British Draughts Federation

Week 004: April 13th 2001 by George Miller

Whilter Merry-Go-Round

I first came across this line about ten years ago when going through LL Hall's "Three Move Manuscript", 1948 given as a cook by Basil Case (a pretty black win, by smother).  I played the black side a few times before finding a correction by Professor William Fraser in his book "The Inferno of Checkers" (to a white win).  From that point on I was only keen to play the white side!  I played many games on the "Zone" with Albert Tucker taking the black pieces and getting beaten by the Frazier correction every time, then Carl Reno published his "The Work of the Pentium" and the line was again re-evaluated (to a draw this time).

Analysis

11-15, 23-19, 9-14, 22-17, 7-11, 25-22, 11-16, 26-23, 16-20 (a), 30-26* (b), 2-7, 23-18 (c), 14-30, 19-16, 12-19, 31-26, 30-23, 27-2, 20-27, 32-16, 8-11 (d), 16-7, 6-9, 17-13 (e), 9-14, 22-17, 14-18 (f), 28-24, 18-22, 24-20 (g), 4-8 (h), 20-16, 22-26, 29-25 (i), 26-31, 25-22, 31-27, 22-18, 27-24, 18-14, 24-20, 16-12, 5-9, 13-6, 20-16, 17-13, 10-17, 21-14, 1-17, 2-6, 3-10, 12-3, 10-15, 6-10, 15-19, 10-15, 19-24, 15-11, 16-7, 3-10 draws CWR, The Work of the Pentium.

Notes

(a)     This way of playing the black side is very restrictive, giving white little scope to vary.

(b)     If 31-26 we have a Glasgow-Whilter published loss, continue 8-11, 19-16, 12-19, 23-7, 2-11, 26-23, 4-8, 23-19, 8-12, 29-25, 5-9, 17-13, 14-18, 19-16, 12-19, 27-23, 18-27, 32-7, 20-27, 22-17, 15-19, 7-2, 1-5, 2-7, 27-31, 7-14, 9-18, 17-14, 3-7, 21-17, 6-10, 25-21, 18-22, 13-9, 31-27, 30-25, 22-29, 9-6, 27-23, 6-2, 23-26, 2-11, 10-15, 11-18, 26-22, 18-25, 29-13, 14-10, 13-9, 10-7, 9-14, 7-3, 5-9, 3-7, 14-18, 7-11, 9-13, 11-16, 18-23, 16-12, 23-27, 12-16, 19-23, 16-11, 23-26, 11-15, 26-30, 15-18, 30-25, 18-14, 25-22, 14-9, 22-18, 9-5, 18-14, 5-1, 13-17 black wins.

(c)     White can play 17-13, 8-11, 22-17, 4-8, 26-22, 15-18, 22-15, 11-18, 29-25, 7-11, 31-26, 11-15, 19-16, 12-19, 23-16, 5-9, 26-23, 8-12, 16-11, 12-16, 11-7, 15-19, 24-15, 10-26, 17-10, 6-15, 13-6, 1-10, 21-17, 26-30, 25-21, 30-25, 27-24*, 20-27, 32-14, 25-22, 28-24, 22-13, 24-20, 10-17, 20-11, 3-10, 21-7 drawn, AJ Heffner.

(d)     Case's move, offering white a poisoned piece.  The usual play here is 6-9, 16-12, 9-13, 2-7, 10-15, 28-24, 3-10, 12-3, 1-6, 24-20, 15-19, 20-16, 19-23, 16-11, 23-26, 17-14 drawn, James Wyllie.

(e)     Fraser gave 28-24, 9-13 (e1), 24-19, 4-8, 19-16 (e2), 8-11 (e3), 16-12, 11-16, 12-8, 3-12, 7-3, 10-15, 17-14, 15-19, 2-7 (e4), 19-24, 7-11, 16-20, 14-10, 24-28, 3-8, 28-32, 10-7, 12-16, 8-12, 16-19, 12-16, 19-23, 16-19, 23-26, 11-15 and white wins.

(e1) 10-15, 24-20, 3-10, 20-16 white wins.

(e2) 2-6, 8-12, 6-15, 3-10, 15-6, 1-10 drawn, Fraser.

(e3) 5-9, 16-12, 1-6, 22-18, 13-22, 18-14, 9-18, 2-9, 22-26, 7-2, 10-15, 9-14, 18-23, 21-17 white wins.

(e4) A recent correction by the Wyllie computer program runs 16-20*, 7-11, 19-24, 11-15 (or 3-8, 24-28*, 11-15, 12-16, 15-10, 28-32, 22-17, 13-22, 14-9, 5-14, 10-26, 32-27 drawn, CWR), 12-16, 3-7, 24-27, 7-10, 27-31, 15-18, 31-26, 22-17, 13-22, 18-25 showing another way to draw.

(f)      10-15 loses by 17-10, 5-9, 13-6, 15-19, 29-25, 19-23, 28-24, 23-27, 24-20, 27-31, 25-22, 31-27, 22-18, 27-23, 18-15, 23-19, 21-17, 4-8, 17-13, 19-23, 20-16, 23-19, 16-12*, 19-16, 15-11, 8-15, 12-8, 3-12, 7-3, 16-11, 3-8, 11-4, 2-7, 15-19, 7-11, 19-24, 6-2, 24-27, 2-7, 1-5, 10-6, 27-32, 7-10, 32-27, 10-15, 27-24, 6-2 white wins, Albright & Padron.

(g)     Not 24-19, 10-15, 19-10, 13-6, 4-8 and white will run out of moves and be smothered, CWR.

(h)     But trying for the smother too early by 10-14 loses by 17-10, 5-9, 13-6, 26-22, 29-25, 26-31 white wins as in note (f) @ 11^th move.

(i)       Another smother chance comes up if white plays 16-12?, 10-14*, 17-10, 5-9, 13-6, 26-31, 29-25, 31-27*, 25-22, 27-23*, 21-17, 23-19*, 22-18, 19-16, 17-13, 16-11, 13-9, 11-16, 9-5, 16-11 black wins, CWR.

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