Couple of Docherty Positions

General Discussion about the game of Checkers.
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williamdocherty
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:54 pm
What do you like about checkers?: Winning

Couple of Docherty Positions

Post by williamdocherty »

Hi everyone

I'm posting a couple of positions that I had many years ago :

Black Docherty White Miller ; Black to play
Image

7-11 14-10 (27-24 better) 2-6!! 21x14 11-16!! White cannot avoid shots to the king row and black eventually won

Black Mosyeve White Docherty White to play and win

Image

A nice little shot arising from a Denny position
George Hay
Posts: 1054
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 7:41 am
What do you like about checkers?: Checkers is a game of pure logic.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Re: Couple of Docherty Positions

Post by George Hay »

Nice ones! Was the Miller in the first example Mail Play World Champion George Miller? Miller had a better move (27-24), but what about Mr. Alex? Was that a "famous blunder" or did he run out of moves?

--George Hay
williamdocherty
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:54 pm
What do you like about checkers?: Winning

Re: Couple of Docherty Positions

Post by williamdocherty »

Hi George

Yes it was indeed George Miller. I don't know if he is still active in the game today?
Alex had probably calculated this position from a large number of moves back, and in visualizing from so far off it would have been easy to overlook the shot, which if not availible gives black a powerful position. Once engaged in this variation it was difficult to deviate.
This is something I can confirm ; that when players such as Alex, myself, Borgetti etc. who are capable of calculating in 4, 5 or 6 etc. trunk and sub trunk variations at between 15 to 25/30 moves ahead then it is possible to miss things like this.
George Hay
Posts: 1054
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 7:41 am
What do you like about checkers?: Checkers is a game of pure logic.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Re: Couple of Docherty Positions

Post by George Hay »

William, thanx for the insights on visualization and the above positions.

That even Grand Masters on very rare occasion make "Yuge" mistakes gives duffers like me hope. :)

--George Hay
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