IV
Further illustrations of won and drawn games are the following positions:—
White to move and win. (Fig 3.)
Fig. 3.
Black men on 3, 8, 12, 17, 20, 21, 25, and 28.
Kings on 29, 30, 31, and 32.
White man on 15. Kings on 18 and 19.
This is a position well known to old hands at the game; though it is not likely to occur in actual play, yet it illustrates the power of the “block.” White has only three pieces against Black’s twelve, yet he wins the day. Here is the play which brings this about:—
| 19-24 | 17-26 | 10- 6 | 8-11 |
| 20-27 | 15-10 | 16-19 | 1- 5 |
| 18-22 | 12-16 | 6- 1 | 11-15 |
White now plays 5-1 and 1-5 alternately, and the Black men must go forward until they are blocked; and White therefore wins.
Now, to illustrate one form of the draw, let the student look again at the first position in third easy lesson. Had it been Black’s turn to move, no more than a draw would result, for Black must play 32-28, whereupon White plays 31-27 and runs down to 1, making a King and drawing.
In the following position White has two Kings to one, yet Black, by the strength of his position, forces the draw.
Black to move and draw. (Fig. 4.)
Fig. 4.
Black King on 22.
White Kings on 25 and 29.
The Black now plays 22-17 or 26, White replies 25-21 or 30, whereupon the Black King comes back to 25 and the draw is manifest.