DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 53

DRAUGHTS.

CONDUCTED BY JOB. ABEHNETHT.

Solutioni of problems, gomes, and analyses i» filed lor tbli column. Games should be written in six oolumns as below, and all oorreapondeno* addressed to tbe Draughts Editor.

PROBLEM 4442.

By W. CM*! ley, Queenstown

White to play and draw.

GAMES

The prospect of a match between Newell Banks; andStewaxt lends fresh, interest of the games of the American. Banks is a first-rate blindfold exponent of the game, as evidenced by the following game played without sight a few yeais ago and sent us by JVLr Kerr, draughts editor of the Chicago InterOcean, to whom w© are indebted for t>he score and notes:

O-a-m-e 8698 "Sinzle Corner."

Hartshorn continued:

Then 11 8, 32 28, end Banks finally won. (A) Strictly original, and played from exact calculation. Banks plays very fine from here, and the continuation illustrates what he is capable of doing without sight of the board. (b) 25 22 would lose by 14 18. (c) The spectators thought Hartshorn had a draw here by 59, 17 13, etc. Banks really hoped for 5 9 and then 32 27, 9 18, 27 20, 18 27, 20 16, 21 14, 16 32, and "good-night! (d) Bert Titus in St. Paul Dispatch shows how Hartshorn should have won:

DRAUGHTS ITEMS. Hugh iiendereon. —We are informed that word has been received in Dunedin by a relative that Hugh Henderson, who held the American championship for some years, is dead. We have not been able to verify the information, and hope it is not true; but it reaches us with some show of truth.

Study Problems. —In the study of problems one finds the greatest pleasure that the game affords. The study of the/ openings takes a second place. It is beneficial to the extent that the student may learn in an hour such traps and snares to avoid as would take him months or possibly years to learn unaided. Above all study problems, useful problems. Problem work is required throughout the game; its aid is required to win, and by its aid many an apparently hopeless game can be saved.—Exchange.

Bad Move of His Opponent.—A schoolboy chum, not a checker player/ asked his friend "Bob" (Yates) just before one of his important matches whether he felt nervous about the contest. "He told me," said the narrator, "he did not feel at all nervous, as he said he knew the meaning of every move on the board, and the only thing he had to look out for was some bad move by his opponent." This wayside remark, made as a mere generalisation to gratify the natural curiosity of an old friend, is nevertheless directly in line with the authoritative statement of Martins that there was no hope of catching the boy on anything. —"Call's Book on Yates." The Variety ' of Draughts.—Things aie not always what they seem, and this adage certainly holds good of the game of draughts. Many persons (says the Hereford Times) on seeing a board and men for the first time, might be apt to imagine the game to be a simple one, easy to learn, lacking in variety, and perhaps also in interest. The truth is that it taxes the intellectual faculties to a high degree, that a lifetime is too short to master its principles and intricacies, and that its variety is practically infinite. On this last point we can easily get a rough idea. When beginning to play each player has a choice of seven different moves. After-ward's, the number depends upon the moves .made. For example,, Black has a choice of. seven, eight, and six different plays on his second, third, and fourth moves respectively, while White has a similar choice of seven, eight, and one for his corresponding moves. Let us assume, then, that each player has on an average five different line? of play on each of his second, third, and fourth moves. On this hypothesis

the number of ways of playing the first four moves only on each side amounts to 765,625!! Whether this result be in excess or defect of the true number it is difficult to Bay without actual calculation —a, practically impossible task. But it suffices to show that the game of draughts is such that "Age cannot wither nor custom stale Her infinite variety." SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. Problem 4432 (author unknown). —Black on 6, 6* 20, king 23. White on 18, 14, 82, king 3. White to play and draws 82 27 8 8 811 11 15 14 9 23 32 82 27 20 24 27 23 Drawn. Problem 4433 (author unknown). —Black on 10, 24, king 32. White on 18, 81, king 4. White to play and win:—4 8, 82 27, 8 12, 27 23, 18 15, 10 19, 12 16, White wins. Problem 4434 (by <C. B- Harland).—Black on 4, 14, 23, king 29. White on 10, 21, king 22. Black to play and win:—2B 27-A, 16 11, 27 31-B, 22 7, 4 B*, 7 8, 8 11*, 8 7, 11 15*. 7 11-D, 14 18, 22 17, 18 22-y, IT 26-G, 31 22, 11 25, 29 22, Black wins. (a) 4 8, 16 12, 8 11. 22 18, drawn. (b) 27 32, 11 7, 4 8-c, 7 8, 8 11, 3 7> 11 15, 2 17, 14 18, 7 10, 15 19, 10 '5, drawn. (c) 82 27, 7 8, 27 24, 8 7, 24 19, 7 10, dtrawn. (d) 22 17, 14 18, 7 10-E, 18 23, 10 26, 31 13, Black wins. «"„,», (e) 17 14, 23 26, 7 10, 15 19, 10 15, 19 24, 15 19, 24 28, Black wins. (f) Only move to win. If 31 27, 17 14, 27 23, 14 10, 23 19, 10 14, drawn. (g) 11 25, 29 13, Black wins. Problem 4435 (by W. CPMalley).—Black on 3 7 10, 19, 20. White on 6, 14, 16, 17. Black to play and win:— 20 21*, 6 2, 7 11, 16 7, 19 23*, 14 9, 23 26, 9 6, 26 30, 6 1, 30 25, 1 5, 25 22, 17 13, 22 18, 13 9, 18 14, 9 6, 24 28, 6 1, 28 82, Black wins.

Black: Banks*. White: Hartshorn. 10 15 18 11 . 9 14 27 24 11 15 16 7 22 18 8 15 29 25 1 6 19 16 2 11 15 22 21 17 8 11 24 19 12 19 82 27 25 18 4 8 24 20 15 24 28 16 8 8 11 15 17 13 - 6 10 28 19 7 11 27 23

and then 14 17 forms position

31 27-D 15 18 11 7 30 26 6 2 22 17 6 9-A 30 26 16 18 5 1 27 32 10 15 27 24 11 15 7 2 26 22 1 6 18 23 9 14 20 16 17 22 13 9 14 18 C-24 20 23 19 18 23 2 9 18 23 2 7 17 13 8 12 16 11 22 29 9 6 10 14 6 1 25 21-B 23 30 9 5 23 27 7 10 23 26

25 22 8 12-F 27 24 12 16 22 18 24 27 17 21-E 31 27 9 14 24 19 6 9 18 9 22 17 5 9 26 22 15 24 13 6 W.wins. (e) 8 12, 31 5 !7, 12 16, 27 24, 5 9, 23 19, 16 23, 26 19, 17 ' 26, 30 23, 9 14, 19 16, 15 18, White wins. (r) 5 9, 31 27, 9 14, 26 22, , 15 18 , 22 15, 11 18, 23 19, 8 11, 19 16, 11 15, 16 11, 15 19, 11 7, White wins.