DRAUGHTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11538, 24 November 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

DRAUGHTS.

SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 1080. Position:—Black kings on 10, 26; White men on 16. 19, king on 8. White to move and ■win. ■ ! ' ■"■ i '~..■

(a) 16-11. 26-23. 19-16, 23—19, 16-12. 19—15, 11—7, 16-11, 7—2. 11-S, 2—7, 10-6, drawn. (b) B—l2, 23—27, 16—11, 27—24, 19—16, 24—20, drawn. (c) 10—14, 11—15, 14—17. 15—10. 23-18, 10—7, 18—23, 16—11, 23—16, 7—3, 16—7, 3—lo, White wins. (d) 6-2, 16-11, 23-16, 7-3, 16-7, 3—lo, White wins. PROBLEM No. 1082. (By J. K. LYONS. From the Liverpool Weekly Mercury.) BLACK.

White. White to play and draw. MATCH FOR WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP. JORDAN V. BARKER. The above match, which has been looked forward to with keen interest in draughts circles all the world over for a considerable time past, commenced in Boston on October 15. The results of the first three days' play were six games, all draws, the openings being "Bristol Cross," "Edinburgh," and "Kelso." A stake of £400 is involved, as well as the title of draughts champion of the world. Forty games are to be played, restricted, as in the Jordan-Stewart match (189"/'), wins and draws to count. GAME No. 411.—" Kelso." Played between the editor of the American Checker Player (A. J. Heffner), and George W. Dearborn, of Lowell, Mas 3., in the team match, Washington's Birthday, 22nd February, 1900. Black, Heffner, for the Boston team, and White, Dearborn, for the New England team:—

Drawn. Duration of play, four hours. (a) The position at this point can also be brought ud bv the following method:— 22—18, 15—22, '25—18, 11—16. 21—17. (b) A very strong reply. (c) Blacks here had the choice of bringing the game to an earlier close, had they desired, by 11—15. (d) 18—15 would lose by 7—lo. (e) Mr. Dearborn expected I—s here, and intimated that he should have replied with 18—15. Black would then have been compelled to take the temporary 2 for 1, for to fill with 2—6 would allow the following brilliant shot, which wins:—l 4—9, 5—14. 15—11. This, however, had no influence in deciding the editor's choice. (f) Very good, and throws Blacks on the defensive. Mr. Dearborn's other choice of 18-15, 11—18, 9-6 equally good. (g) Compulsory. (h) A very tempting line in an effort to press the Blacks game, that would lose, is the following:-9-6, 16-23. 6-2, 7—ll, 2-7, 22—26, 7—16. 12—19, 18—15, 1-6, 27—18, 19—24, 30—23, 10—26. Black wins.

During his visit to Pittsburg several of the brethren spent a day with the ex-champion of Scotland, and were as much astonished at his quips and cranks and musical medleys as at his wonderful crossboard abilities. They were at the house of Mr. Tom. Boyle. Brother Maize, of the Pittsburg Despatch, was one of the party, and gives a racy account of the entertainment in his column:--" His pranks, quips, grimaces, merry sayings, stories, snatches of song, and the making of music, and the oddest of antics and madcap freaks followed fast between intervals of checker playing. The following game is a fair sample of how the moves were interlarded with Freedman's ' monkeyshines': — Elevon fifteen—' Go ahead, Mr. Boyle, and think out your move; I want to try the piano;' 23—19—thrub—thrum' yon have moved; go 9—14.' 'Did yon ever hear this?' (hams a few bars of the ' Holy City,' then suddenly switches to an Irish comic song); 22—17. 'Ha ha; hunting a hole; well, 59.' and the piano gives out the time of ' Finnigan's Wake;' 26—23—' All right; sure, I'm invited to a funeral, but the man won't die, 9—14.' The piano stool is vacated, and a combination of waltz, jig. and Highland echottische is introduced between steps, and play is continued—3o—26. 13—22. 25—9, 6—13. A trio is now arranged, and the ' Holy City' is sung in very good style—2s, I—s. Meanwhile several staves of an Italian love song are warbled, and an English translation volunteered. 25—22, 5—9. Freedman sings: —

' From my cradle I'd a craving and a thirst for notoriety; My craving and my thirsting swamped my soherietv. I longed to be a person in a prominent position in societyPoet, painter, or Prime Minister; Thug or thief, sinister. Or any kind of twister, And so I did, like other wreckers. Become a champion of checkers.'

—24—20. 15*-24, 28— during the progress of these jumps Harry has been dancing the Highland Fling and giving an imitation of the whirling Dervish—B—ll." And so on, the game ending in a draw.

3- 8a 11-7 5-8 19-15 1126—23 6— Id 5—9 6—2 2—7 8—lib 7— 3 8-12 15—11 _ 8— 3 10— 6c 1— 5 9— 6 23—19 W. wins.

10-15 5- 9 11—16c 16-23 19-26 21—17 28—24 18— 15— 6 7—11 —16 4— 8 6—10 1—10 —31 22—18 29-25 23-18 27-18 5-1 15-22 8—11 16-23 7—11 31—26 25— 25—22 26—19 9— 6 1—6 9—13 16—20 17—22e 10—15 16—19 24—20b 17—13 14— 9 18—14 6—10 13—22 9-14 7—11 11—16 19—24 20-11 22-18 9- 5f 6-2 14—9 8-15 14—17 2— 7g 15—19 24—27 18-11 31-26 13- 2- 7 32-23 716 3— 7 11—16 22-26 26-19 26-17 24-19 18— 30-23 9- 6