DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2268, 19 August 1897, Page 40

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

A Bad Position. — Scene ; The smoke room at Thornton's, Hudderfield. Two men discovered playing draughts. To them enters loquacious individual who surveys the position on the board for a little while, and then remarks to the player of the white men : " Your position is very bad ; you've been fooling round and moving wrong again 1" "No, nol" replied the white player (native of the Fatherland), with intense seriousness, " dat is not so ; de position is bad, ya ! boot I haf mofe right efery times." "How is it then that your game is so bad?" asked the other. " How ees dac? " cried the player. "Vy de eder fellow did mofe righter!" And now that bystander is trying to gauge the depths of German tra nscendental philosophy.— Bohemian. Death of an American Ex-champion. — Dr Isaac Clute died at his home in Saratoga, N.Y., on May 12, at the age of 75 years. Away back in jthe sixties he was known as the champion of "the United States. His principal matches he played against J. B Macindoe, of New York (at one time of Glasgow), and Mr Tees, of Philadelphia, Pa. In a recent match between Saratoga and Glens Falls he gained the victory for his native town. An American Team Match.— Quite a treat was arranged recently one evening by Mr R. W. Patterson, athiß Tesidenre, East End. A team match, Braddock v. East Liverty, in which several strong representatives took part, was the feature. After the games were finished, an appetising luncheon was served. Mr and Mrs Patterson are noted for their gracious hospitality, and the little party of checkerists were exultant in praise of the entertainment. Mr James P. Reed was present as referee. In the final round of a tournament recently played at Jereey City, Dr Schaefer was defeated Mr Charles Ellsworth, the celebrated blindfold player. A blindfold exhibition, which occupied an hour and a half, was given in Liverpool a few weeks ago by Mr W. Gardner. He contested six games simultaneously, and won them all. A few weeks ago Mr C. H. Freeman gave au exhibition of simultaneous play at Providence, Rhode Island. He met 21 players from the States of Massachusetts and Rhode Island ; won 15 games, drew 5, lost 1. A Swansea newspaper, the Herald of Walea, has just begun the publication of a draughts column. This is the first column of the kind that has been established in the principality. The articles proposed for the Jordan-Stewart match name 90 days as the period that shall elapse between the signing of the articles and the beginning of the play. It ia confidently anticipated, therefore, that the play will begin late in September or early in October.