DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2527, 20 August 1902, Page 58

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

A chat with a- Dunedin player last week recalled to our mind a conversation we had with Messrs Gardiner and J. A. Scott after the conclusion of the late match. Readers will remember that some months ago Mr Scott published in this column, a suggestion, that, as the championship tourney was not to tak^ place this year, a subscription match shoulct be airanged between Messr3 Gardiner (champion) and either Brodie or Boreham.. This Brodie' a friends interpreted as a covert challenge, and, reading it in that spirit, Brodie threw down the gauntlet, and everyone knowa the result. But Mr Scott avers that when he wrote his letter the idea of a set match for a stake had never been thought of — in. fact, he vtrwtc as ho did without even consulting Gardfner in th.-< matter. But when Brodie's "defi" had been hurled at them, there was, they felt, no alternative, and the challenge was accepted. Thus through two small misunderstandings the big match eventuated.

The game of bowlß is very popular among draughts players at Home in tho Bummer. The president of the Glasgow Draughts Association, Parish Councillor James Deans, i» quit© a, "don" at the game, and sports a gold trophy won in tho Lanarkshire County Competition. Mr J. W. Hillhouse, past president of the Scottish Draughts Association, is also one of the greatest experts at the game in the West of Scotland, and this year ia president of the Polmadic Bowling Club. Mr J. Roberts, of Wnrrington is a,lso a noted expert with the "woods, ' and this season is playing very successfully. New Zealand also possesses several experts at bot'i games, a notable instance being Mr "VV. M'Uwrick, of Invereargill, who, besides being an expert draughts player, hna held the New Zealand Championship at bowlft

The game of draughts is now includeii-in the annual contests between the universities in the United States of America. On April 19 this year the first match took place between. Yale and Princeton, and after a. three, bourcf contest was v.-ou by the latter, with the score of 42 wins to their opponents, 18.

Th*» laat few copies of "Drumniond's Third." in original covers, with John Drumniond's photo and fac-simile signature, ha-vo come into the possession of H. F. M'Ateer, draughts editor of the Pittsburg Gazette, and ho is offering them to his readers at 2dol a copy. This edition of Drummond is notable for the fancy names he gives to some of the opening? — nanips that are now mostly obsolete. For instance, tho 8 11 line of the "Single Corner" he Tiamed "Lola Montez," then followed "Annie Gray," "Kate- Huntle v ," n Jenny Lind," "Betsy Baku-," "Katev Jones," "Fanny Kay," "Lucy Long," "Will Borland," etc., etc.