DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 47

DRAUGHTS.

CONDUCTED BY JOS. ABERXETHY. Solutions of problems, game*, and analyses inrited for this column. Games should be written In six columns as below, and all correspondence addressed to the Draughts Editor.

PROBLEM 4307. By J. E>. Green, Gloucester. Black.

White. White to play and win. This is a good thing, not too difficult, and with a very uncommon ending. It is from some Home paper. TO CORRESPONDENTS. New Chum.—Your solutions of Problems 4303, 4305, and 430 G are correct. Your good wishes reciprocated. E. K... Tapanui.—You arc correct in solutions to Problems 4305 and 4306. GAMES, Contributed to the Salt Lake- Tribune, with notes, by W. T. Cooper, of Chicago. Game 3151—" Dundee."

(a) This is unusual; jumping out by 7 16 is best, as in Variation 1 below. (b) Rather binding; 20 23 is a great mixer, and Black must use care to keep clear of pitfalls. (c) This move surprised Mr Bumba, who thought ho saw something coming his way. (i)) An original game with an extremely interesting wind-up. Mr Bumba remarks: "The finish was some surprise to me; am too dazed to comment further." Variation 1. Jumping by 7 16 leads to neat play found in Shearer's Handbook, thus:

The following game occurred between Messrs Barnes and U'Orio.

(a) Barnes's innovation. When he made this move we asked him if ho could, draw after such a rnovo. "Sure," was the answer. (b) This move is commanding. (c) New to Barnes, and corrects his book. (d) The secret oi the Whit© game. (e) Barnes tried every possible move here, and White always won. —Julius D'Orio, in Chicago Inter Ocean. DRAUGHTS ITEMS. Victorian Championship.—The State championship tor 1916 was practically confined 10 the Melbourne players, with eight entries. The prize-winners wore;—First, Xi. and titie oi champion of Victoria, H. Egan (Melbourne Draughts Club); second, £2, J. Boyles (Brunswick Draughts Club); third, £1 *los, W. 11. Acott (Richmond); iourth, 10s, E. 11. Clark (Richmond). 11. T. Egau was born at Drouin on May 6, 1888: lie first started playing th < game in 1906, when he joined the Prahran Draughts Club. lie was a competitor in the local ami Victorian championships in 1907, but failed to reach the prize list. Mr Egan lias now won the Victorian championship four times, and was placed third in another. He held the championship of Australasia for two years, winning it at Sydney in 1913. lie represented Victoria, at a similar tourney in Brisbane in IDOt), being defeated by the winner, Mr J. A. Borcham (N.Z.), in the second round. Two years later, at Dunedin, IS'.Z., ho represented Australia at the same contest, this time sharing fourth placo with Borehum. Last year ho secured third prizo at the Melbourne congress, Buffering defeat at the hands of the winner, Mr Cr. Cottrill, and the runner-up, Mr R. Holmes, the Scottish internationalist; but in a previous round ho had defeated Holmes. Mr Egan has a very extensive knowledge of

the game, nrul has an international reputation a-s an analyst and problemist American exchanges announce that Newel] Banks lias consented to play Alfred Jordan, in Los Angeles, California, beginning on January 1 next. These is no mention of it being for a slake in the old time-honoured style, or a subscription match of the modern kind, where neither player risks anything that counts except his time, and the loser's end of tho purse most frequently covers that. Invitations for the holding of the fourth American tourney have been so scarce that the next competition has been decided by a "mail" vote to bo held at the Hotel Breakers, Cedar Point, 0., August G-13, 1917, the Cedar Point Resort Company offering to then entertain the players. Intending competitors thus have tho better part of a year in which to polish up their lines of attack and defence. SOLUTION TO PROBLEM. Problem 4302 (by J. A. Borcham). —Black on 13, 20, king 2. White kings on 19, 22. _ Black to play and draw. This problem is given in "Dunne's Praxis" as illustration No. 12 in "Tho Move and its Changes." Mr Borcham says the terms are correct, but the play given allows a win, for Black. Tho draw is secured Iby 27, 22 2G, 13 17, 26 81, 17 22, 31 27*, etc. Instead of 31 27, however, the book goes 19 23, which allows an instructive win by—

(a) The key to tho draw is to hold this piece on 20, the idea being credited to Roger, and is called "Roger's Draw."

Black : W. T. Cooper.. White: U. M. . mimba. 12 16 5 14 12 18 G 9 G 9-C 9 14 24 20 24 19 23 1G 26 23 21 17 18 9 8 12 11 15* 7 11 9 13 8 12 15 18 23 21 20 11 16 7 31 27 25 21 22 8 9 14 15 24 2 11 1 6 12 1G 13 31 22 18 27 29 25 22 23 18 32 27 27 23 3 8 (l)-8 15-. \ 4 8 14 23 16 20 D-10 15 18 9 20 1G 29 25-B ; 27 18 30 26 Drawn.

7 16 31 27 16 19 30 23 6 a 19 16 20 11 8 11 23 1615 18 24 19 14 IS 8 15 22 17 12 19 27 24 9 13 22 6 25 2*2 11 16 26 23 18 27 25 22 2 9 4 8 20 25 19 26 32 23 A-l 5 Drawn.

Game 3152 — Dundee. Black: Barnes. White: D'Oric 12 16 G 10 15 24 2 6 11 18 24 20 27 24-C 28 11) 23 2-1 20 11 10 15-A 8 12 7 10 6 10 8 15 22 18-B 26 22-D 29 25 31 27 21 17 15 22 10 15-E 10 14 3 8 W.wins. 25 18 21 19 32 28 18 15

20 24-A 31 27 '20 27 31 17 11 23 27 23 27 11 1G 27 81 20 22 81 27 10 15 24 28 27 24 20 30 81 27 14 10 B.wins. 27 32 16 20 31 27 22 17 27 31 7 11 21 27 80 20 27 31 20 24