It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a decade since One Jump Ahead: Challenging Human Supremacy at Checkers was published. I’m delighted to have the oppor- nity to update and expand the book. The ?rst edition ended on a sad note and that was re?ected in the writing. It is now eleven years later and the project has come to a satisfying conclusion. Since its inception, the checkers project has consumed eighteen years of my life— twenty if you count the pre-CHINOOK and post-solving work. It’s hard for me to believe that I actually stuck with it for that long. My wife, Steph, would probably have something witty to say about my obsessive behavior. Rereading the book after a decade was dif?cult for me. When I originally wrote One Jump Ahead, I vowed to be candid in my telling of the story. That meant being honest about what went right and what went wrong. I have been criticized for being hard on some of the characters. That may be so, but I hope everyone will agree that the person receiving the most criticism was, justi?ably, me. I tried to be balanced in the storytelling, re?ecting things as they really happened and not as some sanitized everyone-lived-happily-ever-after tale.

This extraordinary book tells of the creation of the world-class checkers computer program, Chinook. From its beginnings in 1988, Chinook became a worthy opponent to the world champion and by 1992 had defeated all the worlds top human players. In his fascinating account, Jonathan Schaeffer, the originator and leader of the Chinook team, provides an engrossing story of failures and successes. He describes the human story behind Chinook and his own feelings in his continuous effort to improve the programs performance. We follow the development of Chinook from an innocent question asked over lunch, through to the final match against the then world champion, Marion Tinsley. As the story unfolds, readers are introduced to the rules of checkers and the basics of computer game programs, as well as to the key figures in the story. The culmination of this new edition expounds upon checker finally perfected and solved by Chinook ten years after the story was originally told.

TWO WOLVES IN A GALAXY OF LARGER PREDATORS Jon Moore: nanotech-enhanced solider-of-fortune. Battlewagon Lobo: A.I.-equipped intelligence and weapons platform (think: a fortress on wheels) of enormous destructive potential. Two very dangerous wolves in a galaxy of deadly corporate and paramilitary predators. But Moore has grown weary of the killing and just once he'd like to finish a job without leaving a trail of blood behind him. Not going to happen. Not on a pristine planet called Macken, where two gigantic corporations vie for control of the local jump gate and access to the riches of an undeveloped world. Dealing with a kidnapping and extortion scheme is only the beginning for Moore and Lobo. Next they must survive an enormous bounty placed on Moore's head long enough to rescue yet again the young woman they accidentally delivered into the wrong hands. But with the help of an old lover and under-the-table support from the mercenary outfit that made him, Moore just might beat the odds, save the girl, and get out of this one a little richer and one step closer to making it back to the strange world of his origin. One Jump Ahead: the first novel in the Jon & Lobo series At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). "Just when I was thinking science fiction might be over, Mark Van Name proves that there are still smart, exciting, emotional sci-fi stories to be told. " ¾Orson Scott Card "Holy Squidlets, Batman! One Jump Ahead is like well-aged white lightning: it goes down smooth then delivers a kick that knocks you on the floor. I want to kidnap Mark Van Name and steal his brain. I also want an illegal, souped-up racing ray. Mark's going to be the guy to beat in the race to the top of SFdom." ¾John Ringo "Hard real science smoothly blended into action that blazes like a pinball from one exotic setting to another. This one is very, very good." ¾David Drake "One Jump Ahead is the sort of¾dare I say it ¾old-fashioned SF adventure tale that I dote on. Mark Van Name's headlong pace of story-telling reminds me a lot of Keith Laumer, in fact. He's one of the very few modern authors I've seen who can manage that." ¾Eric Flint "One Jump Ahead is alive with fast-paced action, wild ideas, and characters to root for. A joy to read." ¾Jack McDevitt

(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook). The soundtrack to this new 2019 live action Disney film, adapted from the original animated movie, features new lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. This souvenir songbook features 8 songs arranged for piano and voice with guitar chord frames, including: Arabian Nights * Friend like Me * One Jump Ahead * One Jump Ahead (Reprise) * One Jump Ahead (Reprise 2) * Prince Ali * Speechless (Full) * A Whole New World. Also includes 6 pages of full color artwork from the film.

(E-Z Play Today). 8 songs from the popular 2019 live action edition of this Disney classic in our popular E-Z Play Today notation, including: Arabian Nights (2019) * Friend like Me * One Jump Ahead * One Jump Ahead (Reprise) * One Jump Ahead (Reprise 2) * Prince Ali * Speechless * A Whole New World.