DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3014, 20 December 1911, Page 65

DRAUGHTS.

Conducted by Jos. Abehnethy. Solutions of problems, games, and analyse lnrited for this column. Games should, be written tn six columns as below, and all correspondence addressed to the Draughts Editor. Otaoo Club.—-Trie Otago Club meets every Saturday evening at Sweetings, Battray fltrret. Visitors welcome. PROBLEM 3903. By W. Penman. Champion of Australasia".

Black: 3, 14, 19, king 29. White: 20, 27, 30, king 6. White to play and win. A fine ending which occurred in a game between Messrs W. andi A, Penman. "PROBLEM 3904. By W. Dunn. ("The Cross.")

Black to move and win. PROBLEM 3905. By W. Dtjbtn. C The Crown.")

White to move and win'. Tli& foregoing • problems, representing the Cross and ■the Crown, are neat strokes, and •will interest readers. Tb COERESPONDEOTS. W. Penman—Thanks fox problem. " Will ye no' com© back again?' F. H.—Thanks. C. F, M,, Balfour.—Letter received; will send, at earliest. , - .. " A P F, Otokia. —The position yoii submitted "is only a draw. Black can force an ©xohange, but it is no good to him. Captain Challice.— Congratulations on your record. You will observe we have added 30. PLAY AT SELDOMSE'EN. W-e are indebted -to Mr Kerr, checker editor of the Pittsburg Leader, for the following account of an evening at Seldomseen, ias recorded by " Sbadnach ": — Seldomseen, Pa., February 13, 1911. A circus has ia great attraction to some people, and to country people especially. But it would take more than a circus to take the crowd .away from here when our folks are playing checkers, for it is better than any circus to watch our folks playing •the game, .and to hear the kind things that old Abel says to Gid. We were seated around Uncle Ben'® comfortable stove on© cold snowy evening last week. It wias a night that reminded one of WhittieT's description of New England in winter: " Shut in from all the world without, W© sat the clean-winged hearth about, Content to let the north wind roar In baffled rag© at pane and door." Old Abel and Mr Bates were having a warm political discussion. Stab wias explaining to a farmer bow a certain horse .should be shod to get the best results. Gideon, as usual, was seated on fln upturned bushel measure reading a " bughouse guide," as Stub says. Uncle Ben had just remarked that he wondered whsr© " Scratch" was when the object of hie remarks cams in the door, " B.ello, Scratch," said Stub, " I was just about to get ready to trim this bunch up at checkers, and now that you ere here I may as well begin on

you first." "All right," replied Scratch, and the following gam© was soon under way! Game 3181. —" Single Corner."

Black wine by first position,

(a) "21 17 was your move there, Stub," said Abel. " I know it was," Stubb replied, " but if -we all played book moves all the games would be draws" (b) " I would sooner draw than lose." laughed Abel. " Well, someone must losJe onco in a while, and it may as well be me as anyone else," was Stab's droll reply. Game 3182. —" Single Corner."

(a) " Dis iah der pest mole ven you blay me a scrub mit," said Fritz. (b) "He is going to break you aM up now," said old Abel.

(cj " I vill gife you a- smoke on dis game," laughed Fritz as he lit his corn-cob pfpo and proceeded to fill the room with smoke. (d) "Hold on," roared Fritz. " How vos dot? I dink I gone to vin id!" "Well, you have another think coming," said AbeL " Get away from the board and let someone play that knows how." Game 3183.—" Glasgow."

(a) " I remember one time I played that move on—" began Scratch, " Play checkers!" broke in. Abel, "and if you want to deliver a lecture hire a ha/11. You never hear me talking when I am playing," (b) " I just played into that trap to see if you could see it," said l Scratch. " You may as well say that as anything else," snorted Abel, " for no one believes there ia any truth in half the lies you tell, anyhow," and addressing Gideon, he said: " Gome here, you bonehead, and I'll give, you your dose and then go home."

