DRAUGHTS

Southland Times, Issue 20615, 13 October 1928, Page 19 (Supplement)

DRAUGHTS

CONDUCTED BY F. HUTCHINS “Let science give release To minds o'er wrought by care and thought. Let the checker board be brought, The battlefield of peace.” Solutions of problems, games criticisms and analyses are invited. The games should be written in four columns as below. Items of interest to Draught players will also be appreciated. All communications to be addressed to “Draughts Editor, 54 Biggar Street. Games, items etc., must be in by Monday, solutions, Wednesday. The weekly issue of the Times with Draughts columns, will be sent post-free to any address in the Dominion for 8/8 per annum. PROBLEM 2. (By Wylie.) BLACK (4 King 29.)

WHITE (Kings 12 and 30.) White to move and win.

It will be noted that in the above position, Black has the move and would appear to have a clear draw. It contains a valuable lesson for the beginner. PROBLEM 3. BLACK. (3, 6,7, 10, and 14. King 24.)

WHITE. (12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 21, and 30.) White to play and win. Problem three is an end game, played between two Invercargill players and contains a neat stroke not too diffcult. The problem solving contest commences with these two problems and younger players should master them and send in solutions to fit them for the more difficult ones to come. A common fallacy among players is that criticism of published play is a thing to be dreaded and many feel very much put out if an improvement be pointed out in any of their contributions. This, I think, is a result of taking a wrong view. None of the great analysts escaped correction to some extent. Even Anderson, Lees, and Heffner, fell some little way short of perfection. Why, therefore, should the ordinary contributor take it to heart if his play be corrected? Good criticism is the life of any, Draughts publication and is always of equal interest with the contribution from which it is taken. It is always possible to point out improvements in another’s play without attempting to “take him down” in the process. We shall welcome courteous criticism. In view of the recent rather severe reverse the Invercargill Club met with in their last match with Glenham, I propose this week to analyse the “Old Fourteenth” opening to some extent. I notice our Glenham friends are well versed in that old favourite and some of our players were easy prey to some of the traps in the

felt like shouting at one of our players at Glenham when I saw him jumping into it. It it worthy of a diagram. WHITE (16. 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26,

27, 28, and 29.)

BLACK. (5, 6,7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 15 and 18.) Black to play. 8.12 before 13.17 loses by 24.19, 15.31, 22.8, 12.19, 8.3, 31.22, 25.2 and disaster. The Safe Limit of Brain Capacity. In a leading New York paper we find the following as bearing on such games as Chess and Draughts:— “Mental activity instead of being an exhaustive process tending to shorten life, is, in the highest degree, conducive to longevity. A consensus of opinion among the leading scientists, shows that the best way to keep the brain in good condition, is to use it to the safe limit of its capacity.” ' SOLUTION TO PROBLEM 1. FIRST POSITION. BLACK (12 King 28.) WHITE (Kings 16 and 19.) White to play and win.

game. GAME 3. OLD FOURTEENTH. 11.15 6.9 6.10 32.28 23.19 13.6 30.25 26.31 8.11 2.9 10.17 19.15 22.17 26.22 25.21 31.26 4.8— -a 1.6—d 22.26 15.8 17.13—b 22.17—e 21.14 26.22 15.18--c 18.22 12.16 18.15 24.20 25.18 19.12 22.18 11.15 15.22 26.30 15.11 28.24 23.18 24.19 7.6 8.11 14.23 30.26 20.11 26.23 27.18 29.25 18.9 9.14 9.13 26.30 Drawn. 31.26 17.14. 25.21 10.17 21.14 30.26 (81. 1 Phis forms the opening. (b). 25-22 is safe; any other move is weak for white. (c). Strongest for black. (d). 9.13 looks tempting here, but it loses by a fine stroke as follows. 9.13 11.20 10.17 1.6 22.17 21.17 25.2 2.9 13.22 14.21 17.22 5.14 White 20.16 23.14 19.15 15.10 wins. E. 32.28 30.26 19.16 23.16 3.8 9.13 12.19 13.17—f 22.13 8.12 Drawn. (f). 1 Sere is another tempting trap. I

16.20 23.18 18.15 28.32 28.32 24.28 16.20—e 8.11 20.24 18.15 15.18 32.27 32.28 28.24—c 24.19 11.8 24.27 32.28 32.28 27.23 28.32 24.27—d 19.16 8.11 19.23 15.18 18.23 23.18 32.28—a 12.16 16.11 11.8 27.32 28.32 23.19 18.15 28.24—b 27.24 11.8 Black tfins.