DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2413, 31 May 1900, Page 48

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

The Invercargill Tournament. — The Invercargill local committee (writes Jvie secretary^ Mr

Gray) have much pleasure in reporting that aftei paying all expenses in connection with, the late tournament they have a balance in hand of £5, and which amount they have voted x towards the next tournament, wherever it mayj be held. They take this opportunity of thank-f ing all those who have not been individually] thanked for assisting financially and otherwise in bringing the late championship meeting to a, very successful close. I may state, for general information, that the Invercargill public alone, subscribed £46 towards the tournament, so that, taking all things into consideration, they ( not only excelled our expectations, but have, made a precedent which would be. hard to beat. A club has been, formed in Invercargill, and tha - championship of Southland will most likely be held there.

Enfield.— The Enfield Draughts Club held their annual meeting on Saturday, May 19, there being a good attendance. Mr W. Crawford occupied the chair. He commented on. the hearty manner in which the members of the club had worked during 4he past season, and hoped that the members would for the en? suing year persevere to uphold the reputation! the club \kad gained. The balance sheet showed the receipts for the year to have been, £5 lis Id, and the expenditure £5 2s Id, leavinga balance of 9s. During the year two matches were played with Oiepopo, in both of which, Enfield was successful. The ex-champion (Mr, J. Boreham) had visited the 'club, and played several simultaneous matches, in which members scored a fair amount of. wins. A handicap tournament, which -was very close and interesting, was won by Mr F. King. Praise is due to the ctmmittee and the secretary (Mr; King) for the successful state of the club. During the evening- Mr Boreham, who is always willing to fender help in the interests of draughts, visited the room by request and! played a simultaneous match with tho members, scoring 14 \vin3 and 2 draws to 1 win, which was scored by Mr J. Rainforth. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting. R. Jordan. — Mr R. Jordan, in an interesting letter lecently received by Mr J. Best, Melbourne, expresses a beliel that the match with Mr Baiker lor the world's championship will take place during the year. At the time of writing, the champion had played over 1700 games, chiefly in the south of Scotland, and had only lost 5. Mr Jordan rather astonished! some of the Scottish players, who suggested: that perhaps the Australian players might be up to Edinburgh country standard, by remarking that Melbourne would be too strong for Edinburgh. The champion's many Australianj admirers will be pleased to learn that botli Mr and Mrs Jordan were benefited by their recent trip to Australia.

Problems and Their Ideas. — Mr James Mackenzie, Edinburgh, writing to the Glasgow Herald, says : I see that Mr Moore, Dornoch, points out that the ending of problem 2115 by, me was known more than 12 years ago; him that doss not affect the originality of my problem in the least. This is how the idea occurred to me from the following end game: — Black on 22, 21; king, 30. White on 23; kings on 14, 15. I now saw that if the Black king on 30 was placed back as a single, piece on 21, and the White king on 15 put on*32, White to move, iz would make a nice point for a problem; and so this is how Problem 2115 was compesad. Allow me to inform Mr Moore that; some of the finest problems of to-day owe theii: origin to some of these fine old\-ideas that were known over 100 years ago. The atiihors of these problems lay no claims to the originality of the idea on which the nroblem is constructed. ' The point is the concealment of an idea alresdy well known, making the newer problem the more artistic.

English Championship Tourney. — Word of this contest should soon be to hand, as play was to stert on April 14. lhe following poitio:is of the rules governing the contest are of general interest: — Any competitor keeping his opponent waiting to commence play shall forfeit to him one game for every 30 minutes' delay. The number of games in each heat shall be six, to be ballotted fionf "Robertson's Guide." and played with both the Black and White sides. If the first six games result in a tie, one of the committee shall draw a "restricted" game on the Feme-Jordan rainciple (exceptingthat 11 15 for Black shall be left out). The. first lead o£, a win (afler bcth have 'played the Black side of the openings thus drawn) shall decide the heat. The winner of the final heat, who shall thereby become champion of England: until the next tournament, ,will receive the first prize of i?2O. The winner of each heat must deliver a correct copy of his games to the secretary bsfo-je beginning another heat or receiving a prize. Every competitor and spectator is prohibited from giving a game or part of a game to any one, as the committee will dispose of the games for publication ior the benefit of the prize fund. The old-time rula of fivvi minutes per move, with its irritatinginterruptions, will be superseded by a time limit of 20 moves per "hour, and time saveel in any hour can be utilised in any succeeding 1 hour until the end of the game. This beingthe first trial of the system in connection with draughts it was decided that the players could have an independent hcorer and timekeeper, the clock to be provided by the association,,