Red continued:
11-15 (or 1-5 22-17 to the analysis below) 32-28 1-6? (for 1-5, see below)
22-17 15-18 17-13 10-15 28-24 3-8 16-12 8-11 12-8 11-16 8-3 7-10 3-8 15-19
24-15 10-19 8-12 20-24 and White won.Return to my Checkers pages
Go to my home page
© Copyright 1999, 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.
The following game was played in the 1911 World Championship match:
A. Jordan-N. Banks, 1911 WCM
10-15 23-18 12-16 26-23 16-19 23-16 11-20 18-11 8-15 22-18 15-22 25-18 4-8
24-19 8-11 (9-14 18-9 5-14 29-25 8-11=same or 6-10 29-25 9-14 18-9 5-14 25-22
8-11=same) 29-25 9-14 (or 11-15 draws, PP) 18-9 5-14 25-22 6-10 30-26 11-15
26-23 15-24 28-19 7-11? (2-6 draws PP) 19-16 2-7? (3-8 16-7 2-11 23-18 WW?)
31-26! (or 22-17 to same, Subkow) [diagram]
Red continued:
11-15 (or 1-5 22-17 to the analysis below) 32-28 1-6? (for 1-5, see below)
22-17 15-18 17-13 10-15 28-24 3-8 16-12 8-11 12-8 11-16 8-3 7-10 3-8 15-19
24-15 10-19 8-12 20-24 and White won.
Bert Titus claimed that the diagram was a draw for Red. And this position became known as the Phantom Fox Den, for some reason. Titus spent years, and published many pages, trying to prove that this was a draw. Most players were skeptical. Eventually the debate died from the weight of the evidence. And the position is now considered a White win.
Returning to the diagram, here are some of the main variations: 11-15 32-28 1-5 22-17 (28-24 draws, Quinlan) 20-24 (others lose) 27-20 15-18 23-19 18-22 (18-23 26-22 WW Master Play) 26-23 22-26 16-11(A) 7-16 19-12 (20-11 may win PP) 26-31 23-19 (17-13 may win PP) 31-26 28-24(C) 26-22 (14-18 loses, Subkow) 17-13 14-18 20-16 (19-16 to same?) 22-26 (18-23 16-11 WW Master Play) 16-11 26-23 19-16 10-14 (others in Churchill's) 13-9 18-22 24-19!(D) 22-26 19-15 23-19 (or 23-18 WW) 15-10 19-15 9-6 15-8 10-7 WW Fishburne.
A - 19-15(B) 10-19 17-10 7-14 16-12 (16-11? RW Titus) 19-24 28-19 19-16 31-27 23-19 27-24 19-15 24-19 15-10 14-18 10-6 (or 16-11 draw Titus) 19-15 6-1 18-22 draws, Titus.
B - 17-13 26-31 13-9 31-27 9-6 27-18 6-2 7-11 16-7 14-17 21-14 18-9 20-16 10-14 16-11 3-10 2-7 9-6 draw Titus.
C - I like 19-15! (19-16 or 17-13 may win, PP) 10-19 17-10 26-22 20-16 (Titus gave 10-6 to draw) 22-18 16-11! (Titus gave 10-6 to draw) 5-9 (18-15 10-7 15-8 21-17 3-10 12-3 WW) 10-6 WW, Loy.
D - 9-6 23-18 6-2 22-26 24-19 (others draw? PP) 26-31 19-15 31-27 15-10 27-24 11-8 14-17 (24-20? 2-6! 20-4 10-7 WW T.Quinlan) 21-14 18-9 10-6 24-20 16-11 3-7 draw A.White.