The World's Championship.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 40

The World's Championship.

Championship. Some time ago Stewart, the clever young Scotch player, challenged Jordan, present world's champion, for a atake and the title. The challenge was accepted, and everybody looked forward to their meeting. The principals met on October 31 to draw up articles and arranjfo details, but they came to a deed-lock over the stylo of restriction. TM3 in just what prevented a battle whioh should have proved of great interefic to Otago play«ra— tbo Scott-Sounesa match. Partly because of the interest attaching to that m*toh we make room for the following from the West Lothian Courier, and next week may bo able to give the opinions of several of the leading columns of Britain i— " Jordan proposed the Feme-Jordan Btyle of restriction, while Stawart objected to this on the ground that_' thera is a, considerable amount of luck in putting 84 games into » bajf and only playing 40' Mr Stewart wished to do away with this element of luck a» much as poattbie, and proposed the following method : Blilck to open with 913, 914. 10 14,10 15, 11 ]5,1116, and 1216; White to have choice of reply; play both sides, w.Wch would bo 14 gftmes. The seven standard opening* in reply to 11 15, as follows : 2117, i*3 17, 22 18, v! 3 18, 23 19, 24 19, and 34 20 ; pl*y !>oth siriais, which would bu other 14 gnnics, and ihe other 12 to be played as follow* : 913, 9H,10 X 10 ;5, U 16, and 12 16 ; Whito to have choice of reply, hut 88-ld replies, to ba different from tb.oso in ttrat section. Jordan in turn objected to thiß mode of restriction, on the ground that 16 out of the 40 games opened with 1115. As i»either side would gjvn way, a deadlook resulted, and the match is virtually off in the iiiyantime. Sfawart, however, leaves bia challenge open for acceptance, and appeals for the opinion I of draughts players on tba subject. " We think Stqwarthas acted wisely In appealing to the votarieß-of the game to help him out of his 1 difficulty, and' we cannot agree with the preposterous statement of a contemporary that JorI dan ' has a right' 10 claim 'the .mmo conditions as.those under which be won-the title? There in •no precadout for ouch a plaim. Kvery match at draughts is arranged on conditions to suit the players, and it in right' that it should ba co. Whero a championship is concerned it is only tair that tboso who take an inteiest in the guruo should be ■■atisfici that the terms provide a fair [ test of skill. If the American style is to be adopted of allowiug the champioa to dictate terms, it may end, as it has done there, in putting an end to such matches altogether. It will not do for the ' chanu>ion of the world' to say thut he cart cw)y hold the honour on conditions of his own chnouin?. A championship held on such a footing ues little of fchn honour and glory that on-s usually aa-socij.ta« with the title. It is satisfactory tofludthal Jordan has yielded so far to the claims of bis challenger, and it is to be hoped in the interests of the game that a solution of the difficulty will be found, 'lhis is one of the matters that 'night be referred to such an association aa that initiated at Glasgow recently, and when the ascociation i« fully consolidated it is to bo hoped that ir will be able to give satisfactory decicioti.s on such points. In the meantime, as Mr Stewart suggests, the ooinio-is expressed by draught* players ought to help in bringing ths match to »>• issue. "The point of contention is a very small onu, ah does not present any feature of unusual difficulty Stewart want" prominence given to 11 15, whicli has lotig beon held as the most important opeuinu move in the gntne. Jordan inclined to the style of play in which 1115, and with it mont of the old lines of play, is almost discarded. No doubtoach contestant ;s keeping in view the lines of play he would prefer; but in a championship match, especially tbat of the championship of the world, such considerations ought to have no weight whatever. What is wanted is the arrangement that will give the p.reatesfc variety to^ the play, and provide the best test of all-round skill. An to the latter point there may be' great difference of opinion ; on the fovmer .there caa only be one opinion, that if 1115 is put on the same footing as 9 13,10 14, and 1216 there is no possibility of introducing rho variety into the play that would be afforded by a repetition of 11 15 with varied replies, Jordan may think that 16 g*mea—i.e., eight openings—with 1115 is overdoing it in a 40-g-inifl match, but he proposes the jjimo tuingwifch regard to 10 15 or 11 16, which he prefers. It is here, we think, a solution of the problem is likely to be found, and we would give as the koy move of the situation the apportioning of their relative yalno to each ot these opening movon. First in importance comes 1115 ; next cornea 1116, which it has been found givei almost as great a variety of fine play. Is it possible tn settle the dispute by dividing the seven additional openings between them? If other 14 games could bo added to the match it would be easy to arrange both 11 15 and 11 16 and have tlio additional 14 games. If 40 KRmes it to bu adhered to, then divide the Beven openings in dispute thu«—llls, three; 1116, three ; 10 15, oae. The latter will probably be the most popular solution, and would certaiply give an excellont v*rioty to the play. We think iitewart is right in discarding the ballot. Wyllie bad tha same objection. It is quite opposed to tho genius of the g*tue, which is Skill attended by Foresight, not Luck waited upon by Chance."