Black wins. (a) "He wants the Glasgow, but he'll not get it," said Abel. "What is this?" said Dick "Wells, who had just come in " Don Quixote and hie Squire Sancho Paiiza playing at checkers ?" (b) "I'll bet two dollars' that the .squire beats the knight,", laughed Dick. (c) " I dake dot bed," eaid Fritz, digging into his pocket. " Apel vill vin me dot game like notting." (t>) " You see where your two dollars would; have been now," laughed Dick. " Two dollars!" yelled Abel "Why, you never had two dollars in your life, you poverty-stricken bum,"' and shaking his fist under Dick's nose he continued: ~' L " You big-mouthed! fool, oil you are good for is to make fim of your betters. You ought to have your brains kicked out by a jackass, and if I was 20 years younger I would be the one that would do it," and, almost tearing the door off its hinges, he hobbled out into the whirling snow. The laugh that followed almost shook the cans off the shelves. DRAUGHTS ITEMS. R. Boawell, —Mr Robert Boswell, of Sockburn, Canterbury, was in Dunedin last week for a few" days, and went on to Gore on Monday morning. Mr Boswell is the oldest first-grade player in New Zealand, and ba4 been a devotee of the game for about s<£ years. Though over 70 years of age,' h« can still put up a good fight across board; but his best skill is now : manifested in analysis. Quiet, genial, gentleythose three words convey the heist idea of his character; and in these features he reminds one forcibly of the late H. Montgomery, of Port Chalmers —old friends they were, too. ' Mr Boswell spent Saturday afternoon in play with Mr Boreham, and' Saturday evening at the Otago Club, his opponent being Mr A w Matheson. ' ■ ""'■■ The Australasian Champion.—The players of New Zealand will learn with regret that Mr W. Penman, New Zealand and Australasian champion, leaves for Scotland on the 22nd of this month, accompanied *by hia brother, Mr A. Penman. It may be they intend to retvirn to New Zealand again, in which case regret will be spared; but we do not understand it that way at present. If they are leaving us for good, then the game in, the Dominion is a great loser. In the meantime we wish them a pleasant -journey Home and a safe and speedy return, C. F. Moore. —Mr Moore, who played in the handicap at the last championship meeting, and settled in Dunedin for a while, subsequently went south a°nin. and in a letter from Balfour says ho : M just recovering from an accident with runaway horses, resulting in broken collarbone and shoulderblade. "Charlie" made himself veiry popular in Dunedin, and all who know him well will be pleased to learn of his satisfactory progress. The World's Record.—Captain Challioa serds us his solving scores up to October 7—1231 weeks' record. The gallant captain's* grand total is 23,021 correct solutions to chess and draughts problems (the latter including 237 solutions of Witness problems), prize competitions, piizzles, etc. He also keeps an accurate account of all his correspondence in relation to his solutions, so that he can go back some years and give problem numbers, authors' names, and dates of letters sent to us right across the world. This is a stupendous undertaking. Figure it out, and think!

Black--Scratch. White--Stub. 11 15 25 22 7 23 22 15 10 14 26 23 22 18 12 16 27 18 11 18 19 15 19 26 15 22 24 20 9 14 28 24 1 6 31 15 25 18 10 15 18 9 8 11 15 8 6 10 8 11 23 19-a 5 14 32 27 3 12 15 6 £9 25 12 2:1 30 26 6 10 20 16 ] 3-2 9 4 8 26 10 14 18 24 19 12 19

Black--Fritz. White—Scratch. 11 15 21 17 1 6 24 19 12 19 27 23 22 18 6 10 28 24 15 24 23 16 S 12 15 22 17 13 14 17 28 19 7 11 23 18 25 18 9 14 32 28 11-15-b 16 17 c-10 14 10 15-a 29 25 5 9 20 16 2 11 18 15 18 11 4 8 25 27 15 24 31 27 11 25 8 15 24 20 8 11 27 £0 3 8 d-30 21 White wins.

Black--Scratch. White—AbeL 11 15 17 13 6 3 27 11 12 19 22 17 23 19 . 14 18-A 24 20 3 8 30 26 ; 13 31 8 it 29 25 15 24 25 22 10 15 b-32 27 22 17 11 16 22 6 8 15 27 23 9 14 26 23 1 10 31 27 2 7 25 22 9 14 20 11 15 19 23 16 5 9 13 9 7 16 23 1614 18 Abel wont

Game 3184.— ■"Irregular." Black--The Dolt. . White—The Critic. 11 15 :5 22 2 11 30 2« £0 £7 21 14 23 19 16 £0 26 23 18 25 28 7-C 3 17 .8 11 31 26 4 9 29 22 9 14 £8 2422 17 7 11 28 19 5 fl-B 32 28 15 18 11 16 19 10 8 12 19 16 14 18 22 IS 26 23-a 12 19 17 13 12 19 28 14 6 9 9 14 23 7 14 18 27 23 10 17 D-13 6