DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 58

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Gardiner v. Brodie.— We expect to have particulars of this match for publication next week. So far no hitch has occurred, but date, place, deposit, etc., have yet to be arranged. Tho restriction will, in all probability, be the nomination system. Otago Club.— Notwithstanding the inclement weather last Saturday evening, there was a good attendance at the club. The monthly committee meeting wa3 held, at which, after gome discussion, the following resolution was passed : "That the club promote a tourney for the championship of Dunedin suburbs within a radius of 10 miles, provided not less than eight entries be received ; that the entrance- fee be ss; that play be on the one-life knock-out system, a round to consist of six games." Entries to be forwarded to the secretary, Mr Jos. Abexnethy, Witness office, Dunedin. Lecture on Draughts. — On Saturday evening November 7, Mr Allan Hynd, Manchester, the English champion, on the invitation of the Nelson Draughts Club, gave a lecture on the game at the Co-operative Hall, Nelson. The chair was occupied by Mr Fred Hartley, who briefly introduced Mr Hynd to an audience numbering over 200. Mr Hynd, in the opening part of his lecture, dealt with the antiquity of the game. Competent authorities, he said, assert that the pastime was practised over 3000 years ago, and traces of the game have been found on Egyptian monuments of even an. earlier date. Professor Petrie, the eminent Egyptologist, relates that, whilst excavating theTemple of Seneferu, the first king of the fourth, dynasty, 8760 8.C., amongst other discoveries they found a draughts board. From Egypt the game migrated to Greece-, and* thenco to Rome. Although there can be no doubt that these old races — Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans— played a game which 'in appearance at least was similar to that which, we play to-dny, it must be admitted that their methods of play are pure conjectures on our part, since no explanatory work exists-. The first work en the game is an old manuscript written about the year 1500, and which is to be found in the Pemgian library. Tiie Srst printed work is that of Anton Torquemada, published in Valencia, in 1517. Then followecT treatises by other Spanish writers, notably Juan Garcia Canalejas and Joseph Carlo 3 Garcia, whose works were published in 1650 and 1685 respectively. Sandwiched between these last two works is one by Pierre Mallet, mathematician to tbe King of France, nnd published 1 in Paris in 1663. Mallet in jiis work stated that the game was so popular in France in his day " that there was scarcely a house in which a draughts board could not be found. ' The first British writer on the game is William Payne, like Mallet also a professor of mathematics, whose work was published in London, in 1756. The work was dedicated to the Earl of Rochefort who, dcpite hia many frailties, was a good patron ol the arts ami sciences. The dedication was written by Dr Samuel Johnson, who, as read"rs of Boswell's great biography will have read, was an enthusiastic player. Subsequently there appeared in 1800 Joshua Sturges's celebra+ed " Guide to tho Game of Draughts." This work still remains «, recognised authority. The list of subscribers which is published in this wo-ik 13 remarkable testimony to the fact that the game waa very popular amongst the educated and cultured, classes. Tlie work was dedicated to Princo George of Wales, afterwards George IV, who took a number of copies, and amongst tho subscribers were such well-known names to fame as Charles James Fox, Whig leader, Lord Melbourne, the Right Hon. Henry Dnndas. and the " Great Commoner." W. Pitt, then Prime Minister. Mr Hynd then proceeded to give useful hints on the practice of the game, but first of all warned the players present that there is no royal road to the acquirement of the science. Success will be commensurate, with tho amount of industry and perseveranceyou brins to accomplish that object.—Manchester Weekly Times. ,t, t A reference is made to cirsu't'lits in "ylysses, which was produced at Her Majesty's Theatre, London, on February 1. Ctesrppus displays his great wealth before Poncjopc when pressing his suit, and ?ays " hire's a draughts board in solid silver and gems. ' Draughts World.- 'Ihe World for February is up to the usual standard of excellence. Bepides the u=ua.l feature-, the number contains a. concise report of the Scottish championship tourney, a photo of the champion, and the continuation of the eighth. Scottish tournament games. The Draughts World cives cumncv to a mmour that Robert Stewart, the Scottish champion is about to take a r-st, and is not likely to compete in the annual tournament for somo years.