CHESS & DRAUGHTS

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 28

CHESS & DRAUGHTS

DRAUGHTS.-ProMem Gil. By Mr LACHiAft Shaw, Dunedin. [Black— Shaw.]

f Conducted by Mi^ David $. HayJ

„ ,, [White— M'llwrick.] White to play and Black to draw. The above position occurred in a " Single Corner" game played, between Messrs William M'llwick, Invercargill, and L. Shaw, Uunedin, i Draughts in l)nne<liii. 1 -The, two' following games werejjlayed between Mr Barclay, of Dunedin, and Mr A. Higgie, of Milton. Game 981—" Will o' the Wisp- " i _ ' ] * ' Hipgie's move. 1115' lll6(a)10l9 13 22 10 15 15 24 14 21 23 19 18 11 24 15 25 11 27.23 . 16 11 714 ?13,1620 >16 IB 16 914 21 28 ' 28 24 26 23 1 32 21 23 16 2117- 2316 3 7 14 10 1 8 11 ' 71* 12 19 3 7 G'l6 ,2832 '■ 24,19 23 18 : 30 26 15 11 118 8 3 26 22 11 8 6 9. 4-8 815 710 80 3i 42 28 White 27 23 i 19 15 23 17 17 13 28 19 82 17. wins, (a) He who enters here leaves hope behind. — B. B. i Game 989-" Bribtol." Higgie's move. . , 1116' 18 9 6 9 23 5 7 11 23 7 30 23 24 19 514 1815 1O14(«)27 23 310 27 2 8 11 ' 25 22 .11 18 29 25 26* 30 25 10 15 22 181 16 20 2117 -4 8 1916 2120 2 7 914 2218 1421. ..2522 12 19 - 31 27 15 10 i v • ' "White wins. ,(o) Oan Blaok draw after this move ?— li. B. *The losing move.— R. B. . , Draughts in Auckland. , Played between Messrs I?. Grubb and H. Henderson, of Auckland. . ' . ,|, i ■ '. GAM8,983-V'Will o' the Wisp." ' ' - , / (Jrubb's move. ' J115! 514 15 21 ' 8 11' 17-23" 27 32 15 10 23 19, 2218 2819 ,32 27 2117 5 1 5 9 ,9 13j 15J>2 1417 ,3 7 913 3328 .10 15 26 23! 25 9 / 21 14 1815 17 H 2419 914 •8 1111 1 15' .10 26 1118 22 26 88 24 15 11 ,93 18 ' 29 25' 31 22 -22 6 14 9 15 ' *14 10 6V 9 „514 , 7,10 3 9 2831 , 7 11 • - 37 83 25 22,.' 23 J8 1915 27 24 15 8 9"14, 1115 .4*B 1317 '3127 24 15 ' 18 <9j 2420; '3025 ''2521 '9's' 8' 3- ■*-* And. the game'waa drawn'after a few more'raoves.

