DRAUGHTS.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 24, 27 August 1920, Page 11

DRAUGHTS.

(Conducted by F. Hutchins).

Draughts Club meets in Athenaeum smoke room on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. PRDBLEM 24. Bv P. Thirkell, Bensham-on-Tyne. BLACK.

WHITE. White to play and win. Bhack 3, 12, 20, Kings 9, 17, 26^ 27. White 5, 6, 15, '16, 18, 23, 24, King 19. An excellent composition, and one that will tax the ingenuity of our solvers. MASTERS COMPETING ! Tlie players who lose most games between the moves are those' who resent the expenditure of time by their adversaries, and whose nerves consequently get into such an irritable state that it is impossible for them to return to the game in a judgmatic frame of mind. No doubt excitable and impatient amateurs suffer fcorments when they have some scheme that they are burning to execute, and are kept for a long time on the thorns of uncertainty. It might be thought that masters compeling in a great tournament would have cultivated the knack of controllirig their sensations, but even they do not always succeed. The following game is very interesting and instructive as showing another stroke that the amateur should try to avoid.

(a) 17.13 wonld have been better. Below is an instructive study of a game played in the thirteenth Scottish tournament taken from the "Draughts World." SECOND DOUBLE CORNER.

(a) Varies from preeeding game, and leads to some fine play. (b) Black at this point has choice of 9.14, 10.14, or 4.8, all forming safe lines. (c) 26.22 and 18.14 are drawable, the latter being very critical for White. (d) 16.20 and 10.14 end in draws. (e)' White can vary with 22.17 or 27.24, although some experts are inclined to the belief that 27.24 is a loss. (e) Best. (g) 6.10 draws. (h) 9.13, etc., draws. (i) White's only move. (j) The following occurred between Yates a-nd Wyllie: —

(k) 8.12 draws. (l) To the finish the game has been played on well-known lines. (m) 22.18 would lose. (n) 28.24 leads to an interesting variation, latterly drawing. (o) 26.23 would be fatal, thus : — 26.23. 28.24 22.18 24.19 10.15 11.16 15.22 22.26 B. wins.

10.14 11.16 14.18 4.8 25.22 22.18 29.25 23.14 31.26a 10.19 2.7 7.10 8.11 9.18 18.23 3.10 22.18 25.22 18.15 21.17 27.18 6.31 7.11 3.7 11.18 16.23 12.16 17.14 30.25 24.19 22.15 26.19. 19.3 1.6 31.26 B. wins.

DENNEYS.

Black— BURNS. White— BRADLEY. 11.15 7.10g 6.10 19.16 24.19 32,28 15. 6 24.27 15.24 3. 7ir 1.10 16.11 28.19 18.l5i 25.22n 27.31 8.11a 9.13j 8.11 11. 7 22.18 19.16m 27.23o 31.27 11.16b 12.19 11.15 7. 2 25.22o 23.16 23.18 27.23 4. 8d 10.19 14.23 2. 6 29.25e 24.15 26.19 10.15 10.14 7.11k 15.24 6.10 27.24 16. 7 28.19 15.19 16.20 2.18 20.24 21.17l 31.27b 22.15 Drawn.

14.18 19.16 5. 9 '21.14 23.14 12.19 17.13 11.15 9.18 24.15 9.14 28.24 26.23 6.10 25.21 18.22 7.11 15. 6 18.22 14.10 23. 7 1.10 26.17 22.26 11.18 21.17 14.18 10. 7 22.15 8.11 17.14 26.31 2.18 30.26 10.17 Drawn.