DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3338, 6 March 1918, Page 47

DRAUGHTS.

CONDUCTED BY JOS. ABERNETHY.

Solutions of problems, games, and analyses inrited lor this column. Games should be written to six columns as below, and all correspondent iddressed to the Draughts Editor.

PROBLEM 4377. By Jos. Abebnethy, Dur.edin, New Zealand. Black.

White. Black: 2, 6, 10, 12, king 24. "White: 11, 13, 19, 21. king 8. "White to play and draw. GAMES. The two following games were played between Messrs G. O'Connor and T. MEtm, in the final heat of a Glasgow championship tourney:—

(a) Leads to a weak game for Black; 10 15 is the correct play to draw. Variation 1. In the second gam© Mr O'Connor varied here, and! the play ran as follows: —> 8 11 18 15 15 32 23 D-6 10 27 23 9 14 18 9 10 19 14 7 11 16 29 25 5 14 25 22-C 2 20 20 11 5 9 27 24 8 12 23 16 7 16 31 27 16 20 22 18 12 19 25 22 9 13 23 16 14 17 Drawn. 4 8 22 18 20 27 - .21 14 (c) Going for the man by 16 12 would not be so good, as Black would reply 27, then follows 23 16, 8 11, .and Black has the better position. (d) 13 17 leads to a pretty draw by 16 11, 12 16, 18 15, 7 22, 26 17, 19 26, 30 28, 6 10, etc., drawn. JORDAN-FAUBKNER GAME, The following pleasing game was played between the lato R. Jordan (world's champion) and P. H. Faulkner (champion of W>arrna.mbool) when the former was touring Australia somo years ago: 'Game 8601— "Single Corner." Black: Faulkner. White: Jordan. 11 15 8 12 10 19 6 10-E 9 14 15 18 22 18 2S 24 24 15 18 15-JT 18 9" 11 7 15 22 16 20 12 16-c 10 19 5 14 3 10 25 18 25 22-b 15 li-D 30 25 27 23-H 21 37 12 16 4 3 8 15 7 10 13 17 14 21 29 25 82 28 18 11 23 18 22 13 1-23 7 9 13 5 9 1 5 10 15-G 2 6 Drawn. 24 19-A 19 15 22 18 25 22 31 27 (a) A great many players give preference 'o this method of meeting the dieaded "Flora Temple" attack. 18 14 is the best alternative. (b) The modern way is to "hang fire" with the text until after 32 28 has been played. (c) 7 11 loses .by 21 17, 27, 17 14, 1 5, 23 19, 7 10, 14 7, 3 10, 30 25, 10 14, 26 23, 14 17, 28 24, White wins.—Schaefer and Vair. (d) 21 17 is preferable. (e) Black has worked up a strong game. if) And Jordan "hunts the slipper." (g) 10 14 should prove interesting. (h) The "two.-for-one" would lead to trouble for White. The, text is best. (i) An interesting game.—Melbourne Weekly Times. -THE LATE D. A'. BRODIE. The late David Alexander Brodie was born in Dunedin. about the year 1874—we are not sure of the year, but feel fairly confident it was not ear'ier. There were only two sons in the family, David being the younger. H s brother, John, was a good average player, but finished his career some 25 years ago. "Dave" oame into touch with the game of draughts when in his early "icons," just after Wyllio's visit, and showed a wonderful aptitude for it. At this time —about 30 year.s ago—a band of social workers in Dunedin North organised a couple of boys' clubs, one department of which catered for the entertainment of the lads with various games, including draughts. Hera Brodie first came into public notice by giving exhibitions of play, including blindfold games. We recall one occasion when one of Brodie's opponents got "mixed" through making wrong moves when Brodie (blind-ford) called out his play. The game was more than half through, and the onlookers were astonished when Brodie requested that the pieces bo reset, and quickly rattled over the moves from the beginning, still without eight, and so corrected, the game. Dunedin at this time had quite an array of strong players, so Brodie did not lack good practice. He was in constant touch with men like J. P. Bell, R. Lawson, G. Foreman, R. Barclay, Huston, Hntton, and others. All this paved the way fcr his first real contest, THE AUSTRALASIAN AND SOUTH SEAS TOURNAMENT, which was inaugurated, in connection with tho Australasian and South Seas Exhibition in IS9O, held in Dunedin. At this time there was a dispute about the Australasian title, so the difficulty was overcome by.creating a new title, including the south seas. This was an epoch-making tourney, played under rules which were practically unique at tho time, and have stood the test of criticism and practice almost without variation to this day. Play was on the two-lite knock-out principle, and there were 10 entries. At this date the pairing for the ifirst round is of interest: Warnock (New South Wales) v. Smith (Wellington), Brodie (Dunedin) v. Risk (Dunedin), Boreham (Oamaru), v. Reid (South Australia), Hood (Canterbury) v. Gray (Victoria), Shaw (Dunedin) v. Foreman (Dunedin), Raesido (Invercargill) v. M'Pherson (Oamaru), M'llwrich flnvercargill) v. Ayson (Edendale), Hutton (Dunedin) v. Bruce (New Plymouth). Brodie

