings while I had none, and still have a position any master will agree is a draw at the end. " the word win but I do see stated in the title, "Winning a game without moving a checker". I don't think this matters, sometimes you win sometimes you draw, and if Ed did it once that entitles him to say "I can".

Regards, "Pal" Bucker

OK, allow me to rephrase the statement:

I can show a complete game of 8x8 checkers, following all of the existing ACF rules, where one side does not move a checker, the other side will have all of his checkers crowned to kings, the side that does not move a checker will have all checkers on the board, and every master player will agree that every move in the game is not only "reasonable", but perfectly playable, and every master player will agree that the resulting position at the end of the game is a draw.

The question posed to the readership:

Solve the riddle to this apparent impossibility.

[Mr. Checkers]

Ed are we playing with 24 checkers on the board to start with (if so according to your question your opponent would have 12 kings)? I don't see any problem with you not making a move. I am sure that your computer program will do that for you.

[Palomino]

Ok Ed, if one side doesn't move a checker, which checker did you not move

[EdTrice]

Ed are we playing with 24 checkers on the board to start with (if so according to your question your opponent would have 12 kings)? I don't see any problem with you not making a move. I am sure that your computer program will do that for you.

Personal pronouns were not used in the updated description of the problem, so any insistance that a program made the moves is far off base and irrelevant.

This was an actual game played by two people, one that I was participating in to win the bet.

[EdTrice]

:idea: Ok Ed, if one side doesn't move a checker, which checker did you not move

Excellent!

You are getting very close!

[EdTrice]

From the starting position in the game of checkers, play:

1. 11-15 23-18
2. 8-11 27-23
3. 4-8 23-19
4. 9-14 18x9
5. 5x14 22-17
6. 15-18 26-22
7. 11-15 17-13
8. 7-11 13-9
9. 6x13 24-20
10. 15x24 22x15x6
11. 1x10 28x19
12. 14-18 31-26
13. 3-7 26-22
14. 10-14 22x15
15. 11x18 32-27
16. 7-10 30-26
17. 8-11 20-16
18. 11x20 26-22
19. 2-6 22x15
20. 12-16 19x12
21. 10x19 12-8
22. 6-9 25-22
23. 19-23 27x18
24. 14x23 8-4
25. 23-26 4-8
26. 9-14 8-11
27. 26-30 11-15
28. 20-24 15-10
29. 24-27 10x17
30. 30-26 22-18
31. 13x22 21-17
32. 26-23 18-14
33. 27-31 14-9
34. 31-27 9-5
35. 23-18 17-13
36. 22-26 13-9
37. 26-30

...and you will reach this position:



You will be able to verify that:

1. There is a white checker unmoved on square 29.
2. Red has 3 kings and 0 checkers, white has 0 kings and 3 checkers.
3. White to move can draw.

So, white played the entire game without moving a checker, and that checker was on square 29.

Red has "all kings", and white has "all checkers" in the final position, which is a draw.

Furthermore, all of the moves in the game are plausible, i.e. the game was not "contrived".

This satisfies all of the conditions specified in the bet.

[Palomino]

Hi Ed, if you are white and your opponent is red, could this be the end game position

"I can play an entire game without moving a checker", the checker on square 32 has not been moved.

"allowing my opponent to finish the game with all kings while I had none" , red has all kings while white has none.

""and still have a position any master will agree is a draw at the end"

WHITE TO MOVE


Regards, "Pal" Bucker