Checkers Puzzle for 29 October 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 10 men on 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 31; Red has 9 men on 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 and 20. Black has 1 more man than Red. Red has a man in Black's half against 0 coming the other way. Black has 7 legal full turns to compare: 0 capture lines and 7 quiet choices. A capture chain is one turn, even when the piece changes direction. Look at its final landing square before committing to the first jump.

Solution: 19-15 10x19 17x10x3. Black plays 19-15, offering the man on 15. Red must take 10x19. Black jumps 17x10x3, removing the men on 14 and 7 and crowning on 3. After this combination, Black has 8 men and a king and Red has 7 men. The game continues from this position. One continuation from the search is 9-13 24x15 6-9 25-22 1-6 27-24 20x27 31x24.

Alternative 27-23: one sample line is 27-23 20x27x18 19-16. Red's 20x27x18 removes the men on 24 and 23. The board then has 8 men for Black and 9 men for Red. Alternative 26-22: one sample line is 26-22 7-11 19-15. The board then has 10 men for Black and 9 men for Red. Compare these sample lines with the solution and check other legal replies before judging the resulting position.

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