The Wan ganui Tournament.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 40

The Wan ganui Tournament.

The following extracts from Mr Montgomery's letter to the VYuagiinui Chronicl* are published at his request :'— Sir,— ln tne Otago Witness dated April 2, Mr Brodie, an Otago draughts player, thinks fit to question my coming to your town to compete for the championship tournament which your people have inaugurated. Mr Brodie's reason for thus chiding me is, I presume, bee use having wou a match against M.i Boreham, he thi. ks hiuibelf justified in atsuining th-> title of 'cbampioD.' Whether he is justified in claiming this title is purely a matter of opinion — my opinion being strictly the opposite of Mr Brodie'e. Mr Brodie may be champion of Mr Boreharu, but to be y champion of the colony is a hoise of a far different colour— a fact he would soon admit were he one of the competitors here. . . . Mr Brodie knows full well, and so does Mr AbemetUy, draughts editor Otago Witness, Mr Sbaw, a i.d ;-onie of the leading players in Otitgo, who were iv the ruom at the time Mr Brodie took over the stakes aad the 'titie,' that I strongly advocated a cliamp'onship tournament for the title instead of a set match, believiojf as I then dia, aad do hot, that such is the only true course to prove the distinction. What's more, Mr Aberuothy at the time spoken of agreed with my idea, and stated so in the room. Mr JBoreham, ' himself openly ,-tal.od before all that had such a touiiiuweiit been in existence, he would have entered it for tbe title, and it was to the fact of there not being any that he made a mutch with Brodie. (f I am not mistaken, Mr Borehara informed Mr Brodie, at the time of the match, that it was his (Mr Buruham's) opinion that whoever won should hand it over to the flrat congress formed to promote a draughts championship tournament. '. . I »vi an old draughts player and known throughout New Zealand, and I wish to say without appearing to flatter that Wangauui representatives are the fairest players I ever met. With tke greatest of pleasure I wish to publicly appreciate the remarks made by Mr J. Anderson, the promoter of the association, to me last Saturday. These are his words : ' I would like to see Wanganui win providing we cun do it honourably. If we can't do it in this fuslrou we don't want it at all." There is a ring &bout this statement that Mr Brodie will admire. . . . The t<<urnam«titnow in progress is to decide the champion player ia New Zealand, and there has never met before in the colony such a thoroughly representative gathering of good players. This association has decided to recognise the winner of the tournament as the champion, and will not, under any consideration whatever, recognise any other, whether it be BroJie or anyone else. If Brodie wants to be c<dl.-d ohanjpion, let him come «ad fight for it like all of us— against all comeru. Ia my long career 1 have seen some fine games played, but the best of all I have witnessed in the room where the tournament is being contested. When these game 3 are published through tho press of Australasia, it will then be admitted that " the finest games of draughts yet played in New Zealand were played in Wa&ganui during the first championship tournament. ... In conclusion, I must state that I have no ambition or desire for such a title as that claimed by Mr Brodie, considering how it was won. but if I can wrh, the present tourney, I shall indeed be proud of the victory, for victory it will be, and -art honourably won one too, whoever becomes tho recipient.— H. Montgomery."