DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 56

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Barker v. Jordan. — The latest news of the j World's Championship contest is by the New York Herald, which gives the score at the close of the sixth day's play as 1 win each and 10 draws. Jordan scored first, although no particulars are given. Barker won with the first j side of a " Dundee " in 38 moves. While on the way to America for the big match, Messrs Jordan, P. Jordan (the-cham-pion's brother, who was to have gone to America also, but had to return home on account *of the death ofjMx Jordan, sen), and G-. Crookston were in Liverpool 'for a short while. Messrs Cowie, Lyons, and Morrall showed the party round, visiting such places of interest as time would admit. An amusing incidpnt occurred as the party were traversing one of the main thoroughfares. A small urchin stopped Mr Morrall, and asked if the gentleman walking in front was the champion, aiid\being answered " Yes," he said, " I thought so when I saw him with Mr Cowie." It is 18 years (says the Liverpool Mercury} since Liverpool was visited by a world's champion. The occasion was when, in 1882, James Wyllie, the " Herd Laddie," made a three weeks' stay before going to America to play the same C. F. Barker for the same championship title. During Mr Wyllie' s stay he engaged to play with many of the Liverpool players, including M^ W. Beattie, who won five games from the veteran, against 12 lost. The score was: considered excellent for a young player, and immediately brought Mr Beattie into notoriety. The Etiatch played between Wyllie and Barker consisted of 50 unrestricted or, as they would now be called, "go-as-you-please" games. The result was a win to each player and 48 games drawn. The match was remarkable for the tactics adopted by Mr Barker, who. confined himself to one stereotyped opening, since facetiously styled the " Barker restriction." His action was much criticised, but it must not be forgotten he was then a young player opposed to a veteran, and was quite within his right under the existing conditions to act as he did. In taking the c.ourse he made the match very monotonous, but he offered the least opportunity for defeat. He proved him 1 self then and since to be an ideal match player, and his subsequent contests show him to be a master player, capable of very great resource. In the match of which we. are awaiting news the " Barker restriction " is impossible. The system known as the Jordan-Stewart restriction was to be followed. There were to be 40 games, divided into three sections. In the first each player with Black makes every possible opening move, White having choice of reply. This will account for 14 games. In the second section each player with Black opens "11 15," and the seven possible replies for White are to be balloted. This disposes of 14 other games. In the third section "11 15 " is debarred, but Black opens with every other move, and White has the choice of move subject io not having made the same reply in the first section. This disposes of 12 other , games, and completes the 40. J The following atoeodote of Dr M'Crie, the biographer of Knoxj who went to Brechin as a

young student, is from the " Autobiography ot Thomas Guthrie, D.D." : — "He fou^d In Ms Grey, the minister of the anti-buigher congregation, a most expert draughts player, with! ' whom he had not a chance. j.'et he was deteimined to beat the niin.si.cr. So, having; heard of a shoemaker iii <vi obscure part of • the town who was a ceiebrated player, young M'Crie agreed to pay him the value of the time he would spend in teaching the secret of his skill in draughts. Keeping the secret to himself, the student becomes master in tiina of the shoemaker's, tactics. Then on a Saturday afternoon he sits down with the minister, and leaves him staring in amazement and in mortification at the boy who had plucked the laurels from his grey hairs and swept him clean off the board. ' Poineroy v. Freedman. — Says Mr Freedman:] "Mr Pomeroy is one of the finest checker; players it has been my good fortune to meet, There are not many who can win an 'unre- -• stricted match" from him. Mr Pomeroy haSA never studied restriction lines, and I believe he was handicapped to an extent in the last 10 games with me." Richard Jordan. — As we are now awaiting" r.ews of the great match m America, the following, from the Leeds Mercury, ot September 1, has ' a dou ble - importance : — W e . regret . to learn that Mr jßiciiard Jordan, the world's champion, has 'suffer* ed a sad- bereavement by; the death of his lather, which occurred, very - suddenly at .Edinburgh on the 28th. ult., after an illness oi only a day or two's duration., 'ihe sympathy ot the whole draughts world will bo with Mr .Jordan on this sad ' occasion, occurring so near his departure to America to play, tne oig match With 0. F. Barker, at Boston. A Uanie at Sea. — Speaking of the 'deep sea; fishing excursion of the New York Checker Club, Mr A. J. De Freest, in the New York: Cupper, says: — While we did not witness, this