DRAUGHTS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 67

DRAUGHTS ITEMS

■„- -Leslie Fox, the . seven-year-old boy prodigy of the checkers circles of New York, is th« scai of Mr W. J. Fox, a mmber of one 01 the fire brigades of the city, aird sines the death of his mother a, few months ago be h*s been the constant companion of his ' father, whose chief recreation is playing checkers. One evening Mi Fox put out -bis board and men, more with the ide.% of wbiling away the time than of teaching th* boy to play th-e game. The boy showed im mediate aptitude and enthusiasm,, and - the New York World says t"i»*t in , less than » week the father found that he had to play his very best in ordei to win. "In * short time the boy had mastered eight of the standard openings, including the ' Fife,' the ' Glasgow,' the ' Sojrter/ ***d the ' Double Corner,' and he Kad also shown fh at he could play an excellent original game." During the last few weeks the father and son have visited jnany of the N-ew .York checkers clubs, -and the New York, World says that the youth has not only " held his own with , some' of the best pl«yer3 in the city, but has , f won an Astonishing^'number of game*." - In .reply to a request from » correspondent for information ps to the dates, of pu-WioatTOn of the four editions of " Anderson," th« draughts editor of the Yorkshire "Weeklj Post recently stated that the first " And"er« son " was published at Lanark in 1848 ; thf second " Anderson " was published at Glas< gow in 1852 ; the third, or " M'CuUoch-An« derson," was published at Glasgow in 1878; and the fourth, or " Janvier- Anderson." wm published at Brooklyn in 1881. The " M'Cul« . loch-Anderson " embodied notes, written by Andrew Anderson 'before his death ; and tho Janvier-Anderson " was grounded on the play given in the other thres works, with the addition of new openings to render the book complete ** 8 guide to the game of draughts.