DRAUGHTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 58, 6 September 1926, Page 6

DRAUGHTS

CHAMPIONSHIP OF NEW

ZEALAND

The New Zealand Draughts Association, wliicli has its headquarters in Dunedin, lias asked the Wellington Centre to organise and conduct the next tourney to decido the Dominion Championship. This contest will therefore ho held at the rooms of tho Wellington Working Men's Club and Literary Institute, play commencing on 10th April next (Good Friday). When tho New Zealand Draughts Championship was last fought out in this city in 1921, there were three prizes, viz., £15 £12, and £9,. while seven prizes, raugin" from £8 down to 10s, were allotted to the sealed handicap event that was run in conjunction with the main tourney. Subscription lists have been issued to a number ot local enthusiasts, and also to collectors In other centres who are known to have the Interests of tho game at heart. If their efforts to collect subscriptions are successful the prize -list should be at least up to that of the 1021 contest referred to above. Each subscription list has a second page, which Is reserved as a "one shilling list," to enable friends to help who are willing to givo a "goodwill" shilling, but who are not sufficiently interested to contribute more. The local executive is drawn from the Working Men's Club, and also from the Watersiders' Draught Club. It consists of Messrs. A. B. Ballard (president of the W.M. Club), T. Pressley (chairman of tho W.M. Club's Chess and Draughts section), T. Costello, J. .Coulter, J. Leggatt, H S. Pearson, E. Butler, J. Kent, C. Soilness, H Douglas, H. Anderson, J. M'Lean, and H. Lockerbie, with power to add to their number. It is hoped shortly to add the namo of h. Clure, a prominent local enthusiast who is expected to return from Sydney during the. present mouth. Mr. F. K. Kclling, hon. reporter of the W.M. Club.'s Chess and Draughts Section, is acting as hon. secretary until the draughts players can find an executive officer from amongst themselves. A meeting of tho local oxecutive was held on Saturday evening In tho rooms of the W.M. Club, Mr. Pressley presiding. A letter was read from Mr. James Beecot, acting hon. secretary of the New Zealand Draughts Association (Dunedin), urging tho advisableness of deciding the nature of the tourney as soon as possible. In this connection ho wrote as follows:—"Tho executive stands for the twolife knock-out system, or tho all-round tourney, the latter for preference. The former is of no use to the weaker players. A third method, the sectional system, was adopted In Dunedin last Easter, in response to a cry from various quarters for a shorter tourney, and in that respect it was successful. Believe me, no matter wiiat system your centre decides on it will not please everyone." Cuttings from ths "Otago Witness," giving the views of prominent players on tho vexed question as to what is the best kind of tourney were also forwarded from headquarters for the guidance of tho meeting. After discussing the matter from various angles it was unanimously decided, ou the motion of Mr. Costolio, that the contest ho a full-round tourney, each entrant playing two games with every other competitor. If tho entries are so numerous as to prove embarrassing tho position will presumably have to be reviewed. On tho motion of Mr. Kent, it was decided to require ontrles to bo in tho hands of the hon. secretary by Bth April, i.e., a week before play starts. It is proposed, later on, to appoint three local exports to act with a like number chosen from the visitors to decide details of play, the handicaps, and various other matters. A good start has been made with the local subscription lists, thanks to handsome donations from Messrs. Brockenshlre, Kent, Ballard, Costello, Pressley, A. Skerrett, Manson, Soilness, Wring, and H. S. Pearson. Mr. William Penman, a former champion who recently returned from Southland, writes from Huntly to say that he hopes to bo a competitor. Tho committee of the Worldng Men's Club is repeating its kindness of 1921 by placing its large hall at the disposal of tho tourney, which should be one of the most successful in the history of Njw Zealand draughts, if other centres accord tnc co-operation a3ked for.