NorthWest Draughts Federation

Barred Openings

The "Black Widow"
11-16, 23-19, 16x23 (a), 26x19 (b), 8-11, 27-23*, 4-8, (c) 22-18, 11-16, 24-20, 8-11, 28-24 (d), 9-13, 32-28* (e), 10-14, 18x9, 5x14, 25-22, 13-17, 22x13, 14-18, 23x14, 16x23, 24-19*, 23-27, 31x24, 11-16, 20x11, 7x23, 24-20, 23-27, 29-25, 27-31, 25-22, 31-27, 30-25, 27-31, 28-24, 31-27, 21-17, 27-31(f) 24-19 (g) 31-26 (h) 25-21, 6-10, 14x7, 2x11, 13-9, 26-23, 17-14, 23x16, 14-10, 16-19, 9-6, 19-23, 6-2, 11-15, 22-17, 23-18, 17-13 drawn.
T. Canning

Notes:

  1. This opening is known as the "Black Widow" and constitutes one of the original "barred openings" that was taken out of the proposed 150 three-move opening presented in 1931.
  2. The 27x18 jump has been shown to lose after 12-16 in reply.
  3. This was once believed to win. 11-15 is now considered more powerful, continue 22-18* 15x22 25x18 9-13 29-25* 13-17 21x14 10x17 then Chinook's 18-15* is necessary to draw, (correcting Hellman's 31-26 to a Red win -see "Midwest Checkers", April, 1980) then 4-8 24-20* 6-9 31-26* 17-21 25-22* to a draw by Al Lyman who has recently contributed a great deal of new play on this difficult opening.
  4. The game to this point was played between W. Hellman and H. Richter who continued here with 25-22 9-13 and 29-25 showing it to be a "Single Corner" transposition ("Master Play" p.445 V.g, @ 1st) then 10-15 19x10 6x15 etc to a popular pp draw in postal play. ("Midwest Checkers", Feb. 1980)
  5. A defensive "cook" by Tommy Canning to improve and correct Hellman's 25-22? which is an unsound landing arising from a "Single Corner" game as follows; 11-15 22-18 15x22 25x18 8-11 24-19 9-13 26-22 4-8 27-24 11-16 24-20 8-11 28-24 same! ("Master Play" p.474 Var. m). This 32-28* "cook" is being shown here for the first time.
  6. An important position. If 12-16, 20x11, 27x20, 25-21*, 20-16, 11-7, 2x11, 14-9, 6-10, 9-6, 10-15, 6-2, 15-19, 22-18, 19-23, 18-14, 11-15, 2-7, 3x10, 14x7, 16-11, 7-2, 15-18. Drawn.
  7. 25-21 also draws, but much more difficult.
  8. Best. If 31-27?, 22-18, 27-31, 25-22, 31-26, 19-15, 26-23, 15-10, 6x15, 18x11, 23-19, 11-8, 19-15, 8-4, 15-11, 22-18, 12-16, 13-9, 16-19, 14-10, 19-23, 17-13, 23-27, 9-6, 2x9, 13x6, 11-7 drawn.

The "Black Hole"
10-14, 22-17, 9-13, (a) 17x10, 6x15, 25-22, 15-19 (b), 24x15, 11x25, 29x22, 5-9, (c), 22-18, 12-16*, 28-24, 8-12, 24-19, 4-8, 26-22, 16-20, 18-15 (d), 9-14, 22-18, 1-5, 18x9, 5x14, 23-18, 14x23, 27x18, 20-24* (e) 30-26 7-11 15-10 (f) 11-16 19-15 24-28 18-14 (g) 2-7 (h) 26-23 16-20 23-18 13-17 10-6 7-10 14x7 3x19 21x14 19-23 6-2 12-16 2-7 16-19 18-15 8-12 7-11 19-24 15-10 24-27 31x24 20x27 11-15 27-31 15-19 31-26 19-24 26-22 14-9 22-18 9-6 23-26 24-20 draws.
T. Canning. 8/ 01

Notes:

  1. This opening is known as the "Black Hole" because of the "huge crater of empty squares (#6,#9,#10) left after the exchange". This is one of the nineteen "Three-Move Openings" which is currently considered a loss.
  2. This defence was conceived by the "Chinook" computer program to find a draw.
  3. A defensive "cook" to uphold a draw. Here 7-10 & 8-11 have been published to draw in the "Kingrow" publication, although 8-11 may be suspect after 22-18*. Another option here is 12-16 which is as yet untested.
  4. 19-15, 7-11, 21-17, 2-7, 17-14, 7-10, 14-5, 10-26, 30-23, 12-16, 32-28, 8-12, 18-14,11-15, 23-18, 15-19, 27-24, 20-27, 31-15, 16-19, 15-10, 19-23, 14-9, 23-26, 10-6, 1-10, 9-6, 26-30, 6-2, 30-25, 22-17, 13-22, 2-6. Draw.
  5. 7-11 31-27* stops 20-24 to a WW.
  6. Here 26-23 has been the subject of much attention since it was first published. Continue 11-16, 18-14, 16-20*, (13-17 had been shown previously, but after Brian Hinkle's 15-11, 8x15, 19x10, 17-22, then Tom Sheehan's suggested 32-28* appears to win here) 23-18, 3-7, 15-10, 7-11, 10-6, 2x9, 14x5, 11-16, 19-15, 16-19, 5-1, 19-23, 1-6, 12-16 draws. Tom Sheehan.
  7. 26-22 16-19 18-14 19-23 drs.
  8. 16-19? 14-9* (correcting the original 26-22 to draw) to a R.W. H.Meadows.


    9. KingsRow analysis on the "Black Hole" Opening

© NorthWest Draughts Federation 2002