Draughts in Scotland.

Otago Witness, Issue 1893, 2 March 1888, Page 29

Draughts in Scotland.

side, pieces were so manipulated that, -within 10 minutes of the start, the " Glasgow "-for the second time in the match— was formed . In rather less than an hour's play the men were reduced to seven a side, the following bei»g the poaition-Black men on 1, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15, 24; White men on 17, 20, 21, 22, 26, 23, 31 . Black to play ■ — 15 19 914 31 22 11 15 27 31 31 27 23 16 3127 17 3 2117 1410 H 12 19 24 31 19 24 24 27 15 1 15 17 13 22 17 3 7 17 14 13 9 Drawn. After a few more moves it was agreed to abandon the game as drawn.

FOURTH DAY. Martins, who was first player, opened with the " Fife," a gime that had been played four times already. When the pieces were reduced to five a side Barker took a neat shot, that resulted in forcing a draw in a few moves. Barker was first player in the next game. He formed his favourite " Glasgow," and the play ran in the same grooves as those already tried in this opening. After an hour's play the men were reduced to five aside. The ending, however, even with so few pieces on the board, proved of interest, and wao well played by both. Position— Black men on 1. 7, 11. 13, 19, 21 ; White men on 31, 26, 21, 20, 18, 17. White to play. Martins played the most unliKely looking move on the board here— namely, 2» 23, leaving Barker two ways of capturing a man. The game proceeds as follows :— 2(5 23 18 14. 17 10 0 2 7 10 19 23 19 26 1115 15 914 1418 25 30 31 2L> MlO 10 7 2 7 1019 2016 24 27 714 Jb 9 27 31 18 25 31 26 After a move or two the game wbb abandoned as drawn, the score standing— Martins 1, Barker 0. The above match wa3 finished on January 10, the final score being— Barker, 3 ; Martins, 1 ; drawn, 45. It is probablo a match will be arranged between Messrs James Smith, champion of England, and Barker in a short time.— Glasgow Weekly Herald.

intbbxatxoxal dkauohts match— barker v. Maktins, for £200.

This match was commenced in Glasgow on Dec. 26 Seven hourß per day were devoted to the match —viz., from half past 12 till half past 4 in the afternoon, and from 7 till 10 in the evening.

FIRST DAY.

Martins won the toss for choice of men, and elected to play with the Black. He opened with the routine 11 15, and the result of the first half dozen moves was the formation of the " Fife." Both players moved more quickly than is usual in matches of the kind, and the result was that the position Boon became critical and interesting. The position, after nearly an hour's play, stood— Black men on 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 ; White on 19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31,32. White to play. The gamo was continued as follows : —

Martin's friends indulged in the fond anticipation of seeing him win this, the first, game ; but the beautiful bit of play at the finish enabled the American to secure a lino draw. Barker was first player in the next game. Very few moves tormed the •• Glasgow " opening— a game in which he is quite an adept, and has played more frequently in his matches than any other opening. As in the first game, the contestants moved rapidly eolonKas the play was on "book" lines, and the game soon assumed the following position— Black men on 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 19 ; White on 13, 17, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Black to play :—

And after a few more moves it was mutually agreed to resign the game us n draw. In the third game Martins hud the Black pieces, and was therefore first player. After 11 15, 23 19 Martins, somewhat to the astonishment of all present, at once formed the " Will o' the Wisp" by playing 9 13. The line afterwards adopted was that known us " 7 11," to which much attention lias of late been given in draughts circles. After nearly an hour's play the following position was fotmeri— Black men on 2. 3. 4. 5, 6, 13, 15, 18 ; Whito on 9. 21, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32. White to play :—

*2ft 22 i 6 nofc only much stronger but would have given Barker the best position. At this stage, as Martina was two men ahead and had a winning position, Barker resigned. The next game, the fourth of the match, was an " Old Fourteenth," formed by Barker. Play »an on "book" Hues till the pieces were reduced to six aside, when Barker varied with the ordinary run. Although the variation was possibly stronger than the usual play, Martins was quite equal to it, and after hilly an hour's manteuvring a draw was mutually agreed to, leaving the score for the day—Martins ), Barker 0, drawn 3.

