DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3304, 11 July 1917, Page 47

DRAUGHTS.

CONDUCTED BY JOS. ABEHNETHY,

Solutions of problems, games, and analyses inrlted for this ooluinn. Gomes should bo written In six columns as below, and all correspoudeiio-3 addressed to the Draughts Editor.

PROBLEM 4339. By J. W. Dawson, Kcwcastk-on-Tyne Black.

White. White to play and draw. Not bo easy as it looks. —Yorkshire Post. GAMES. Three games of a series played between iMessrs Faulkner and Boyles during the visit of the latter to Warmambool (Victoria). Score and notes from Melbourne Weekly Times. Game 3521 —"Bristol."

(a) 710 at once is more xjsual; but to hesitate for a ir?ove seems quite feasible — in fact, a trifle safer. (b) 6 10 at this stage would be similar to the orthodox play; but 22 17 gives White a good game against it, and might win. In the 1902 Scottish tourney Stewart won much the same ending from Penman. (See "Dunne's Praxis," page 214, var. 1.) Game 3522 —"Bristol."

(a) "19 15 is more usual," remarked Mr Faulkner. (b) Continue 10 7, 8 10, i 8, 16 19, 8 11, J 9 23, 25 22, 23 27, 22 18, 27 31, 11 16, 6 9, 21 17, 9 13, 18 14. An interesting game on somewhat original lines.

(a) An awkward looking and apparently weak move, but in reality is the best defence that can be adopted in this 26 23 line. Dr Schaefer's 26 23 "Will o' the Wisp" book gives a host of White wins after the text move. (b) 4 8 is quite good, but—(c) 8 7 at this stage is Acott's (the Richmond expert) improvement on all published play, and probably makes 11 15 at (b) perfectly sound. (d) 19 15 is given in Schaefer's book to •Win for White, thus:—l9 15, 12 16, 15 10, 8 11, 24 20, 16 19, 27 23, 19 26, 80 23, 27, 28 24, 10 6, 7 10, 62, 3 8,2 6, 10 15, 22 17, 13 22, 6 13, 22 26, 23 19, 15 18, 19 16, 11 15, 16 12, White wins.

DRAUGHTS ITEMS. "Bw aftermath of the Banks-Jordan match," says the Salt Lake Tribune, "only shows how imsatisfactory subscription matches are, and how little they settle. These players have now met three times for subscription matches, Jordan winning tho first one for a small amount, the second match at Kansas City resulting in a tie, and tho third at Los Angelos being won . by Banks. The best way is to play for their own money, winner take all. Then any alibi of lack of serious play, or being affected by change of climate or water, only meets with derision." Referring to tho Jordan-Banks match, tho Yorkshire Post says:—"An occasional match of the kind, however, will sometimes bringthe budding talent into the limelight. Some years ago it was the custom when any noted player visited Leeds to got up a subscription purse, divided into two-thirds for the winner and one-third for the loser, and pit some local player against him for a stated number of games. It was in such a match that Willie Gardner was victorious over W. Beattie, and enhanced his reputation as a player so that the Selection Committee could not lightly pass him by when shortly afterwards choosing the team for the match with Scotland. When the combatants are two of the world's leading lights, like Banks and Jordan, ono has a feeling that the contest should bo on a 6terner footing—that the men should have something at stake themselves apart from the donations of thoso enthusiasts who imagine they are acting for tho furtherance of tho gome." Mr R. A. Gurley, in tho Pittsburg Leader, goes to some length in asking, "Is telepathy a fact (in connection with our game), or are the apparent cases merely coincidence?" "It is certain that hundreds of cases exist when two persons havo produced the same thing at practically the same time, without either being aware of the efforts of tho other." Mr Gurley, as an illustration, cites Mr Richmond's "Fortress" problem:—Black men on 8,4, 12, 20, 24, 26, 27, king.* 28, 82; White mon on 5,9, 10, 11, 13, IS, king 6; White to play and draw. Ho gives an entertaining account of tho reception of this composition pending the appearance of the solution. A printer's error was, perhaps, tho tnost common verdict. The problem was published in the N.E.C.P., January 16, 18S1. A few weeks later the editor of that journal received a letter from England demanding to know why Mr Richmond had deliberately cribbed a problem from tho Sunderland Echo of the fore part of January. Cone-

epondenco elicited tho fact that the two composers had struck and elaborated the idea about tho same time. "Why is it, queries Mr Gurley, "that two composers thought out the same idea at practically tho Game moment? Is telepathy a scientific fact, or tho reverse?" In connection with Mr Charley's remarks. we recall an instance of interest to Iscw Zealanders. Mr J. C. Craig, of Wcstport, contributed a problem to the Otago Witness involving an idea new to tho literature of the game, and of great beauty. The problem was reprinted in America shortly after its appearance in this column, and the famous Dr Lyman wrote to us to find out how the problem was evolved. Ho stated ho had discovered Craig's identical position and principle in a "Single Corner" game a while before the appearance of Craig s problem in America, but had not published his "find." It therefore seems that a new point in the game was discovered on opposite sides of the world at very nearly the same time.

Black: Faulkner. WM1 te: Boyles. 11 16 4 8 1 6 16 23 19 23-B 23 26 22 18 26 23 81 26 27 18 16 11 80 23 8 11 16 19 8 11 12 16-A 6 10 19 26 18 14 24 15. 26 22 26 22 11 8 8 11 9 18 11 18 11 16 7 10 10 15 16 20 23 14 28 24 22 16 14 7 8 8 11 15 JO 17 6 9 9 18 8 19 15 19 26 80 21 14 24 19 23 14 18 15 3 8 Drawn.

Black; Boyl es. White: ; Faulkner. n is 7 10 11 16 16 20 27 81 27 18 B2 18 27 24 24 19 24 19 26 22 19 15 8 11 16 20 8 11 15 24 9 14 18 14 25 22 19 16-A 82 27 28 19 18 9 15 8 4 8 20 27 10 16 20 24 5 14 14 5 29 25 16 7 19 10 22 17 22 18 8 4 10 14 2 11 6 15 24 27 81 27 B-12 16 24 19 31 24 27 24 17 10 18 9 Brawn.

G-ame 3523 —"Will o' the Wisp. Black: Boy! es. White: Faulkner. 9 13 9 14 1 5 4 8-0 5 14 23 26 23 19 18 9 23 18 27 23-D 80 25 19 15 11 15 6 14 14 23 8 11 11 16 26 80 26 23 29 25 27 11 24 20 20 11 25 21 6 9 8 11 7 23 8 7 7 16 Drawn. 22 18 31 26-A 26 19 22 18 23 18 15 22 11 15-B 10 14 13 17 14 23 25 18 25 22 82 27 18 9 21 14