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A Tribute to Matt Long
© Copyright 2002, Jim Loy
You may print this and show it to
others. But, this article will eventually be part of a book that I am writing.
So, please do not distribute it widely.
If you need help reading checkers notation, please print out the
numbered board.
Matt Long died recently. This is an unusual tribute to his memory, as
this is a collection of some of his mistakes. These problems are from Matt
Long's Checker Problems which I typeset back in 1989. The book contained
numerous errors. The problems that I will show here either had flawed diagrams
or flawed solutions. Here, I will attempt to correct those flaws. Corrected,
these are all excellent problems, and should be very educational. When there
are two diagrams side-by-side, Matt's original diagram is on the right, and the
corrected diagram is on the left.
#1. On the left we see two positions, my
correction of Matt's problem, and Matt's flawed version (shown faded out, to
avoid confusion). My version of this problem is the only diagram in this
article which I can claim as my own, as it is different from Matt's diagram.
All of the rest of the diagrams below are either published in Matt's book, or
are achieved by playing a few moves of Matt's solution. Here, Matt's solution
(for the second diagram, above left) is: 28-32 27-31 32-27 7-10? (7-11* 27-23
11-16 is an easy draw) is into the solution of our corrected problem.
Solution (corrected problem, above left): 28-32 27-31 32-27 6-10 (or 6-9
to same) 27-23 10-14 24-19! (or 24-20 is similar) 31-26 23-27 26-31 30-26 31-15
26-19 WW.
#2. Matt's moves (position far right): 2-6
11-15? (7-3* 6-10 3-8 13-9 8-12 9-6 12-8 6-2 8-13 draw, a "Long" draw), which
is the corrected problem (first one on the right).
Solution: 13-17 15-18 6-9 18-23 17-22 7-10 9-13 10-15 13-17 15-10 17-21
10-15 21-25 15-19 25-30 19-24 22-26 24-19 32-27 23-32 26-23 WW.
#3. Matt's position: 25-21 31-26* (31-27? is the
corrected problem) 29-25 26-30* 19-23 11-16 23-27 30-26 27-24 26-23 24-19 23-18
draw.
Solution: 29-25 11-16! 19-12 27-23 12-16 23-18 14-9! 5-14 16-19 17-22
19-15 WW.
#4. Matt's problem has a second, less
interesting, solution: 19-16 (19-15 26-23 is the corrected problem) 26-23 (7-10
9-6 WW) 24-19 23-32 9-14 WW.
Solution: 24-19! 23-16 15-11 7-10 9-6 16-7 6-22 WW.
#5. Matt's problem: 20-16 6-10 16-23 9-13 12-8
13-22 8-3 10-14 (28-32? is the corrected problem) 2-6 15-18 draw.
Solution: 2-7 10-14 7-11 15-18 23-19 32-7 3-26 WW.
#6. Notice that this one is supposed to be a
draw. Matt's problem: 26-30 14-18! (25-22? is the corrected problem) 23-14
32-23 14-9 23-18 RW.
Solution: 27-24!* 21-25!! 30-21 32-27 24-19 27-18 10-7!! 2-11 19-15
11-16 21-25!! draw.
#7. Matt's position: 12-8 16-23 8-11 15-18
(15-19? is the corrected problem) 11-15 18-22 draw.
Solution: 11-16 24-28 21-17 19-24 16-19 23-27 17-14 (or 29-25) 27-32
10-6!! 2-18 19-23!! 18-27 29-25 WW.
#8. This (in California Checker Chatter
July-Sep. 1962) is a valid problem with a flawed solution.
Solution: 30-26!! 23-30 25-22 21-25 22-29 30-26 29-25 26-23
9-6*(A) 23-18 25-22!! 18-25 6-1* WW, First
Position.
A - Matt moved 25-22? 23-19 9-6 19-15 11-7 3-10 6-2 10-14? (15-11*
draws) 2-7 14-8 7-11 WW.
#9. This too (LCA Nov. 1965) is a valid
problem with a flawed solution.
Solution: 27-24!! 11-27 24-20 8-11 31-27 14-18 13-17 (Matt moved 13-9?
allowing 18-15 to draw) 18-23 17-14 (back into Matt's solution) 23-27 14-18
27-32 18-23 32-28 24-19 28-24 7-3 24-15 3-8 WW.
#10. I have not corrected this (called Minor
Operation in ECB, Dec. 1956), as I like it very much, flawed as it is.
Study Matt's flawed solution (9-6 5-9 6-2 17-21 25-22 9-14 2-7 21-25 7-16 25-30
16-12 30-26 22-18 14-16 12-19 WW) and see if you can find the flaw. This should
be educational.
Real solution (starting at the diagram): 9-6 5-9 6-2 17-21 25-22 9-14
2-7 11-16* (not 21-25? in Matt's solution above) 19-12 21-25 draw. So the terms
should be "White moves, Red draws." And the flawed solution is interesting,
too.
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