SECOND DAY,

I'lay commenced promptly at half past 12. Martins had the BLack pieceß, and after the lirst few moves the " Fife " was formed on the same lines as their first game oa Monday. The play partly on that account, was rapid, and within an hour it vtas apparent that, bar some grave oversight, a draw was certain This turned out to be the case after nearly two hourß' play, the following being the endingBlack men on 3, 11, 26, king 19 ; White on 9, 20, 28, king 10. Black to play :— VI Vi Sit 'I 2I 2 , 8 t'J iIS in Drawn. Barker, who was first player in the next game, the 3ixfch of the match, opened with the "Old I'our-teeuth"-the game going mtich on the Bame lines as the fouiib. Wo opening on the board is betrer known or more frequently played than this. Both players contented (Jienißelves with book play for the first 20 moves. The original play that then followed showed a neat bit of strategy on the part of Martins in trying to trap his opponent into a line of play that. would have forced the " First Position " ; the Araencan, however was wuy. and avoided the Bnare. lhe same, like its predecessor, finished in a draw, the following being the ending— Black men on 2, 3, 7, 8, 12 • White on 19. 22, 23, 24, 58. Black to play : - 811 716 710 16 M .23 26 913 24 20 I!) 15 15 6 15 10 t$ 1 6 10 11 16 '.'> 7 2 9 19 23 26 31 31 27 5d 11 23 18 18 15 10 6 1.6 22 18

Some more moves were made, but it was eventually agreed to abandon the game as a draw. On play being resumed Martins again formed the *• File " Little alteration was made in the order of the moves from those of the ftrst and fifth games until the following position tranepired— Black men on 3, 11, 14, king 23; White on 20, 81, 28, king 6. Black to nlav. In the previous ganws Martins played 23 19; 'here he tried 14 18, and the game proceeded fit follows :—

HIS J#2(S 26 31 23 19 310 1519 21 17 UlO 16 11 7 2 2 7 610 18 22 11 if> 3127 10 1« 27 23 16 20 17 H 20 16 H 7 10 7 7 14 Drawn. The game ioak fuliy ,a couple of hours. TIURD DAY.

"Rarkor who had the Blacks, wns first player, and after f«nV moves 11 15, 23J9, Sll, 22 17. he rook almost his live oiinnte limit before making his iifth move. He spewed to be debating with himself whether h« would folay 11 10, and thus form the " Glasgow " ; or 48, And form i the Old tourteeuth." Just before the Ail lof time he played* 8, forming, for the third time in the match, the famous " Old Fourteenth " opening. Play was now more rapid on both sides, so mucu so that the next 20 minutes saw as many move 3 made, and the pieces nvereredueed4o seven a side. The play so far was all "book," and, if neither varied, the game it was seen, would soon result in a draw. Both players kept on the old safe lines, and in less than an hour it was mutually agreed to abandon the gamo as a Martins was first player in the next game, the -ninth of the match. He again, for the fourth time in the contest, formed the " Fife, on taiee which have already been described. In this game Barker was not prepared to vary, and Martins would not; the result, therefore, was another draw, which •concluded the play for the afternoon. Barker was the first player when the match was ■swumed. Without muoh consideration on either

!4 20 .5 24 !3 li) 9 11 12 23 1 15 !7 24 811 3126 15 18 1916 18 27 2(5 22 12 It) 21 6 27 31 31 2(5 22 17 2t5 23 17 10 7 14 2 6 23 19 6 10 14 13 21 17 18 23 1714 %', 27 14 9 27 31 31 26 G 2 2(5 23 1(5 I"28 21 12 18 19 28 11 15 2 7 10 19 8 8 Drawn7 I'sj 8 12

7 11 !f) 25 1 15 27 21 5 9 26 23 19 26 30 23 If. 19 24 15 10 26 3122 12 1C 1710 6 15 13 6 2 9

26 23* 32 28 o li 3 7 30 26 26 22 4 8 7 11 28 24 2 7 24 20 6 9 21 17 10 30 23 5 30 26 2217 13 22 5 1 26 30 1 6 30 25 6 2 8 12