Draughts Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2080, 4 January 1894, Page 38

Draughts Items.

Sydney.— Our Sydney correspondent writes under date December 10 : — "Draughts playing is still very quiet in Sydney, but there are Bigns of improvement. A level tournament is to be held early in the incoming year. Mr W. Warwick, after a long absence, visited the club the other evening, and played in splotdid form, winning seven games in rapid succession from Mr John Boycp, ex-champion of New South Wales. Mr Warnock has again left Sydney on another pros? pecting tour. It is really wonderful how he manages to keep in high-class playing form without practice. There is an Auckland player named Craig over here on a visit, but he has not played anyone yet." Whustle Noo !—" Switcher," in the Glasgow Evening Times, is responsible for tho following good " yarn" :-The late Mr E. Deans, of Shettles.ton, 30 years ago, held a position as a draughts player second to none in the district, and he was equally, if not better, skilled as a violinist. Effingham was his first name, and it was something incongruous to hear "Effie"— so his friends had shortened his name— applied to a stalwart man of oft. I remember a stranger, who had dropped into George Wallace's, playing Erne a game. Without meaning to be annoying, Deans had the habit of whistling toftly to himself some of his favourite airs while he was playing. The stranger stood it as well as he could, and built up a fine game, during which Erne's whistle became less and less, till it ceased altogether with the attention he now found he would require to give to the game. JBut it was too late ; with a bang of a man that was the initial move of a winning stroke, the visitor spoke for the first time during th« sitting : " Whustle noo, ye deevil ! "