Checkers Puzzle for 19 September 2026 — Red to move

The idea

A multi-jump lets one piece capture several opponents in a single turn. Follow every landing square before choosing the first jump: removing a piece can open a new diagonal or make a backward capture available. Men may capture backward, and flying kings may have several landing choices beyond an enemy piece. A capture must continue while another jump is available, except that crowning ends the turn. You may choose among legal branches; you do not have to take the branch with the most captures. Compare the complete routes, the pieces removed and the safety of the final square.

Red to move. Red has 8 men on 2, 3, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17 and 22; Black has 8 men on 12, 15, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27 and 31. Both sides have the same number of men and kings. Both sides have 2 men across the middle. Red has 3 legal full turns to compare: 3 capture lines and 0 quiet choices.

Solution: 10x19x28. Red jumps 10x19x28, removing the men on 15 and 24. After this combination, Red has 8 men and Black has 6 men. The game continues from this position. One continuation from the search is 20-16 11x20 23-19 28-32 27-24 20x27 31x24 22-26. Read 10x19x28 as one turn with two landings. The first jump removes the man on 15, and the second removes the man on 24. The capturing man ends on 28 without crowning. Red’s eight pieces remain on the board while Black is reduced to six; check the final square before treating the two jumps as a completed combination.

Alternative 10x19x26: one sample line is 10x19x26 24-19 3-7. Red's 10x19x26 removes the men on 15 and 23. The board then has 8 men for Red and 6 men for Black. Alternative 11x18: one sample line is 11x18 24-19 2-6. Red's 11x18 removes the man on 15. The board then has 8 men for Red and 7 men for Black. Compare these sample lines with the solution and check other legal replies before judging the resulting position.

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