Forcings

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The concept 'forcing' has two meanings:
a) composition inwhich white forces black to play one or more moves in order to avoid loss on the short
or long term;
b) such a black move is also called forcing.

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        Each issue of De Problemist contains a column about forcings that 
        occur in both draughts games and draughts compositions.
        By Tjalling Goedemoed (right picture), an expert in analyses
        of draughts games and composer of game-like draughts problems,
        where forcings play an importent role.
        Tjalling was the successor of Frans Hermelink (left picture), grand-
        master in forcings and his teacher, but passed away in 2016 much
        too early, on the age of 45.

        Oege Dijkstra was willing to accept the editorship of this very appreciated column:
        "I didn't want to write this column, as Tjalling had to do that. For many years, he was 
        crucial as promotor of (game)problems. Rare to say in this respect: he was immortal.
        He brought me into the world of the problemists. In 2010 I published my first composition
        in De Problemist: Tjalling forced me to become a member"
        Please, send Oege your new forcing compositions!

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Oege Dijkstra (1958)

Presents frequently his compositions in the forcings column of De Problemist. Here, three beautiful examples!

L: Clue of this forcing is taking the black man 28. Black defends itself heavily, in particular by its fourth
move 21-27! , where-upon back-walking by white with 13-19 will have no positive result. White has to
do it very carefully: playing 40-34 instead of 40-35 shown doesn't win. After that, you'll see a beautiful
offer 25-20! for white.
A composition with seven forcings, including an offer is quite seldom! Frans Hermelink ranked this forcing
as a classic. Also a deep respect for this forcing on the draughts site of Eric van Dusseldorp.
Friesch Dagblad December 7, 2012 and lateron in De Problemist.

M: "After white's move 30-24 is 14-20 prohibited for black through 23-18. The move 13-19!? seems OK,
but white has now a multi-stroke combination that results in a winning three-to-three. So, black first plays
15-20 (white shots 24x15) and after that 13-19! Friesch Dagblad February 21, 2014 and in De Problemist of 2014.

R: From a beautiful game-like initial position, white forces a winning three-to-three end game. If black plays
21-26 after white's first move, then white will win by 29! with the threat 23, 21, 22, 25. In the end game, the
outbreak of black is twicely prohibited: firstly by 32! and lateron by 11! Friesch Dagblad 5 september 2014.

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Tjalling Goedemoed (1971)

Great draughts player ánd promotor of draughts by seminars, publications and columns, shows here three
of his compositions, of course starting from game-like initial positions.

L:  Contains one forcing as start, after which black has no choice and looses through a 1x2x3-stroke combination.
Black may get a king by 36-41 after white's first move (on the cost of four men), but the black king is directly taken
by the move 33-29.

M: White forces black twice to a move during the unwinding.

R:  This composition contains various forcing moves and strokes for black. Only the main variant is shown:
all black's alternatives are evidently loss-making.

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Krijn Hemminga (1979)

Former secretary of our Society. Became in 2015 again enthousiastic about draughts composing, after
a number of years of 'draughts-sleep'. Got a wake-up call by the digital media of our Society.

His best composition till now, Krijn own words: a super-long forcing, whereby black gets twice a king! 

De Problemist August 2008.

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Frans Hermelink (1945)

Of the master himself, there can be showed many beautiful forcings. Upon our request, Frans had chosen,
ultimately, two examples (the second one contains the two main variants M en R).

L:  Simple maneuvers bring the pieces in the right order of stroke. Together with the entourage of an
excellently separated initial position, the old (1943) motif of Jan Scheijen appears on the board.

M: This classic position has been constructed on the surprising finesse 32-28! derived from David Douwes.

R:  Frans got a beautiful present by a superfine winning variant, inwhich black's first move is not (19-24)
but (8-12): we arrive now in a well-known end game (1939) containing two variants of Henri Gans,
only 16 years old at that time.

The initial position of M&R has been arised after a small repair by Tjalling Goedemoed, this to prevent a side solution.

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Martijn van der Klis (1987)

The author is still very satisfied with this miniature forcing. Not that difficult, but everything fits perfectly
(the white king has only one right field), and a quite natural game-like initial position. This motif had his
interest for a long time and before he knew, this perfect position appeared on the board.
De Problemist augustus 2013.

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Arie van der Stoep (1944)

The former editor-in-chief of De Problemist shows three of his many compositions.

L: If black plays 9-14 after white's first move, then floows 2. 32-27 14-20 3. 24x15 25-30 4. 33-28 30-35 
5. 28-22 35-40 6. 23-19 13x33 7. 22x2 with white winning with superior numbers. De Problemist 2013.

M: Three different types of forcings. Such build-in white man on field 16 vinden has occurred 250 times
of the > 400.000  draughts games mentioned in TurboDambase. De Problemist 2013.

R: Inspired by the miniature of J.L. Waltmans in Dam Eldorado January 1984 (according to Arie van der
Stoep in his booklet 'Miniatuurforcings', a jubilee publication of our Society on behalf of its 70-years
anniversary). You may also see the development of this forcing as a slide presentation, the first and
historical, moving draughts board of the site, and still of value as introduction for starting problemists.
De Problemist februari 1988.

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Arjen Timmer (1988)

This former secretary of our Society is a very good draughts player ánd draughts composer. His
compositions always start from game-like initial positions: beautiful combi's of game and composition
draughts!  Consider the three examples below and judge for yourself.

L:  Tjalling Goedemoed presents in De Problemist a series of publications about 'didactic game composing'.
A category of draughts compositions that are quite instructive for players of draughts, due to the game-like
structure of the compositions. Here an example of a wing enclosure, whereby white wins with a forcing,
a surprising stroke combination, and a beautiful end game. The end game, after white's stroke 36x29,
is from R.C. Keller, a grandmaster draughts from years earlier. De Problemist oktober 2010.

M: Again a well-known motif, arranged from a game-like position. White's center strategy apparently has
resulted in scattered black position. There seems a long way for winning, but surprisingly, white finds the way
and forces the win. De Problemist augustus 2008.
(If black moves 11-17 after white's first move, than black will loose quickly through 2. 28-22 18x37 3. 33-29 24x31
4. 26x37 27x40 5. 45x3+)

R:  This miniature resulted in the first price of a draughts composing contest (Category A, Concours Ligue de Nations
of FFJD in 2008), before the very experienced draughts composer Andreas Kuyken. See the content of Arjen's sweet
victory's composition!
White plays, of course, 1. 44-40! Black had already foreseen to loose a man, but thought to escape via
17-21 2. 40x29 21-26 into a draw. As the applet shows, things went different!
Considering game-like structures: the white man on 15 is a highly active man on this edge of the board!
This miniature is quite harmonious: a forcing as introduction, a black counteraction, an economic stroke,
a king's offer, a nice motif, and an ending as naturel. All that concentrated in only a 7x7 initial position.

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