DRAUGHTS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2668, 3 May 1905, Page 62

DRAUGHTS ITEMS

"Traps and Shots. — About a year ago Mr John T. Denvir, the well-known American player and publisher, began to issue in monthly parts, ajwork entitled, "■Traps anc>. Shots," and. we have now received a copy of the bound volume, containing some 230 examples of the beauties of the game. The book is well bound, the letterpress is clear, and nearly every game is illustrated by a- diagram. A work of this description has a value peculiarly its own; it not only reveals to the student the numerous pitfalls that threaten tha unwary, but it ' is undoubtedly the greatest possible aid to a, thorough" grounding in the beauty and intricacy of the game. Moreover, the contents of- the book appeal to players of every grade. John, T. Denvir, 887 S. Harding Avenue, Chicago, HI., U.S.A. Price, 4s 2d.

Mr J. B. Borton, winner of one of the prizes in the ladder tourney promoted by Mr -C. H. Osmond (now in Wellington), is a. chess- playsr of many years* standing, and the only life member of the Otago Chess Club. Mr Borton^ who is in the employ of the Public Works Department, will be remembered by many old identities as the erstwhile warden of the Otago goldfields dn the early days of provincialism, when the gold fever pervaded the entire community and the voice of the digger was loud in the land.

Mr P. A. I». Kuskop, the well-known problem composer of Wellington, has won first honourable mention, a- prize of £1 Is, and an additional special prize of £1 Is for a. set comprising a, two-move and a three-mov» problem in the recent tourney 'of the Melbourne Leader. There were no less than 53 competitive sets, the first prize of £7 7s being won by Mr Feigl, of Vienna, Austria, and the second prize by E. Pradignat, of Saujon, France.

In a Ryan-Lawson 20-gaxne match, unrestricted, which was recently contested at New York, the score at the end of the twentieth, game was two wins each and 16 draws. A clause in the articles required that play in the match should be continued until a definite result had been arrived at ; and Mr Ryan won by winning the twenty-second game. The score-sheet showed the unique feature of the crediting to the white men of the whole of the wins recorded.