DRAUGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3714, 19 May 1925, Page 61

DRAUGHTS.

CONDUCTED

BY JOB. ABERNETHY.

Solutions of problema, games, and analyses in* rited lor this oolurun. Comes should be written In six column* as below, and all correspondence addressed to tbe Draughts Editor.

PROBLEM 5917. By S. S. Bbown, Cardiff. [Black.]

[White.] Black to play and win,

GAMES.

The following games were played in the recent championship at New Plymouth between Messrs D. Calde-rwood (champion) and A. McDonald, both of Hamilton. The notes are by the cnampion. Game 6186—“ Double Corner.”

(a) I always take the man this way. It may not be the best. Black’s double corner looks weakened. Searight played this against Heffne* in the B. and A. match. Banks and Stewart both played 15 24 in this match. (b) Most natural, and usually played; 29 25 is, I think, better, as Seariglit v. Heffner. (c) This is my way of defending the 15 22 take at note (a), i' have no published play on this move. Shearer plays 14 17 in his book. (d) This doesn’t look good; 25 22, 8 11, 22 18, 26, 18 14, 10 17, 21 14, 13 17, 31 23, is the continuation. (e) Black’s game looks strong, -but I could do nothing with it. (f) McDonald inadvertently played 10 7 at this stage, and immediately withdrew the move again. According to rule, I could have claimed the game, but I allowed him to continue 11 7. NOTES AND CRITICISMS Problem 5904 (by A. Shepherd).—J. Mulvey, Ashburton, points out that at the 65th move ot Mr Shepherd’s solution, an easy win for Black is overlooked. The position is: Black men on 13, 21, Kings on 9, 6. White Kings on 23, 22, 18, 15. Black to play. Mr Shepherd plays 6 2, and White ultimately wins; instead, play 13 17, and Black wins at once. Whether White missed a win a little earlier does not concern me at the moment, aa there are a few points in the first moves of Mr Shepherd’s play to which I should like to refer. I was attracted by the position on its first appearance, and spent some little time on it without arriving at a satisfactory conclusion. The solution was, therefore, awaited with gome curiosity. Whether the position is a White win or not is very doubtful, but if Mr Shepherd’s play for White is the best, then it is a draw'. For ready reference the original position is . given: Black on 13, 21, Kings 11, 20. White on 23, 12, Kings 31, 23. White to play and win. The opening moves of Mr Shepherd’s solution are: 31 27, 11 15a, 27 32, 15 11b, 32 18 , 20 16c. 28 24, 11 15, 12 8, 15 10, 23 16 11, 8 3, 11 7, etc. Instead of 11 7, play 11 16 with Black, and continue 3 Bd, 16 12, 8 11, 13 17, ,22 13, 10 15, drawn (d). Nothing better. (a) Black may play 11 16 here, and White must play 23 18, or retire to bis original position, as he cannot play 27 32 without allowing an easy draw by 20 24. Can White win? (b) 20 16 here also looks good for a draw. (c) 11 10, and White must retreat to 32 a case of “as you were/’ by 16 11, or Black might play 20 24, which also appears to draw. TOWN- AND COUNTRY. Arrangements have been made for holding the Town v. Country gathering this year at Show time. The big match has not been held for the last,two or three years; but it is hoped the country players will heartily aupport the movement this year. The meeting will take place on Thursday evening, June 4, ftt 7 p.m., in the Assembly Hall of the Y.M.C.A., Moray Place. This is a good central position, and not far from the railway station. The absence of clubs in country districts makes it difficult for many nlayers to get cross-board practice; and when it comes to a match some diffidence is felt in “taking it on.” To get over the feeling of responsibility for tne honour of his side, it has been suggested that sides be chosen from all the assembled players, pairing to be dons acoording to strength, so far as that

can be judged. Thus town and country players will be mixed, but a pleasant sociable match should result. This will serve as an introduction to a record contest during the Exhibition Show Week next year. We hope all country players will make a point of beiag iu attendance on June 4.

