INTERPROVINCIAL DRAUGHT MATCH.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1607, 15 April 1879, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL DRAUGHT MATCH.

Canterbury v Otago. The above match (says the Otago " Daily Times "), which has created so much interest among the draught players of the colony, took place in one of the large private rooms in Watson's Hotel, Dunedin, on Saturday last. The match arose out of a friendly challenge on the part of the President of the Dunedin Draught Club on behalf of the players of Otago. The challenge was to play any number of representatives from six to nine, but unfortunately for Otago, only three from Canterbury could mike it convenient to pay a visit to Dunedin at the present time, and these happen to be exceptionally good playors, having played in various matches at Homo, not to speak of having had the honor of playing with the " Herd Livddie," Martins, and other well-known celebrities in the draught world. Unfortunately, we say, because it is generally acknowledged that Otago could produce a larger team of players much abovo the average than any other province in the colony. This is easily accounted for from the fact of its being originally a Scottish settlement, and draughts being the national in-door game of Scotland,

it may be some consolation to the Otago players to know that the representatives of Canterbury all hail from "the Land of Cakes," so that after all they have only been beaten by their own flesh and blood. It was arranged before commencing play that each sot of players was to play six games, and the side which scored the greatest number of games was to be the victor. Play was commenced about i quarter-past two o'clock, and the players were pitted against one another as follows, and with the following result : OTAGO. Wins. Draws. No. 1 table—Bobin 0 3 No. 2 table—Reid 22 No. 3 table—Watson 2 0 4 5 CANTERBURY. Wins. Draws. No. 1 table—Menzies 3 3 No. 2 table-Little 22 No. 3 table—Bob well 4 0

From the above it will be seen that Canterbury won the match by five games. During play the room was crowded with spectators, who took a lively interest in the proceedings, and who wandered from one table to another to see how the match was progressing, The intense earnestness of the players would have been a fine study for the painter, and we would have almost imagined that the settlement of the Eastern Question was a small matter compared with the importance of securing a victory. The countenances of the spectators were also well worth watching. Several took particular interest in particular players, and watched the games with keen attention. At times their excitement could no longer be restrained, so they would tap a friend gently on the shoulder (as speaking was of course strictly prohibited) and take him away to a far off corner in the room, and Borne such conversations might frequently be overheard, " Man, Reid's no' playing his usual the day at a' at a'; he let slip a fine chance the noo which wa'd ha' won the game. Come ower to this table, here, and I'll show you the position. I'm astonished he didna see it." After placing the men in the position, he pointed out to his friend the move which he thought was bound to win the game. " Noo, ye see, had he jist given that man he could ha' got twa for it wi' a guid position." His friend, after looking at it for a moment, pointed out that, though he won a man, Little, next move, could have given one man and taken three. To his astonishment, on looking further into it, he found this was correct, but said, " If it had na been for that it wad hae been a grand move." Others, again, would whisper into their friend's ear, "There's a fine move on," and Bay, " I think he's bound to play twenty to sixteen," or such like; and, to his great relief, he finds that the player saw the very move he was speaking about, and played accordingly. A well known Government servant, with strong Provincial proclivities, and a bit of a draughtplayer in his way, would come in now and then to inquire how the match was going on; and when he heard that Canterbury was still ahead he would say, " Man, that's astonishing ; I thocht Otago wad hae beat them hollow. Is there nae chance at a'?' And when he learned that Canterbury had won, the only consolation he could find was in the fact of all the players being Scotch. There is no douot that thiß has proved the most interesting draught match that has ever taken place in the colony, and it will cause far more attention to be directed to what is no doubt a very scientific and interesting game. The match was finished about 6 o'clock.