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© 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.
I think this game is impressive. Early in the game, Red voluntarily mutilated his own position. Why? Because he saw it was a draw. For several years after this game, mail players continued to avoid Sheehan's moves. The moves looked risky. We mail players eventually began to realize that this game is Red's simplest draw, by far. And this game has now been duplicated in mail play, several times.
T.Sheehan-J.Reed, 1989 I-D
10-14 22-17 11-15 (Weak for Red. In mail tournaments, each player plays both
sides of each chosen opening) 17-10 7-14 24-19 15-24 28-19 8-11 25-22 6-10
22-18 9-13! (Sheehan's "cook" or new move. 11-16 was more popular,
for several years) 18-9 5-14 23-18 14-23 27-18 2-6! 18-14 10-17 21-14 6-10*
14-7 3-10 [diagram]
Superficially, White would seem to be winning. But nowadays,
players have even agreed to a draw in this position. It turns out that the draw
is easy. The game continued: 31-27 (Otherwise 11-15 forces 32-28 followed by
further disruptions of White's back row) 11-15 27-24 1-5 29-25 5-9 25-22 4-8
26-23 9-14 (Now White's back row will go away) 30-25 8-11 25-21 11-16 24-20
draw.