Checkers Puzzle for 18 September 2026 — Red to move

The idea

A quiet move changes the position without taking a piece. It can prepare a capture, improve a landing square, protect a route to promotion or offer a sacrifice. First check that no capture is available, since captures are compulsory on this site. Then examine the opponent's replies instead of assuming that your threat will be ignored. A move that works against one reply may fail against another. In these puzzles, the verified line shows the selected defence and the tactical gain that follows. Compare the resulting board with the starting position, including kings and possible recaptures, rather than counting only the first piece won.

Red to move. Red has 11 men on 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15; Black has 11 men on 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29 and 31. Both sides have the same number of men and kings. Black has a man in Red's half against 0 coming the other way. Red has 5 legal full turns to compare: 0 capture lines and 5 quiet choices.

Solution: 8-11 24-20 15x24. Red plays 8-11. Black's best reply is 24-20. Red takes 15x24, removing the man on 19. After this combination, Red has 11 men and Black has 10 men. The game continues from this position. One continuation from the search is 23-19 24x15 29-25 12x19 27-23 19-24 20x27. The piece that makes the quiet move is not the piece that collects the capture. Red steps from 8 to 11; after the selected reply 24-20, the man on 15 jumps to 24 over the black man on 19. Keep your attention on the whole position after the preparatory move, rather than continuing to move the same piece automatically.

Alternative 15-18: one sample line is 15-18 22x15 13x22. Black's 22x15 removes the man on 18. Red's 13x22 removes the man on 17. The board then has 10 men for Red and 10 men for Black. Alternative 7-11: one sample line is 7-11 16x7 12-16. Black's 16x7 removes the man on 11. The board then has 10 men for Red and 11 men for Black. Compare these sample lines with the solution and check other legal replies before judging the resulting position.

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