DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 66

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Referring to the recent Atwell-Jacob match a correspondent of the Liverpool "Weekly Mercury writes- — "There was a marked difference in the manner oi the players. Jacob, careworn and anxious for every inconceivable fraction of time ; Atwell, alert and buoyant, lingering every now and! again to take a sip of coffee oi of milk." Criticism. — There is no force (writes W. A. , Guttridgo in the Batley Weekly News) in the scientific study of draughts tha.t makes for progress so consistently an-d certainly as criticism. Ike power is greater Heio than in ' politics, ioi in the latter it often succeeds in only inducing the alteration of a bill out of all semblance of its former self, and even to the destruction of its usefulness. Xot so here ; it tends only to draw out the best play, and thereby makes for general advancement in practical and theoretical knowledge always provided the criticism is properly directed and justly expressed. Much might be said on the use and abuse of criticism in connection with the game. Suffice it, however, to remark that it shotild always be couched in courteous language, and nevei- directed against the author, but his play ; against his conclusions, but never against the man himself ; and, on the other hand, the analyst should be prepared to receive the criticism with generosity and a disposition to learn. Not infrequently ■, the severest critic brooks criticism the least, He uses the lash with unsparing energy, but ' is the first to whine when the blows are returned, "fiie man who. would be a critic must stand criticism with the stoicism of a Red • Indian, and if he fails in this latter particular he will com© to disaster sooner or later. "What is pleasant to give shouldn't be bad to take- — and there's the rub ; those who find the greatest pleasure in. administering physic almost without^ exception have the smallest swallow ; the man who hails a victory with the loudest notes of exultation is ready to commit suicide out of pure mortification when he is compelled to drink the dregs of defeat. Regarding the time limit in. the coming international match, the Chicago 'Inter-Ocean says: — '"The time limit, it is hoped, will foe five mimites per move. All the great contests for the past century were on the five-minute plan. If a player ca-nnot figur. it out in five minutes, what assurance have we that li 3 could get to th? end of the combination m 20 minutes, or a week, if hi was not allowed to push the pieces over the squares." j A Dublin correspondent contributes the fol- i lowing lines to the Draughts "World in yin- j dication of "Dameh" : — Embwomed in her secret deeps Lie gems of pvirest ray ; Rare pearls of thought she kindly keeps, Not stintingly, but heaps on heaps ; , Happy the man who finds andl reaps Such treasures in his day. The following table shows the results cf ■ tho various contests for the Scottish Cham- ] pionthip : — I

Year. Entries. Winners. Runners-rip. 1893 16 W. Bryden A. Jacksoix 389 i 17 R. Stewart J. Ferric 1895 18 R. Stewart G. Buchanan 1896 26 R. Jordan J. Ferric 1897 24 J. Ferric T. Ballantyne 3898 20 H. Freedman J. Ferric 1890 26 H. Freedman W. Campbell 1300 20 R. Stewart W. Bryden 1901 26 R. Stewart H. Henderson 1902 25 R. Stewart G. Buchanan 1903 23 J. Ferric G. Buchanan 3904 24 J. Ferri© A. Jordan 1905 28 G. Buchanan H. Heudei&on