DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 67

DRAUGHTS.

Conducted by Jos. Abebnethy. Solutions of problems, games, and analysts inrited for this column. G-ames should be -written In six columns as below, and all correspondence addressed to the Draughts Editor.

Otago Club. —The Otago Club meets every Saturday evening at Sweetings, Kattray street.' Visitors welcome. Gore.—Gore Club meets on Saturdays at Mr E. Frobarth's rooms. Visitors welcome. —Geo. M'Kay, secretary.

PROBLEM 2771. By W. Veal, Southampton, Eng!

Black: 6, 10, 11, 14. 15, 22, king 1. White: 8, 13, 24, 30, 32, king 7. Black to play and win.

PROBLEM 2772. By J. George, Cardiff.

Black: 11,-14, kings 20, 28. White: 26, kings 22, 23. White to play and draw. Mr George’s compositions are always pleasing. He says; “ The above is rather simple, though the idea is neat, and may prove an interesting nut for the learner.”—Yorkshire Post. TO CORRESPONDENTS. H. Egan, Melbourne. —Forwarded last week. D. R. Hay, Melbourne.—Hope our request reaches you safely, and meets with favourable reply. J. G., Dunedin —Have posted what you wanted. Your solutions of Problems 2769 and 2770 are correct. With 2765 you are not so successful.' After your fourth move White has a win; "but for your fourth move play 16 20 and Black wins. B. A. L., Invercargill.—Your solutions to Problems 2765, 2766, 2767, and 2768 are correct.

GAMES.

For the following games and notes we are indebted to Mr L. M. Stearns, editor of the Checker World: Game 2884.— '* Fife." Played between L. M. Stearns amd W. J. Zahl, Antigo, Wis.: Black—Stearns. White—Zahl.

(a) Forms the " Fife " opening. (b) A favourite line with the late C. F. Barker, the American champion. (c) Barker plays 30 26 here very successfully. (d) In a game with Barker several years since, he (Barker) played 23 18 against me, and had he not taken a long look at the position I would have scored a win, (e) A strong move. (f) Kothing better here. (g) Hurrying for a crown. (h) Re-enforcing the leaders, (i) Forcing the game. (j) Only move. (K) Looks like a winner. (l) From here the Blacks have to play with great caution. . * (m) Powerful move. Note the critical situation of piece on square 11. (n) Only move to draw, and very pretty ending to a hard fought game. (0) 16 11, 26 23. 2ft 1.6. 23 19, draw...

(Notes by the Checker Editor.) (a) Known a.s the Flora Temple " bust." (3) Departure from popular lines. (c) Apparently a safe move. (d) 11 15 or 7 10 good moves. (e) Best. (f) Hais a bad look here. (G) 7 10 better. (h) Expecting or preventing 28 24. (r) 23 24 here lose also. (J) 6 9, 13 6, 1 10, 28 24, 16 20, 24 19, 10 14, 18 9, 5 14, 19 15, 14 17, 23 18, drawn. (k) Black man on square 19 helped us over the dangerous line. TOWN v. COUNTRY. We would a-gain remind Town and Country players of the arrangements made for "Wednesday, Ist Inst. During the afternoon, from about 2 o'clock, provision will be made for the ■ entertainment of all-comers in die Early Settlers' Hall, the probable form being a simultaneous exhibition by some of the local experts. In the evening at 7 o'clock, in the same hall, the annual Town v. Country contest will take place, when a full muster is anticipated. Mr F. Hilliker, the local secretary, has spared no pains to make the gathering a success. DRAUGHTS ITEMS. The Canadian Checker Player.—The March issue of the C.C.P. is a notable number .on. account of its interesting description of the great match between Banks and Henderson for tho American championship. The editor, Mr M. D. Teetzel, was referee in the match, and he laid himtself out to write an instructive summary of the contest. In this he has succeeded; and although it is the chief feature of the month, other good things are not wanting. Agents: -W. M. Mills, 27 Jamieson street, Sydney; H. Egam, 20 Browning street, South Yarra, Melbourne. In the Banks-Henderson match, says Teetzel, the forty-third ballot brought out .-t.ua " Edinburgh " (9 13 22 18) opening, so critical for Black, and Banks at once ran counter to much modern opinion by adopting tho 10 15 line. Asked afterwards why he did so, he replied: "Because I consider it the easiest to draw." Now it so happened that' Henderson had spent many an hour in analysing this line', and had even loaned his analysis to the late C. F : . Barker while coaching him for his match with Drouillard. On Barker's death Henderson's manuscript fell into the possession of Isaiah Barker, who recognised no.. outside claim thereto, nor would he part with it for a song when J. J. Lannin, Henderson's backer sought to recover it. Isaiah wasn't built that way. By placing an exhorbitant price upon ifc he defeated his own purpose, for Lannin refused to hold up, especially after doing so much for Charlie Barker. To make a long story short, Banks went right into Henderson's " Cook," made every " Star" move (and there were many) just as Henderson had analysed, and reached the point of safety with scarcely a moment's hesitation. The way was strewn with pitfalls, too plain to ensnare the youth/ He had run it. all over while at Buffalo, as he and James M'Auliffe reviewed a Horr-0 'Grady game, and had even then dismissed Henderson's variation as less worthy of consideration than some others. However, the play Banks here put up with so little concern naturally! led Messrs Lannin, Head, and Henderson to surmise that he had had dealings with! Isaiah Barker—which was not the case Even had he done so it was no discredit. The suspicion leaked out, and Banks got wjn<s of it. Naturally he felt indignant. It worried him. Next morning he foolishly! discussed the matter with Mr Lannin. And Teetzel goes en to show that this incident may have affected the quality of his play, as he fell into a published los3 in the very next game. "Isn't that a glorious sunset?" "Yes, but don't speak of it where the hotel man can hear you." "Why not?" "I don't want to find in my bill an item reading: 'To one sunset, lOdol.' " The proprietor of an hotel in the West Country where I stayed three days during my holidays, must, I ami inclined to think, after reading the foregoing, have been an American. During my stay I was daily out with the sunrise, returning! only at bed time, until the last evening of my visit. This proved to be stormy, and to pass the time, having- found that mina host was a checkerist, I engaged with bin* in a few games across the board. Next morning the bill was duly presented, and, looking over it, " Attendance 55," struo*". me as being unequal to the service ren* dered. " Not at all," replied Boniface, on! his attention being drawn to the matter, " the charge is very reasonable. Did 4 not give you personal attendance the whola: of yester even?" —The Chiel. We do not know if the late Professor Huxley, the great scientist, was a draughts player, says the Draughts World, but h$ wrote of the science of our game thus:t " The life, the fortune, and the happiness of every one of us, and, more or less, «»i those who are connected with us, depena upon our knowing something of the rules of a game infinitely more difficult and complicated than draughts or chess. Thiey ara games which have been played for untoldl ages, every man and woman of us being one. of the two players in a game of his or her own. Tho draughts or chess board is tha ■world, the pieces are the phenomena of tha universe, the rules of the game axe what we call the laws of Nature: The playe* on the other side is hidden from us. W* know that his play is always fair, just, an<l P»«* ut also we J™ 0 ™. our cost< that he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smaltest allowance for ignorance. Td the m*n who plays well the highest stakes are paid, with that sort of overflowing generosity with which the strona ah-nwa <3»H£rlrfc i:i '*

