The
tension is mostly over. White actually has several ways to draw now, but he
chooses the easiest, and most spectacular: 21-17! 30-21 22-18 13-22 15-10
6-15 18-2 12-16 8-4 16-19 32-27 22-26 14-10 26-31 27-24 19-23 2-6 draw.Return to my Checkers pages
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© Copyright 2002, Jim Loy
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If you need help reading checkers notation, please print out the numbered board.
Walter Hellman was winning this 40-game match (3 wins - 0 losses - 23 draws at one point, and 4-1-25 later), but Ryan made a magnificent comeback to pull even with two games to go. In the last game, with the strong side of a weak opening, Hellman slipped into a difficult position, and with the World Championship at stake, played his best game of the match, a defensive masterpiece. After this game, the match went into overtime, ten more games, making this a 50-game match. All ten were draws, although Ryan played into a published loss (perhaps with an improvement in mind), which Hellman failed to punish. The tournament book has the names backward, although labeling them "White" and "Black" correctly. It also has the diagram labeled incorrectly.
W. F. Ryan - Walter Hellman, 1949 World Championship Match, game #40
10-15 21-17 15-18 22-15 11-18 23-14 9-18 25-21 8-11 24-19 4-8 29-25 11-16
26-23 (19-15 draws, Ryan) 6-9 23-14 9-18 19-15 5-9 17-14 9-13 31-26
[Ryan suggested that this is the only move. But 27-24 16-19 (7-11 24-20)
31-26 may be even better] 1-5 26-22 (28-24 may draw, even though Ryan
called it a loss) 2-6 (other moves draw, including 16-19) 27-24 16-19
30-26 8-11 (7-10 also draws, in the book, or 18-23 14-9 draw) 15-8 18-23
24-15 23-30 [diagram]
The
tension is mostly over. White actually has several ways to draw now, but he
chooses the easiest, and most spectacular: 21-17! 30-21 22-18 13-22 15-10
6-15 18-2 12-16 8-4 16-19 32-27 22-26 14-10 26-31 27-24 19-23 2-6 draw.