Draughts in Intercargill. Played between Messrs Heary Morris and William -M'llwrick, of Invercargill* Game 984-" Fife." Morris' move. 11 15 12 19 15 18 3 12 18 25 24 28 23 18 23 19 26 23 23.19 20 11 29 22 31 26 22 17 914 19 26 4 6 7 16 16 19 38 32 18 9 22 17 30 5 24 20 28 24 22 17 26 22 13 6 5 9 8 11 8 12 2 7 1? 24 32 27 110 17 13 27 23 19 15 24 20 17 10 25 18 5-1 14 18 10 14 12 16 7 11 6 15 27 23 White A 9 16 32 27 15 8 25 22 27 23 18 14 wins. Game 985—" Old Fourteenth." M'llwrick's move. 11 15 23 19 10 17 25 21 li 18 19 10 18 22 :22 17 15 18 26 22 7 10 21 17 6 15 15 8 914 22 15 17 26 30 26 14 2L 28 24 22 31 .25 22 11 18 31 15 3 7 23 7 8 11 24 19 811 17 13 5 9 32 27 2 11 23 19 31 27 ■20 25 14 17 27 23 7 11 27 23 15 18 17 15 4 8 21 14 914 24 20 11 15 19 15 27 23 Drawn. Draughts in Scotland. Played between Mr J. Lees, Ochiltree, and a friend. Friend's move. GUstE 986—" Single Corner." 11 lo 25 22 610 18 9 6 10 22 17 610 22 18 12 16 16 12 5 14 17 13 18 23 31 26 45 22 24. 19 io v 17 10 16 17 14 23 30 25 18 16 20 22 17(«) 714 30 26 10 17 28 24 811 19 15 14 23* 26 22 11 15 21 14 White 29 25 1019 2718 2 6 26 22 1518 wins. 4 8 23 16 914 22 17 14 18(1) 14 9 \a) Drummond in his " Second Edition," page 74, gives this move as a loss. (6) Drummond plays 31 27 here, and allows Black to win, to Problem 608. (1) In a subsequent game the following was played. 811 1116 18 22{c)22 25 30 26 26 22 22 13 ■28 24 22 17 27 24 19 16 23 19 7 2 6 1 20 27 15 18 16 20 25 30 14 18 6 9 18 23 32 23 31 27 24 19 16 11 11 7 13 6 16 White wins. (c) 3 7 here also loses. Can any of your able critics show a win. for Black after the 18th move of game ? — Aberdeen Free Press. Draughts in England. Played at Nottingham, between the ex-champion, Mr K. Martins, and Mr Hewitt— Game 987 — •' Second Double Corner." Hewitt's move. 11 15 29 25 16 23 21 14 7 11 19 16 18 22 24 19 9 14 26 19 13 17 14 10 27 31 17 13 15 24 18 9 1115 3126 1116 1611 22 18 .28 19 514 1811 17 21 27 23 3127 ,8 4 811 22 18 723 25 22 19 24 10 7 18 14 •22 18 811 27 18 16 19 23 19 27 23 4 8 11 16 18 9 12 16 32 27 16 23 7 3 Drawn. •25 22 6 13 18 14 3 7 26 19 23 18 4 '8 2318 10 17 22 17 24 27 11 8 Game 988-" Whilter." By Mr John Birkinshaw, Leeds. 11 15 3 7 11 18 22 25 25 22 22 25 13 9 23 19 29 25 2(5 23 28 24 ' 16 16 11 22 18 914 1 5 18 22 25 29 2 9 31 27 9 6 22 17 22 17 25 18 19 15 13 6 2117 18 15 711 811 15 22 11 18 19 24 25 22 6 2 25 22 3126 23 18 24 19 6 2 15 19(a)15 19 11 16 1(5 20 9 14 29 25 21 31 22^3 2 6 26 23 19 16 18 9 19 15 211 19 26 11 7 5 9 12 19 514 1019 18 23 27 31 610 17 13 23 16 2119 17 1 1115 26 22 7 3 Whibo wins. («) In Janvier's " Anderson," p. 219, var. 54, 26th move, 17 13 is played, allowing a draw.— J. B. Draughts News. The game is spreading over the colony in a surprising manner, aud there will soon not'be a township without a club. We have pleasure in recording the formation of a Chess and Draught Club at Clinton, with 25 members to begin with, and a Draughts Club at Waiwera with 20 on the roll as a starts, and a prospect of many more soon. Antiquity of the game : A Glimpse afc the Past.— The antiquity of draughts is pretty generally admitted. An interesting fact in this connection is mentioned in a paper on Teut Life in Palestine, contributed by J. E. Backhouse, to the Auckland Chronicle. Mr Backhouse states that deep in the ground under an arch of the Sisters of Zion Convent are the remains of the original pavement of Pirate'a Palace Court, over which Jesus of Nazareth was led to the people ; and on this pavement are clearly visible marks evidently made for the purpose of playing some Roman game at draughts, 'lhe scene, the imagination, may call up is not without a touch of tragic interest ; the stolid Roman soldiers sitting engrossed at the game, while; a short distance from them, is being enacted the greatest life drama in this world's history. — West Lothian Courier. Answers to Correspondents. Correct solutions of Problem 608 received from BG, Biverton; 0. 1 B, Balclutha; It MD. Timaru; MJ, AVaimate ; RS W, Naseby ; G BM, Oamaru ; and W H and & F, Dunedin. For Solution op Phoblem 608 see Game 986. F R G Woodward, Thames, Auckland.— Books forwarded as desired. The book you refer to is the authority bo often quoted. The newast edition of " Anderson" can be sent post free for 3s 6d. R Barclay, Dunedin.— Your .solution of Problem 610 is correct. "Sandy" on the Interprovincial Draughts Match. Maister Editor,— Losh me ! bit I wis a happy man gaun roun' frae ac couple tae anither seem' hoo they were gettin' on, jist for a' the warld like a bumbce sucking honey Irae flower tae flower. Every ane wis in sic dounricht earnest that it wis aften a gudo while afore the players kent that my gleg een were keenly watchin' a' their manoeuvres, an' they had the gude sense no' tae be the least pit aboot in consequence. Aboot the middle o' the room there wis a pretty big crood watchin' Mr H. W. Kay, o' Christchurch, playin 1 wi' Mr Robert Barclay, o' Dunedin. This was the former gentleman's first visit tae Dunedin as ane_ o' the Canterbury team, tho' he has ta'en pairt in previous matches when held in his am town. Mr Kay is a comparatively young man, of a studious an' intellectual appearance, an' possessing a modest an' gentlemanly demeanour. Mr Robert Barclay is nboot 30 years o' age, with a mostprepossessin'coontenance, which is seen raither tae advantage by a natural shyness that he cannot a'thegither shake off when in company o' straingers, tho' I'm tauld he is a fine iree aff-handed fellow when among his am cronies. Weel, these twa played their games verra 'quietly an* composedly, bit the Canterbury player wis in fine trim that day, an' got decidedly the better o' his opponent, who is a bv-or'iiar' gude player usually, bit never havin' ta'en any pairt in big matches afore, I could see Mr Barclay wis a wee bit nervous, an' didna dae himsel' justice in consequence. Hooever, it tak"s nae prophet tae say that wi' a little mair experience he'll be ane o' the toughest customers tae tackle in a' New Zealand. Mr Kay may therefore be prood o' his victory, which wis not only weel deserved by the skilfulness o' his play, bit greatly enhanced by the modest manner he carried his laurels, an' the kind-way he spoke o' his opponent. In a quiet corner o' the room, at a table by themsel's, I saw twa auld opponents o' last year earnestly engaged in porin' ower the brod. As luck wad ha'e it they were drawn against ane anither again this year, greatly tae their am satisfaction. Need I say that I refer tae Mr Dugald M'Laren, o' Leithfield, Canterbury, an' Mr James Dickson, o' Portobello. Baith o' them are hard-heided bit warm-hearted Scotchmen, an" are gude specimens o' the yeomanry o' New Zealand, an' dootless are fine judges o' horse 3, coos, an' sheep, bit I'll be bound tae say they're shrewd eneuch no' tae sell ony o' their am on a rainy M'Laren is a sturdy specimen o' a farmer, in the prime o' life, wi' a fine curly pow, an' keen, penptratin' een. He wis born at Stirling, in Scotland, tho* he is a very auld Canterbury settler, an' his bien look an' happy expression wad nafrally, lead ane tae suppose that he disna regret that he is noo no' in Bicht o' the " Rock" an' Sir William Wallace's 1 monument. Dickson, on the ither haun', is a much younger nian, an' cam' oot, or raither was broucht oot,, tae

