DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 44

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Charles Gunthorp. — Aur kland draughts players will learn with regret that Mr Charlea Gunthorp is about to leave for Sooth Africa at an early date, having disposed of his business here. Mr Gunthorp will carry with him the beat wishes for hfa future welfare. While his ability as an expert secured for him a foremost position and a colonial reputation, bi3 genial and obliging disposition rendered him very popular among players gene* rally. The Pittaburg Chronicle Telegraph announces that " a vuit to England of Mr Clarence H. Presman is among the possibilities of next year." Zt also f-tites that there is some prospect of Mr Wyllie challenging Mr James Foirio to play a ma'ch for the draughts championship of tno world. Beattie v. Birkinshaw.— The first sitting between these Euglisb experts resulted moat dig. aetroualy for Beattie, who lost all the three gsmea played. 'I he openings were "Centre," "Dyke," and " Irregu'ar" (11 15, 22 17, 15 18, &c). In the first and third games Beattie, who was first player, made some awful blunders ; but " the r< Dyke" was won by Birkinshaw in splendid stylo. There are still nine games to play, but it certainly looks as if Birkinshaw, the late champion of Yorkshire, would have the best of the ox-cham-pion of Lancashire. More Figures. —The inexhaustibility of draughts is an acrepted reality. To those who have made a scientific study of the game to estimate ttta actual number of wayd of playing oven a very few moves is almost beyond the .powers of computation. To make an approximation to that number is very simple. Take the different openings ia. books ; we find the players have on an average seven, eight, and nine ways of playing the first, second, and third moves, respectively, provided no capturing play is made. On the hypothesis that the number of repließ open at such moves are always tho same, whatever th« preceding inove3 n>ay have been, the number or possible ways of playing the first threa moves on each side would be 153.031 Allowing an estimate of feven different ways of playing at each move, and tho first six moves only on each side would bo 13,841,287,201. If, then, any one were to play without cessation one move % minute it would take him laore than 26,000 year* to finish. Players who devote too little attention to the study of endings should remember that two pieces alone c»ti be placed in 992 different positions, while with the ad lition of one thoy may occupy no leas than 30,752 positions. It would be difficult to say whether these figures are in oxcetss or not. They will not vary much oithcr -vay when wo bear in iniud that the number of possible ways ef moving increases in many openings as the guma progresses It i« plain that tho uifmber of ways of playing 40 or 50 move* on each aide is co great us to utterly transcend tho imagination. — Eastern Leader.