The Draughts Championship of the World.

Otago Witness, Issue 2203, 21 May 1896, Page 40

The Draughts Championship of the World.

Heed Challenges Ferric. * . Mr J. P.' Beed has kept the promise lie made on leaving Scotland in September last, and has challenged Mr James Ferric for the worla'a championship as under :— • Pittsburg. Pa., March 11, 1896. Sir,— The unde»signed does hereby challenge James Ferric for his 'title of champion draughts player of tKe-'world and £50 a-ske ; the match to be.on any of the styles that he m«y prefer. I will give £-A) for the match to be playtd in Pittsburgh or will take^£l2 and play in Glasgow. Enclosed find £10 for a forfeit.— l am, Ac, J. P. Reed. P.S. Should Mr Ferric not play I will offer the same terms to Jordan. /• This letter was sent under cover to Mr J. W. Hillhouse, of the GorbJs Draughts Club, who communicated it to the Glasgow Herald, and also give the following additional infotmotion-regard-in,- Kced's views as to the time and niude of the contest :— Sir,— l have received from Mr J. P. Reed, Pittsburg, the enclosed draft for £10 and challenge for the champioi ship. . He wanti the match to bo played in Glasgow about August 15, and suggests (provided Ferric won't come to America) a new departure in the timing— bo many moves 'to the hour, the same as at preteut'a'op^d in chess contests. He seems to me to be anx j ous to play. — I am, Ac, J. W. Hillhouse. Rued, in leaving the whole details of the match to be formulated by Ferric, shows every confix dence in the champion, who, should he agree to the £12 of expenses, will, we are of opinion, be quite agreeable to play at the rate of 15 or 20 moves an hour, instead of the somewhat antiquated style of tailing "time" at the end of every five minutes. The publication of the foregoing challenge has had the effect of • accelerating a contest that di aughts players were of opinion would sooner or later take place— namely, a match between James Ferri", champion of the world, and .Richard Jordan, champion of Scotland, who, it will be remembtred, defeated the first- nanud at the last touruarrffent.

Ferric and his friends, says the Herald, kad a meeting, and, while perfectly willing to play Reed, it was suggested that a cont et with Jordan was of greater importance, more particularly as it could easily be got through in time for tho winner to meet Keed in August Jordan, it is said, would have, formulated his claims to the championship into a challebge era this had he not comidere t himaelf bound to give tho American a chance to play him in Match, as was half arranged before Heed left this country in the autumu ; but as Reed does not propose coming to Scotland for some four or five mocha, and as bis cartel was addressed to either of our champion?, they are at perfect liberty to see in the first place who is the beat, and then let the winner face_ our Transatlantic cousin. Communications have been entered into on babalf of the two priucipals, and both are quite agreeable to play within six or eight weeks from signing articles, which would le*ve time for recuperation, if needed, before aieeiing the American champion. A poiut awing out of the above challenge which •trikes us forcibly is thu<» referred to by the Wallasey Chronicle : -"We would pjint out that some years ago Mr Reed was paid the deposit left with tbe late editor of the Newark Turf to bind a match with Mr Wyllie for the championship of the world. It was Generally held on this »ide of the Atlantic that Mr Dunlnp was wrong in paying the depo it. Mr Rfed, however, asaunifd the championship title, and mbnequently played a match with Mr C. L<\ Baiker for the title, and lost. Meantime Perrie accepted a challenge from Wyllie to play for the title, which the ' Herd Laddie ' considered he still held. The result was that Ferric became champ'on. Reed now acknowledges Feme's title, and tacitly admits tbat hit assumption of it was unwarranted. What doas Charles Francis say to this ? " '