and M'Pli-ereon were spoken of then as "the two boys." Brodic beat Risk and) Raeside, but fell before Warnock by one game, and passed into the losers' class, where he defeated M'llwrick and Button, and wa3 knocked out by Boreham (2 to 0 and 2 draws), taking third place and £lO. During the contest Brodie played 24 games, of which he woii 9, lost 3, and drew 12. An adunircr of his youthful prowess presented him with an inscribed ar.d handsomely-bound copy of "Spayth's American Draughts Player" to cornmemorato the event. The tournament was won by Warnock, with Boreham (who was then a very young man) in second place. BRODIB v. FOREMAN". Brodie's first individual match was one of 20 games against G. Foreman (also of Dunedin) for the championship c€ Duuedin and a stake of £lO, in 1892. The match consisted of two sections—the first 12 games to be unrestricted play,, andl then, each player to nominate two openings by name (not by moves) for the succeeding eight games. In the first sction Brodie won 4, Foreman 3, and 5 draw 3. Of the the next section seven games were played, Brodie winning 1 and 6 draws, making the result a victory for Brcdie by 6 to 3 p,nd 11 draws. This match produced some fine play, although mistakes were made on both sides. The nomination of openings was a common form of "restriction" in those days, and gave each player a chance to "swat" on h:s favourite games and trot out his "cooks." It had one great drawback, however, to the smooth working of a match. It would sometimes happen that A's nominated pair would finish, say, in the middle of a sitting, when, of course, B would have to declare his nomination. B's strategy was to make the second of A's nomination last out that sitting, and declare- his opening at the beginning of another, thus depriving his opponent of any chance to prepare against him. This wasted much time. If, however, B could not prevent nominating his opening in the middle of a sitting, then A wasted: all the time he oould on every move, till the sitting ended, and the position of the unfinished game was "sealed." Then A and his supporters would joyfully hasten home and spend every available minute in studying up the game, thus nullifying. B's advantage in his own opening. The two-move ' balloted restriction does away with this. (To be Continued.)

JAMES DEANS, S'HOTTS. Just, loyal, level-headed Scot, A man 'mong "men," yet ever fond-of "kings"; Mindful .of ways- and means of "crowning" things, Ever tho fairest, heeding not one jot Small ways, small touches, things to be forgot. Douce, pawky, ringing true as friend, Ever so trusty in, the race ctf life, Always averse from war or strife, Never a coward, brave right to the end: Sound may you sleep while • wakeful hours are rife. Swifter than flick of shuttle—flying post, Here for to-day, to-morrow out of bounds; Over O'ur games, our very varied rounds, The thought may rise, "We're stronger than a host" ; Then come the pause, the snap, and we.have crost Some waters dark, to wanderers' homing groundl James Cameron, in Glasgow Herald.

Gr-AME 3600 —" 'Bristol" (11 16, 24 20). Black: M'Ewa.n. White: O'Connor 11 16 10 15 19 24 10 15 11 15 24 20 22 17 28 19 14 9 13 9 16 19 6 10 15 24 6 10 8. 8 23 16 29 26 26 23 9 6 9 5 12 19 8 11 24 28 10 14 8.11 22 18 17 13 23 18 17 10 81 27 9 14-1 2 6 14 23 7 14 12 16 18 9 25 22 27 18 6 2 2 7 6 14 4 8 8 12-A. 15 lSW.wins. 25 22 22 17 18 14 30 26