new Zealand championship. Mr J. Bruce, New Plymouth, lion, secretary for the committee which conduced the championship last Easter, in a letter accompanying the subscription list, writes as follows: “I think the critics must admit that I received a record entry (26), and a record prize list; and also proved by the success of the tournament that the new lines on which it was conducted are best suited to revive the game. Draughts is certainly dying out in the Dominion. The only thing necessary to have ensured complete success in the late contest was the adoption of the one-game-per-round system. When two games per round were decided on, four competitors could not spare the time to complete their play, and others would not enter for the same reason. One pair of competitors took over seven houra to play their two games—that is what is killing the pleasure of competing at these tournaments. I look upon these tourneys the same as any other business. When a man finds hie business is not paying, he thinks out and adopts new methods, and if these methods prove successful, he will stick to them. So in our tournaments, why not adhere to methods that have proved successful. Some people seem to think that these contests should be carried out acoarding*to the ideas of the ex-champions. All right, reduce the championship prize to £lO, and you will soon find out who is to foster and support the game for the love of it.” Mr D. Calderwood, this year’s champion, thinks the handicapping was unsatisfactory to one or two competitors; but the circumstances made the handicapper’s task a very hard one. “Personally,” he says, I endeavoured as a handicapper to assure that second prize should be secured by the runner-up. We nearly mad© a mistake iri the case of McClure, about -whom we had little information. It should be noted, however, that he secured two points from Davis, and one from McDonald, which; theoretically, he should not have gained. But you know the saying about the best laid schemes ot mice and men, and it is of handicappers also. Mr Gibbard has imu >ved a lot. He got a nice improvement of\’ay on to me; I will publish it soon. The g.vme was drawn. He, like one or two others, seemed to be at his best against the stronger players. “I have just received word that W. Penman is due at Wellington by the Corinthic on the 12th inst. He will, I expect, come up this way, as his luggage is in Hamilton at my home. He will probably go to the mining district, but wc do not know yet. “The prospects for next tourney are bright. I was thinking if Messrs Gardiner, Hilliker. Boreham, Scott, Lucas, Brown, Penman, and myself were certain, it would be nice to invite Mr Egafi to come over, if he would, and have a good time with the rest of us. I believe he is a much improved player compared with his form in 1911, but if he were to beat us all he would have to 'work for it. “I will send down some of the games in the recent contest very soon.” The subscriptions received by the New Plymouth committee totalled £l2l 10s Bd. The prizes amounted to £IOO, and expenses to a little over £2O. The prize money creates a record for Australasia, and, indeed, probably for the Empire of which we form a part. Mr Calderwood, champion for the fourth time, has an excellent record, so does not come before us as a stranger. This ypar is notable, however, in that he becomes the actual possessor of the Speight C|ip, presented to the New Zealand Association in 1912, and to become the property of the player winning it most times up to and including 1925. The winner has been very consistent, for at the Hamilton tonrney he won the all-round, but in the knock-out final he lost a game and the title to J. A. Scott. That makes him four times champion, and once runner-up in his last five contests. As an instance of the uncertainty of play in a tournament, the champion lost a game—the only one in the contest—to one of the weakest players in the team. Contrary to the rules of the N.Z.D.A., and without notice of motion, the sealed move was adopted in the recent tournament. That means that, instead of playing two games each session as prescribed by the rules, a weak player could waste time so as not to finish play in the set time, but keep, say, the second game in the opening stages till stopping time, and then have the adjournment hour or all night in which to prepare his defence. It was this abuse which led to the rule compelling both games to be finished in one sitting. Apart from any other consideration, the sealed move system lengthens the playing time. In the course of a press report of the Association meeting in New Plymouth, the following paragraph appears: On the motion of Mr Brown it was de cided to ask the executive to furnish a balance sheet annually. Some dissatisfaction was expressed at the manner in which the affairs of the association were being looked after by the executive. It was stated that a balance sheet had not been published for some years, and that draughts players outside of the executive had no knowledge of the conduct of affairs of the association. This is a real staggerer, although we attach no blame to Mr Brown in the matter. It usually happens that some member of the executive is present at the annual meeting, and any want of knowledge on the part of players can be corrected. But the above paragraph displays more than ignorance of the subject. To begin with, the executive has no balance sheet to publish, because there is no income and no expenditure. The only balance sheet that could be published would be the statements of the different tourneys, and some committees will not supply one. New Plymouth has not. Then for the dissatisfaction expressed. The annual meeting is supplied with the minute book. The secretary also wrote to the New Plymouth secretary dealing with several points to oome before the annual meeting, but the latter was never mentioned: and the meeting, no doubt in ignorance, made rules of their own. No report of the annual meeting has been forwarded—not even a newspaper report. On the first opportunity that space allows we will ro-publisn the rules of the N.Z.D.A. The following executive was appointed at the annual meeting: —Messrs J. Abernethy, J. A. Boreham,’T. E. Hilliker, R. Botting, J. M. Hutton T. Tily, H. Holden, Jae Beeoot, J. B. Shanks, R. Caldow, H. Muir, and W. B. Rendall.

Black— A. McDonald. White—D. Calderwood. 9 \ 9 13 14 23 11 16 2 9 16 19 24 1 18 9 27 11 24 20 19 15 7 2 11 Vo 6 14 7 23 16 23 3 7 13 17 28 24-A 29 25-c 26 19 26 19 15 11 21 14 0 9-b 8 11 4 8 10 14 7 16 9 18 22 18 25 22 22 18 18 9 20 11 2 6 15 22 11 15 8 11 1 5 12 16 Drawn 25 18 23 18 31 26 9 6 11 7 (a) Quite a good formation; 22 18 is usually played. (b) 7 11 is best. See Variety I. Variety I. 7 11 5 14 3 7 6 13 13 17 17 26 22 18 26 22 22 18 23 18 21 14 31 22 15 22 11 15 15 22 8 11 10 17 7 10 25 9 30 25 25 9 29 25 25 22 Drawn Hathaway v. Holmes. ’ (c) 24 20 would be better here. Game 6187—“Double ' Corner.” Black — D. Calderwood. White —A. McDonald.

9 14 28 24-D 7 10 2 7 27 23 20 16 21 19 16 20 18 14 23 27 17 13 18 22 11 15 23 18 10 17 32 23 23 26 16 12 22 18 8 11 21 14 31 27 13 9 22 17 15 22-A 27 23 12 16 23 19 26 22 6 2 25 9 20 27 14 10 15 24 15 11 Drawn 5 14 31 24 11 15 7 11 22 17 26 22-B 2 6 24 20 24 28 9 6 8 11 25 22-E 16 19 11 15 17 14 22 18 13 17 13 9 27 24 11 7-r 11 16-C 22 13 19 23 30 26 24 27 18 9 10 15 9 6 28 32 6 2 6 13 19 10 22 26 26 22 27 23 29 25 6 22 6 2 32 27 2 6 4 8 23 18 26 31 22 17 23 18