personally, some oi our members did. Messrs iiern&ee and Al/ldntee were playing checkers, and after a number of drawn ganies M'iintee won one. In the meantime Brother Bernsee felt sure that he, up xo a, certain point, had the best of the game, so the next game that Bernsee had the whites he inveigled Ji"-Entee m this line up to a winning advantage. The downiall of M'Entee was sure, but Ih-i storm clouds had arisen from the Jersey shore, and the wind and rain were rapidly approaching the boat; the players and surrounding spectators were so interested in the game thaS they had not noticed it. Jim M'Entee was in deep trouble, Brother Bernsee wore that angelic smile of victory and satisfaction, as the squall struck the boat and swept the checkers ' oft' the board into the ocean, and as the crowd rushed for shelter one voice of anguish arose above all other noises, similar to that oi a lost soul, saying, "I had you beat, Jim." M'Sntee was always lucky. To play draughts well, says Mr W. Gardner, and to rind a real pleasure in the game, I advise problems. Those with about four pieces a-side are any own special favourites — long-winded affairs evolving the science of endplay& The two-to-two catch, problems, though, often brilliant, -very rarely occur in play, and hence their educational Value is not great. .' Aa to the "crammer, ' with his mighty and extensive .knowledge of every variation, what pleasure has ho when playing a game? He is simply automatic. If his opponent 'play, so-and-so, he knows the correct reply. He sits and waits jor the other fellow to fall into some cut-and-dried loss; and then he emits a. mirthless chuckle, and remarks that "So-and-so shows that to be a loss." If t'other fellow, however, gets off the beaten path and wins, ' then Mr Bookman cries: "I never saw that before. Where can I get some play on it?" ' In a recent communication to the Leeds Mercury Supplement Mr Allan Hynd expresses the opinion that by the term "dlalse or improper move" Anderson must have meant '"a move made with intent to cheat." Mr J. A. Kear, jun., of Bristol, and the draughts editor of the Glasgow Weekly Herald, objects to this view, on the ground that Mr Hynd cannot possibly know anything as to whsrt were Anderson's intentions in framing the rule. The objection is sound, but the -reason urged in. support of it is obviously -without force. The proper consideration is that the framer of the laws of a game is, ipso facto, debarred from, entertaining the idea of "deliberate cheating." His business is to provide reasonable andi appropriate penalties for "accidental" offences. The "delibeiate" cheat transgresses the social code, and the punishment entailed by his transgression is social ostracism. Mr T. Turnbull. — The following interesting particulars of this' noted problemist's career recently appeared in the Dundee People's Journal : — Mr Turnbull is" quite a young man, being born at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1877. Twenty, years later he became a member of the Working Men's Club of that city, and was captivated by a, love for "sweet Dameh." Although ha has not studied the game seriously from books, he has taken part in a few correspondence matches, with varying success, and also found! time to experiment in the art of problem construction. In this branch of the pastime ha soon proved himself a genius, and in the "merry, month of May," 1897, he had the pleasure o£ seeing his first problem published in Hobbies'. Since that time he has composed over 200 - "stroke" problems, a number which, when the excellent standard of his compositions is. considered, is really a unique record, and speaka volumes for his wonderful versatility in the art. That our Yankee cousins appreciate, his productions is xmdoxibted, 'as no fewer than half-a-dozert of his problems appear in "Stearns's Book of Portraits,'' wherein he had the honour of being included, resting "cheek by jowl" among the world's best talent. Mr Turnbull has taken part in vigorous "stroke" tourneys, and been highly commended. In February last yearlie came out the winner of Hobbies prize with a "stroke" — an absolute gem — which was reproduced in several columns,' and finally found itg way so far abroad as Australia. Like many! other devotees of the silent game, he has waxec! poetical occasionally on his favourite pastime, and has given to the draughts-playing fraternitsi some nicely-metred, homely verses from time to time as he felt in the mood to woo the muse. The Aberdeen Free Press makes the following extract from "an article on the study of games of 'skill as' an aid to logical thought": — "The novice in the game of checkers sees only the. instant results of his hasty move, but as he gains insight into the game he finds another and! another consequence involved, and he learns ta sacrifice many a supposed advantage for the sake of ulterior issues. Sc in life the intelligent man, to the extent :>f his ability, looka beyond the immediate effect he desires to produce to the more and more remote results that are likely to follow, and studies them calmly, and dispassionately."