DRAUGHTS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 67

DRAUGHTS ITEMS

Otago Club.— -As previously intimated, the Otago Club -closed for the holidays, and will' resume its ordinary, meetings in Saturday, January 18, when the treasurer hopes to,, meet all the members who can attend for the opening of the new half-year. Obituary. — We regret to hear of the sudden', death of Mr W. B. Hood, of Mount -Somers-, which took place on New Year's eve. We purpose referring to his career later on. Draughts World. — The December number 1 of the Draugths World is to" hand, displaying its usual measure of good things. In tha games department the thirteenth Scottish tourney games are being published, their value enhanced by annotation. The nexo number of this magazine should! havo art added- attraction <in its account of the Scottish championship tourney, which by this time will be a matter of history. The contest was to begin on New Year's Day. An All-life Pleasure. — One notable feature of the game of draughts is its adaptability, to all ages. In the heyday of youth it appeals to the combative element in the blood, the thirst for victory. We all know the story of the famous hero who sat dowqi and wept because he had no more nation* to conquer — he^ was master , of the worlds He might have saved his tears had he been! * introduced to the auld-farrant -game, for i« that sphere every fresh victory would have but served to open .» new vista . of uncon« quered territory. To borrow from the imt mortal Milton, we might say draughts " brings to its sweetness no satiety." Ancß therein lies the unique value of the game; with which thought there comes to mind the woeful ignorance of the world at large concerning this storehouse of inexhaustible riches. We have referred to this matter before, but the presrit philosophic strain ifir induced by noting that in London recently) three expert players had an enjoyable meeting over the board, on© of the party being Mr Barker Woolhouse. The aggregate ag» of the trio was 249 years, and yet their enjoyment of the game- was as keen as ever ill had been in their lives. Truly, 'tis th» nonpareil ! "Why Women Cannot Play Draughts !"—•„ An American contemporary some time ago; commented as follows on the fact that all. great proficients in draughts and chess hava been men. "To become proficient in either game one must have plenty of time for practice. But surely women have plenty of time. All that they So is to start the kitchen; fire in the morning: wKen. they rise; to gab breakfast; to make the children ready foJS school: to wash the dishes; to sweep and! dust the house; to make the beds; to scrub the kitchen; to darn socks and stockings;; to mend clothes; to do the marketing;) to get the clothes ready for wash; jpften, to do their own washing and! ironing ;[ to prepare the things for dinner; to have dinner, and! again to wash the dishes; Jo fet the children to bed; to do some more arning and patching ; to wait on their hus* "• . bands until their husbands go to work in' the morning; to keep themselves daintilyj dressed all through the various duties of the day; and to be ready, smilingly, and without* trace of fatigue, to entertain their husbands' when the work of the day is done. With this little amount of work to do, it does' seem to be a. wonder that women who have developed into draughts and ohesa players have been so few in number. Ther« , must surely be something in the games that appeals only to the male mind." The Edinburgh expert, Mr William Jordan, recently gave an exhibition of simul< taneous play at the Gorebridge Draught* Club. Thirty-three games were played, and „ Mt Jordan scored: 27, lost one, and five were drawn.