DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 67

DRAUGHTS.

Conducted bt Jos. Abernetht. Solutions of problems, games, and analyses invited for this column. Games should be written In six columns as below, ond all correspondence addressed to the Draughts Editor.

Otago Club. — -nia Otago Chib meets every Satuiday evening at Sweetings, Rattray street. Visitors welcome.

PROBLEM 3909. (Author Unknown.)

Black: 9, 10, 11, 12. White; 18, 20, 27. 02. White to play and draw. A neat problem, which will ploaso the solver.—Ed.

PROBLEM 3910. By L. Armstrong, BJytLcla.le.

Black: 1,2, 3, 16, 21, 23, king 11. White: 5, 10, 13, 18. 29, 31. Black to play and “skunk” White. It frequently happens that in game® between players of widely unequal skill the weaker player finds himself able to do nothing more than make a single king, and the stronger player often prevents even this being accomplished'. In the latter event the loser is said by our cousins over the water to be “ skunked.”—W. ,T. Call, in his “ Vocabulary of Checker.” The solutions ot these compositions are generally obvious, but the above is spoken of as one of tiro most ingenious devices ever placed on the checker board. GAMES. AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. The following fine game was watched with more than ordinary interest by the spectators at the last Australasian championship tourney, played in Dunedin. D. A. BRODIE v. F. E. HILLIKER. Game 3188. —“ Bristol.”

Forming the following position:

D:awn (Notes by Mr Hillikor.) (a) Played to get on less-known lines. (b) After this I did not like the look of things. (c) Forcing matters. (D) 15 18, 22 15, 1-1 17, 21 14, 7 10, drawn. (E) 20 16-(f), 14 17, 21 14, 10 26, 31 22, 15 19. B. wins. (f) 23 19, 14 17, 21 14, 10 26, 81 22, 7 10. 20 16. 5 9. 16 11, 9 14, 11 7, 14 17, 7 2. 17 26, 27, drawn. (c) 19 16, 18 23. 26 19, 8 12. 21 17, 5 9. B. wdns. O (h) 30 26, 19 16, 26 17. 24 19-(l), 15 24, 16 11. 7 16, 12 28. 10 16, 28 24, 15 18, 24 19, 17 22, 18 15. drawn. (l) 12 8. 15 IS, 21 19, 17 22, 8 11. 22 29, 11 2, 18 22. 26, drawn. (j) 80 26. 22 18, 15 29, 8 6. drawn. a) 13 17, 22 13, 15 18, 13 9, IS 27, 9 6, 27 31, 26 22, drawn. BANKS v. JORDAN. Flavors are always on the lookont for something worth while on the “ Edinburgh.” Banks and Jordan recently had a friend.lv sitting, when the following pair occurred. After the games both players expressed the opinion that 10 15 was the strongest reply to 22 18. The games are from the Canadian Checker Player. Game 3189. —“Edinburgh.”

(a) Banks invariably plays 10 15 in seriou* matches. (b) The loser. 24 27 draws. —C.C.P, Game 8190. —“ Edinburgh.”

DRAUGHTS ITEMS. R, Bolting.—Mr R. Dotting, a well-known member of the Otago Ciub, left Dunedin on Sunday for Melbourne. He expects to bo away six weeks on holiday. AVe hope ho may find time and opportunity to try bis skill on some of the Victorian players, and in general have a. good time. The Canadian Checker Player.—The October issue of the C.C.P. is another fine production. The principal feature of the games is the continuation of the Doran-D’Orio match games, annotated by Julius D’Orio, There is no better way of picking up American titbits tlhan by subscribing for the C.C.P. M. D. Testzel, Chatham, Ontario, Canada. 8s per annum. P. E. Hilliker.—Mr Hilliker is taking in ozone at the seaside at present, and entarg* ing his record as an angler. _ He is already in a class by himself, and still going ahead. It’s his taking way. The Late R. Jordan —AVe are much indebted to Mr Frank Dunne, AVarrington, England, for a copy of the excellent pictuar* of the late world’s champion, which he published at 6d. The*photo is a true likeness of the champion as he appeared when in Dunedin on tour, and is ready for {raining, the mount being lOin by Bln. An Old Board.—A Heme paper announces that “ The British Museum has received ft draughts board found in Egypt by Professor Flinders Petrie. It dates from the fourth dynasty. 3766 b.c., and is the oldest specimen known.”

