DRAUGHTS

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 5

DRAUGHTS

CONDUCTED BY F. HUTCHINS EX-CHAMPION OF SOUTHLAND,

PROBLEM No. 924 End Game Strategy By T. Russell, Epping, N.S.W. Black—22, 24, 27.

White—ll, 30; King 13. White to play and win

PROBLEM No. 925 By A. Gray, Darlinghurst, N.S.W. Black—3, 8,9, 13; King 23.

White—l2, 16. 21. 22, 31; King 17. Black to play and draw. Two useful end game studies from The Sydney Sun. GAMES AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME The interesting game described below was played between H. Egan (Victoria) and JV. Earle (South Australia) in the above tourney, at Hobart, Easter 1937, in the semi-final round. Game and notes from "Kelso’s” column in The Adelaide Express. GAME No. 1150

(a) The favourite line is 29.25, 10.15, 25.22, 6.10 or 7.10. The same position comes up as follows: 9.14. 22.18, 5.9, 24.19, 11.15, 18.11, 8.24, 28.19, 4. 8, 25.22. 8.11, 22.18. Willie Ryan, instead of 24.19, says 24.20; purely “horse radish,” but undoubtedly a fine move. (b) Considered best move. (c) Now away from usual play on to an original line. Here is one way that the oldtimer, Drummond, used to deal with this position:—32.2B, 7.11, 27.24, 20.27, 31.24, 11.16, 19.15. 10.19. 24.15, 16.19, 23.16. 12.19, 26.23, 19.26, 30.23, 3.7, 22.17*, 7.10, 28.24. 10.28. 17.1, 28.32, 1.6, 9.13, 6.9, 5.14, 18.9. Drawn. (d) 30.26 looks safe here. (e) Loses. Almost any other move would have been safe for the draw. Although this game played at Cedar Point, U.S.A., between the late Alfred Jordan and L. Ginsberg, commenced as a "Dundee,” it quickly became a regular line of the "Double Corner." The play was taken from the Second American Tourney book by The Launceston Examiner, from whom we get the score and also the notes:— GAME No. 1151

White won. Examiner Notes: (a) Inviting 17.14, 10.17, 21.14, 9.18, 23.14, 4.8, and a stereotyped line of play on which, perhaps, no one could have beaten Jordan. (b) But declined by Ginsberg. (c) This position comes up from 9.14, 22.17, 11.16, 24.19, 8.11. (d) Both at this point, and where shown (d) later; 24.20 is a good alternative, and there is plenty of scope thereafter for both sides to vary their play. (e) The writer has often seen 31.27 played here, the 16.19 cut makes a sound draw. (f) He could have gone 3.7, then might follow 22.18, 6.9, 13.6, 2.9, 31.26, 7.11, etc., which would end in » draw. (g) Leaves a critical position; "Black” to play. (h) A loser. Ginsberg afterwards showed a draw by 2.7. 27.23-i, 19.26, 30.23, 7.11, 31.27, 11.16, 27.24, 16.20, 24.19, 8.12, 19.15, 10.26, 17.1. Draw. (i) Getting “the move,” but in this case it doesn’t force the win. THE WORLD’S CHAMPIONSHIP A VICTORY FOR LEVY The brilliant young British player S. Levy has won the 40-game match he played with S. Cohen, the British champion, by 5 wins to 1 and 31 draws. He therefore now holds the world title. Levy is only 23 years of age and first came to the front in 1934 when he won the Manchester championship without losing a game. He won tlie British championship in 1935 and 1936. He is a little under medium height, sturdily built, has a big head covered with a profusion of black hair. He plays chess as well as draughts and holds the opinion that the one game makes as great a strain on the mental faculties as the other. The following is the ending of a “Kelso Cross,” the opening ballot on the morning of the tenth day of the match:— Black.—l, 2,3, 5, 12, 27; King, 32. White.—ll, 13, 15, 18, 19, 24, 26, 31. Black (Levy) to play. 2.7, 11.2, 1.6, 2.9, 5.30, 15.11, 32.28, 13.9. 30.25, 31.26, 24.27, 19.15, 27.31, 26.23, 31.26, 23.18, 26.23, 18.14, 23.19, 14.10, 25.22, 9.5, 22.18, 5.1, 28.24, 1.5, Cohen resigned. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS No.' 920 By J. O’Neill (Tuatapere) Black.—3, 12; Kings, 25, 28. White.—ll, 19; Kings, 1, 4.

wins * 28.24 only draws by 4.8, 24.15, 8.4 etc. (a) 24.19, 6.9, 19.10, 11.7, 10.3, 4.11. Drawn. (b) 18.14, 6.10 White wins. We consider the above problem a splendid example of draughts strategy, equal to the finest we have seen, (a regular Gonotsky). We congratulate Mr O’Neill upon his inventive ability. One of its finest features next to the forced play is the sidestep at note (b) —18 to 23. A beauty. No. 921 By J. Marr, Glasgow Black.—3, 4,8, 14, 15. 25. White.—9. 10. 16. 20 21. 26. White to play and win. 8.12, 16.11, 14.18, 26.22. 25.29, 22.17, 4.8, 11.4, 3.8, 4.11, 18.22, 11.25, 29.15. Black wins. SOLUTIONS RECEIVED Nos. 920 and 921. —J. Ingram (Mataura). No. 921.—F. Trapski (Pukerau), F. R. Forde (Invercargill), C. Richmond (Mataura), Alex Rea (New Plymouth), P. Hogg (Dipton), Alex Fraser, (Tokonul). We congratulate Mr Ingram in being tne only one to forward the correct solution of No. 920 and a Crossboard News has been posted to him. In justice to the others we may state that they had the basic idea of the problem, but made the error of trying to force the issue too soon.

“Double Comer.” Black: Egan. White: Earle. 9.14 25.22 2. 7 16.11 24.20 16.20 31.26-e 21.25 5. 9 . 19.16-C 20.24 11. 7 22.18 12.19 19.16 25.30 11.16 23.16 10.15 7. 2 20.11 14.23 26.23 30.25 8.22 26.19 24.27 22.17 25.18 9.13 21.17 13.22 4. 8 27.23 14.21 2. 6 28.24 6. 9 23.18 10.14 8.11 16.11-d 15.19 18. 9 24.19-a 7.16 32.23 5.14 11.16 19.12 19.26 6.10 29.25-b 9.14 30.23 14.17 1. 5 23.19-d 7.10 Black wins.

"Double Corner.” Black: Jordan White: Ginsberg. 12.16 5.14 12.19 20.24 22.17 29.25 22.17 19.16 8.12-a 11.15-d 3. 8 24.27 24.19-b 25.22 32.27-g 23.19 9.14-c 15.24 8.11-h 14.18 25.22 27.11 27.23 16.12 11.15-d 7.16 19.26 27.31 17.13 22.18 30.23 12. 8 15.24 1. 5 2. 7 7.11 28.19 18. 9 31.27 8. 3 4. 8 5.14 11.16 18.23 22.18 26.22-e 27.24 17.14 8.11 16.19-f 16.20 10.17 18. 9 23.16 24.19 21.14

Black to play and win. 3. 8* 25.22-a 18.23-b 23.18 19.15 6. 9 6.10 4.11 28.24 22.18 24.19 12.16 1. 6 9. 6 11. 7 11.20 B.