BILLIARDS

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 16, 15 April 1908, Page 43

BILLIARDS

BY

AN EXPERT

We are now at the very height of the billiard season (says Expert lin the Daily Telegraph,” of March 1). The best amateur and professional games are being enacted this week, at Messrs. Thurston’s spacious hall in Leicester-square-, the preliminaries of that annual event, the amajteur billiard championship, have been in progress. The seven competitors conitesting the right to represent this, the (London section, have provided some very entertaining matches. Of the entry, no fewer than six are newcomers, a fact which makes it rather distinctive, for, in a general way, constant repetition of the same names has.marked the successive struggles for the blue riband of amateur billiards. New blood has nob entered into the competition before it iwas needed. In reviewing the games played—the final test is in course of discussion to-day (Saturday)—it is safe to Bay that no vast departure from the customary standard of ability was ehown. The proceedings were pretty much on a par with what has taken .place in past years. There can be no 'doubting that the character of amateur (billiards has altered, and for the better, during the last quarter of a century. ■lt has, indeed, come on by leaps and bounds. Yet the recurring bouts for amateur championship laurels do not repeal this. The reason why? Well, the importance of the occasion, the novelty Of making a first public appearance, the ■strange conditions and unfamiliar surroundings, contribute in detail to disarm the average entrant of his usual effectiveness. ,' ■’

Seven good amateurs and true were those who have figured as the championship aspirants at Leicester-square. But the pick of them is Mr. “Anthony,” a playing name which covers the identity of a me'dical practitioner of extremely professional appearance—that is, as regards his calling in life. Unless something very unforeseen happens, this gentleman should earn the "right to Compete at Leeds in the competition proper, where (he may not unlikely cut down all oppoeition, and, as the survivor of the batch of challengers, measure cues with the holder of the title, Mr. H. C. Vitt, of (Bradford. Mr. “Anthony” is not a stylish, but he is a deadly accurate, player, possessed of a. very intimate knowledge of the game. He aspires to the tip-top flights of break-making effects, lie copies the professional players in his strict adherence to top-of-the-table methods. A more earnest and painstaking billiardist it would not be easy to find. A very plain sort of cue-delivery reminiscent of the Manchester celebrity. Diggle, whose upright pose of the head and shoulders is also fairly faithfully copied, and a nice

modulation of power in the stroke distinguish Mr. - “Anthony’s” displays at the table. He stands in more of an orthodox -position than does Diggle, a circumstance induced by the last-named player’s greater height. Shaping nicely “around” his cue to throw it out centrally as it lies under both his eyes—the very essence of steady and correct aim—this good amateur lacks nothing in the - way of technique. Averaging nearly a dozen points per innings in his first thousand up, he Created a distinctly favourable impresson by the ready manner in which he disposed of a dangerous opponent, who was of the thrusting and go-ahead type so hard to beat in these stern tests.

Of all the games this week, however, none could come within measurable distance of Thursday's nerve-tingling exhibition between Messrs. A. W. T. Good (an ex-holder of the title) and C. E. Jenkins, a Welsh amateur champion. To win by one point only, as the latter did, and being compelled to run out with an unfinished break of I'6 to do so, bespeaks the grit of Mr, Jenkins, who owes his success in this simply desperately-con-tested game to his good defensive tactics. The select professional group who figure most prominently as participators in the big tournament (Messrs. Burroughes and Watts’ promotion at the Grand .Salon in Soho-square). having just recovered from an absorbingly interesting match for the largest stake-money of recent years, are eagerly anticipating another stirring game next week. Reece, the hero of the affair mentioned, and a player of exceptional delicacy of touch—■ a gift he makes exceptional use of in close-cannon arrangements of the balls — has to meet that dour and dogged matchplayer, Dawson. The one has lost but one of his tournament games; the other holds an unbeaten certificate," in despite of his heavy handicap as scratch player. Reece is set to receive the big start of 2000 points in the uniform game of 8000 up. Should he win, he must tie for the valuable first prize. A defeat,' however, would place Dawson in a more commanding. position than before. Thus, there are all the elements of a keen and skilful match to be found in next week's instalment of the tournament. To those who do not know the playing qualities of these leading profesionals, and who may see them at the table for the first time, the seemingly disproportionate starting-points—Dawson at scratch, and Reece at 2000; —will not be easily reconciled. Reece is such a showy, yet neat and workmanlike, operator, whose play is redolent of century breaks, amassed in the least available time, that a quarter of the game start appears undue leniency. He will assuredly catch the eye more than his opponent is likely to do—that is from a mere point of view

of effect. The virtues which underlie the plain, old-fashioned, but wonderfully prolific cueing of Dawson do not so readily come to the surface. There is something so mechanical about his game that almost detracts from its rare worth. No embroidery is tacked on to it at any time. The antagonism of two playing systems, the largely opportunist and the strictly classical, as rendered by two eminently fitting personalities, adds another point’ to the struggle which is due to take place next week at Soho-square. In watching the different heats in the Amateur Championship competition, 1 was struck by the consistently weak attempts made by the players to make or control their ball in those swerving courses it is prone to take when played upon -as it lies under a cushion. 1 saw some dozens of shots go widely astray from this cause. In the course of any game between average amateur cue-men the presence of the cue-ball under the shadow of the cushion-rail, or “frozen,” as the Americans say, there is the dan-

ger-signal of an unsuccessful scoring attempt. It is a position not welcomed by the professionals, either; but-their experience and clever cueing enable them to overcome it. They shorten their hold on the cue and aery freely, ganging the force of the stroke to the utmost nicety. Hut even they, with all their practical knowledge,' do not look kindly upon a stroke of this kind when “side”

has to be used. Here, with the cue-point depressed, necessitated by the cushion allowing only the uppermost part of the ball, we have a minor edition of the curling masse stroke. It cannot be avoided, but it can be allowed for. In these last five words you have one of the golden secrets of the professonal adaptability to reigning circumstance. Knowing that the cue-ball will take a second direction as it is played with “side” from under a eushion-rail, this movement is taken into calculation: They wiHT play to miss the object-bail as it were to the left or to the right, just as a rifle-shot allows for the force of the wind and takes his aim wide of the target. It is at the head of the table where these swerving ball shots enter most into the game. They are generally played with the red ball on the bil-liard-spot. The natural angle half-ball positional loser from corner pocket to corner pocket may be achieved, even though the cue-ball lies on the top-eu's-hion or on the side-cushion quite out of the accustomed given line. Playing from the top-cushion position, the aim is taken to the left of the red ball. The cue-ball, swinging round, strikes it half-ball on the other side, and makes the losing haz-

ard. Playing from the side-cushion, a contrary aim and contact is necessary. On the second diagram, a very valuable and much overlooked stroke is that played with the cue-ball lying under the top-side cushion. The in-off to the further corner pocket from the red ball Is very “narrow,” so you use “side,” and regularly miss the shot by hitting the red full in the face. If, instead, you had aimed an inch or two beyond the red — say, a ball’s width —the curl of the ball would have given you something approximate to the desired contact. The course in this second diagram played, as it is intended to be, with “side,” is in the same nature. You must aim at the left of the first object-ball, just wide of its rim, to score. There is no more deceptive placing of the cue-ball than by or against the cushion-rail.