Checkers Puzzle for 14 September 2026 — Black to move

The idea

A shot uses a sacrifice to change the arrangement of the opposing pieces. Offering a capture can draw a defender away, clear a diagonal or place a target where a second piece can reach it. Captures are compulsory, but that does not mean the opponent must take the particular piece you offered: another capture or another branch may be available. Check every legal reply before calling a sacrifice forced. Then follow your intended recapture to its final landing. Count what both sides have given up, and check for crowning or another compulsory capture before deciding whether the combination has paid off.

Black to move. Black has 8 men on 12, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29 and 30; Red has 8 men on 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17 and 20. Both sides have the same number of men and kings. Red has 2 men in Black's half against 1 coming the other way. Black has 3 legal full turns to compare: 0 capture lines and 3 quiet choices.

Solution: 23-18 14x23 21x14x7 3x10 12x3. Black plays 23-18, offering the man on 18. Red must take 14x23. Black jumps 21x14x7, removing the men on 17 and 10. Red must take 3x10. Black takes 12x3, removing the man on 8 and crowning on 3. After this combination, Black has 5 men and a king and Red has 5 men. The game continues from this position. One continuation from the search is 9-14 26x19 20-24 19x28. The sacrifice on 18 starts a five-turn sequence. After Red takes it, Black jumps from 21 through 14 to 7; that piece is itself taken before the man on 12 captures onto 3 and crowns. Follow both black pieces rather than expecting the original sacrifice to survive. Each of the two red replies in the solution is a compulsory single legal turn.

Alternative 23-19: one sample line is 23-19 8-11 19-15. The board then has 8 men for Black and 8 men for Red. Alternative 22-18: one sample line is 22-18 17-22 26x17. Black's 26x17 removes the man on 22. The board then has 8 men for Black and 7 men for Red. Compare these sample lines with the solution and check other legal replies before judging the resulting position.

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