DRAUGHTS.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 40, 17 December 1920, Page 6

DRAUGHTS.

(Conducted by F. Hutchins).

Let science give release To minds o'erwrought by care and . thbught ; Let the checker board be brought — the • battlefield of peace. Those who wish to maintain interest in the kingly game of draughts ar,e invi'xed to s'end along games, problems or ity nis of interest to the read ers of this cdumn. Address, Draughts Editor, "3ig,ger, " 28 Biggar street, Invercargill. PROBLEM 40. (By L. Wiiliams, Wrexham, in the the "Draughts World.") Black.

White. Black to play and win. Black 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, Kings 12, 30. White 16, 19, 23, 24, 26, 29, Kings 5, 7. In.genion.sly Constructed. SOLUTION T0: PROBLEM 29, Black 4, 14, 17, 20. White 12, 29, 32, King 19. White to play and wiri. 29.25, 17.21, 25.22, 21.25(a), 19.23, 25.30, 32.28, 30.25, 22.18, 14.17, 12.8, 4.11, 18. 15,- White wins. (a).— 20.24, 19.28, 21.25, 32.27, 25.30, 28.32.— White wins. The subjoined game was played by correspondence in 1906 between Staff-Sergt. F. W. Slade, Secunderabad, Deccan, and Drummer «T. W. Gamsby, 2nd Royal Welsh FusiMers, Agra-, Bengal : — GAME 2158— CROSS Black— Slade. White — Gamsbv.

11.15 23.18 8:11 27.23. 1,10.14 23.19

14.23 19.10 7.14 26.19 9.13 a. 31.27

6.9 24.20 1.6 27.24 3.8

32(27 14.18 22.15 11.18 * 30.26

*. — See diagram : — • Black.

White. Black to nlav.

2.7 26.22 7.11 22.15 11.18

20.16 . 6.10 24.20 ' 10.14 27.24

18.22 25.18 ' 14.23 16,11 8.15

19.10 13.17 21,14 9.18 Drawn

a.- — 30.26 is the usual move here, but l think the text move is equally as - good, and leads to some interesting play. YAR. 1.

4.8 23.19 10.14 19.10 14.23 26.19 7.14 30.26 6.10 24.20 11.15

22.17 . 15.24 28:19 8.11 32.28 9.13 26.23 13.22 25.9 5.14 29.25

3.7 25.22 11.15, 31.26 15.24 28:19 7.11. 22.18 1.5 18.9 5.14

19.16 12.19 2o.7 2.11 26.22 10.15 22.17 14.18 17.14 15.19 Drawn.

— J. W. Gamsby v. R. Menzies Comment is often made on. the length of time some play ers take to consider moves

As a rule players do not object to their opponent taking their own time in a critical position, what is irritating, however, is when a player takes minutes to consider a move that is obvious to an ordinary player. In the charopionship meeting a.t Timaru last Easter a rather amusing incident oceurred. The _ champions in the early stages of a game would move without wasting much time or even in the lat-er stages where the move was obvious, but, realising what was at stake they would take perhaps 20 or 25 minutes at critical stages, and no objection was made. An old fellow happencj to come in at one of these times and asked the doorkeeper where « the ehampions were pla.ying. The table was pointed out to liim and lie tip-toed over to it and sat down. He looked from one to the other oi the contestants and after five minutes had passed he began to wonder aard looked round at the spectators, all seemed to have their minds intent on the board. He looked again at the players but no movement, each had their eyes on the board. When a quarter of an hour had passed he tip-toed back to the doorkeeper and saying : "Them fellows are no' playing they're just looking at the board," passed out.