Australia when almost a baby in- airms, 'bit his parents, maun ha'e been. o'- true .Scottish bluid, for he is aboot the coolest an' canniest Scotchman that ever I cam' across in spite o' his being reared in the colonies, whaur a certain element o'thoubhtlessne'«B an' even recklessness is thoucht little o\ an' which are nae doot engendered almost unconsciously by the easier circumstances o' colonial life. > . M'Laren havin' won last year, .Dickson wis fairly on his mettle tae turn the tables oa this.opcasiou, sac commenced wj' his favourite " Wliilter" thathe thoucht he kent a' the oots an' ins aboot, bit, as anither illustration o' the wonnerfu* an' almost end> less varieties o' the game, M'Laren aboot the middle played a move tnat'Dickson had never seen aforej an' which is no' tae be found in the .♦• bookB," This made Oickson look aghast for a moment, as he wis fairly bewildered, bit noo his cautiousness cam' tae the rescue, for he took a gude few meenites afore he ventured on his reply. Fortunately he' happened; tae hit the richt nail on .the heid, bit bein' on strange ground ever afterwards, he cautiously felt his way step by .step, and 'sae skilfully that after twa and a-half hoors' play the game wis 1 drawn, i M'Laren, shrewd man 1 as he is, seem' that it wadna dae tae risk onything wi' sic an opponent, tried the " Old Fourteenth" for the',Beptnd game, an' as neither ventured oot o' the 'beatien track it also proved a draw. By this time Dickson had learned that Otago wis leading, sac like a prudent general he made up his mind no,' tae risk onything, and as M'Laren Vis afraid o' in akin' his side's score worse if he tried some new-fangled move, the result was that a' their six games were .drawn. A sigh o' relief escaped them when they were finished, an 1 a beam' o' satisfaction wis depicted on their coontenances as they rose up an' lauchin'ly said, tae ane anither that their captains couldna' blame them at ony rate for losin' the match. Anither letter, I think, will finish my notes on this big dam-brod match. ' Sandy. New Ohum Flat, June 10. * i