DRAUGHT ITEMS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 406, 28 September 1889, Page 3

DRAUGHT ITEMS.

Championship ok Auckland. — Under the heading " Who is the Champion of Auckland ?'" " Amateur " writes at some length poinfcinec out the necessity for the question being definitely settled. He lefers to the formation of the original Draughts Club in Auckland by Mr Henderson,of Ponsonby, who became first champion of this city, and states that when that gentleman went away there was no recognised champion, until Mr Wilson, of Avondale, assumed the position after issuing challenges which were not accepted. Mr Wilson next advertised that he was prepared to defend the position After some time Mr Gunthorpe challenged Mr Wilson to play on the terms previously advertised, but that gentleman offered to play for £2 instead of £5 and the Championship. " Amateur " adds :—": — " The gentleman (a lover of the game) who ' backed ' Mr Gunthorpe for the Championship, declined to have it valued at so low a trophy as £4, but was still anxious to see a trial of their skill with each other, and offered to back the youth for £2 at a private match, but claimed that the Championship be played for, coupled with a trophy of £10, i.e., £5 from each bide (according with the terms on which Mr Wilson had claimed the Championship and published his determinaton to defend it against all comers). He virtually and absolutely (if not voluntarily) ceded the Championship, whi^h Mr Gunthorpe claimed by default of Mr Wilson not accepting the terms of his own published challenge. Thus, Mr Gunthorpe became the third champion draught player of Auckland."— ["Amateur" pei-haps is not aware that a private match was subsequently played between Wilson and Gunthorpe which resulted in a victory for the former. Therefore granting that Gunthorpe has as much claim as Wilson to the title of "champion,'' still it is by no means definifpiy settled as to which is really the best draughts player. — Ed.]