11 15 28 19 1 5 2218 25 29 23 19 13 22 22 IS 1417 5 1 9 14, 25 9 7 10 2114 29 25 22 17 6 13 18 9 1017 1 5 5 9-a 29 25-D 5 14 1814-G 710 26 23-B 8 11 30 25 1722 5 9 9 13 25 22 3 7 14 9 25 22 24 20-c 10 14 £5 22 22 25 32 28-H 15 24 27 24-E 4 8-f 9 5 11 15 And forms a nice problem, White to play, Black to draw. Continue as follows : — » 15 22 22 26 13 17-N 22 18 23 18-1 19 16 27 23-M 19 12 12 16 8 11 12 19 26 30 30 26 15 19 9 5 24 (i 23 19 19 16 24 15 22 25-J 2 9 25 22* 11 15 18 11 31 27-K 5 14-L i8 24 16 12-o Drawn. (Notes by L. M. Stearns.)

Game 2.985. —" KeJs< o-Exchar.ge. Play ed between L. M. ! Stearns and K. W. M'Murphy, Gilmanton, N.H. Black--Stearns. "White—M'Murphy. 10 15 28 19 i" 14 32 28 7 11 2i IS 4 8 23 is 7 11 '.6 2:? 15 22 £9 25 14 23 21 17 31 16 25 18 S 11 27 18 11 16 17 13-B 11 15 25 22 1! 15 31 26 I 5 IS 11 6 10 IS 11 16 23 2S24 8 IB 22 18 7 23 £6 19 16 20 24 19 !) 14 26 19 3 7 B. wins. 15 24 18 9 Var. A. 3) £6-A £8 24 5 9 9 14 6 2 3127 7 It £0 Ifi 13 9 27 31 2 7 24 20 31 £0 20 24 26 23 57 24 l 5 17.13 9 « 1417 B wins. 30 •:« C4 27 Var. B 23 IS M'Murpliy could have d rawn as shown by Champ ■ion Hayes with 2S 24, 16 20. 23 18, 20 27, IS 14, 27 31 , 14 7, < Jrawn. Game 2886. —" Sing le Corner." BlacK--M'Murphy. White—Steams. II 15 8 11 TO 27, 12 19 22 26 22 18 21 19 31 S 18 i5-K il 7 15 22 4 S 3 12 6 ,0 26 31 25 IS 25 22-b 26 23-F 15 6 7 2 !8 1G ti 10 7 11-G 1 10 31 26 18 14-a 30 25-c 25 21 27 £4 2 7 10 17 10 M 11 16-H 30 15 26 23 21 14 22 13 22 18* 24 20 7 in !) 18 8 12-d 2 6-1 J5 18 23 18 23 14 19 ltf-B 32 27* 2> 16 13 9 16 2i) 12 19 16 19-J 18 22 Drawn. 29 25 27 24 23 16 16 11