Newel 1 Banks.—A con temporary Bays':—• “ Newell Banks is a nice young man. and tnlte of visiting England, via ’Frisco, Aew Zea’iand, and Australia on tour. ’ The Pocket Checker Magazine.—The P.C.M. for October last came to hand th-s week. It contain® some interesting games, comprising examples of the late B. Jordian 9 skill; also problems, etc. Address the POM, Bock Box 51, Manchester, N.li., U.S.A. „ . The Antiquity of the Game.—Perhaps one of the strangest finds this year (1911) fit Ihd Roman town of Corstopitu.m (Northumberland), now being excavated, is that of a draughts set, consisting of a stone on which are rudely carved squares and wherewith 'to play the game. Among other finds are a small bronze statue of Minerva, a stone figure of Mercury in relieve, and also the figure of a woman washing clothes or churning butter. Enamel brooches have also been uncovered and the workers have had the good fortune to obtain one or two specimens of pottery which are quite intact. These discoveries, coupled with those made in similar excavations in Scotland, ore somewhat at variance with the theories of these writers who argue that draughts was unknown m this country prior to the twelfth or thirteenth centuries. Possibly the game in its present! form is a comparatively modern invention. The elements of the various games _of draughts are each simple in their conception, and the evolution from one form °f ” la y f 9 the others is an easy matter. The root method of play, which would be deeply interesting to presont-diay students, is shrouded in the mists of antiquity, and is probabV lost for ever.—Yorkshire Post.

Black— -Broclie, W kite—Hiliikor. 11 16 10 14 4 8 1 10 12 19 D- 6 10 24 £0 27 23-a. 25 22 32 27 26 23 k-31 26 16 19 8 12 1) 13 10 IB 19 £6 1- 3 8 23 16 23 16 29 25-b 27 23 30 23 23 19 12 19 12 19 6 10 c 8 12 2 H 14 18 22 18 18 15 15 6 23 16 28 24

While to play. 20 16-g 20 30 3 8 7 11-H 21 7 21 25 18 23 12 3 !) 14 12 8 30 21 8 15 U5 12 5 9 8 12 14 17-j 19 10 25 22

Black— -Banka. White—Jordan. 9 13 10 17 10 17 5 9 3 8 22 18 21 14 21 14 14 5 14 9 a- 12 1C 1 6 13 17 7 23 8 11 18 14 29 £5 26 22 i 27 18 10 14 10 17 (! 10 17 26 8.12 11 15 21 14 25 21 31 22 5 i 9 6 16 19 10 17 6 11 B-lo 19 16 19 23 16 21 14 22 18 1 6 14 10 11 20 2 8 4 8 19 23 15 18 24 19 30 25 19 15 6 10 10 14 0 10 6 10 11 16 12 16 20 24 25 21 25 21 15 10 18 H 6 2 White wins.

Blnck--Jordan. White—Banka. 9 13 22 18 11 15 8 3 22 15 22 18 4 8 18 11 26 31 21 17 10 15 29 £5 7 23 28 24 14 21 25 22 8 11 22 18 31 £6 7 5 6 10 25 22 10 14 24 19 23 27 £3 19 6 9 £0 16 26 22 28 24 11 16 24 20 12 19 19 15 27 31 18 11 16 19 24 15 2 6 24 20 16 23 31 £7 13 17 3 7 16 19 £7 18 3 7 15 11 6 10 5 9 8 15 27 24 17 22 15 6 Drawn 18 11 19 23 11 8 1 10 7 16 26 19 22 £6 32 £8