more adequate recognition. This was done in Robertson’s Guide to the Game of Draughts, and perhaps better in Lees’ Guide (1892).
Andrew Anderson was the first recognized British champion player of the game. He and Wyllie, better known as “the herd laddie,” contested five matches for the honour, Anderson winning four to Wyllie’s one. After his victory in 1847 Anderson retired from match play and the title fell to Wyllie, who made the game his profession and travelled all over the English-speaking world to play it. In 1872 he successfully defended his position against Martins, the English champion, and in 1874 against W. R. Barker, the American champion, but two years later he was beaten by Yates, a young American. On the latter’s retirement from the game, the championship lapsed to Wyllie, who held it successfully until his defeat by Ferrie, the Scottish champion, in 1894. Two years later Ferrie was beaten in his turn by Richard Jordan of Edinburgh, who had just gained the Scottish championship; and the new holder defeated Stewart, who challenged him in 1897, and successfully defended his title against C. F. Barker, the American champion, to meet whom he visited Boston in 1900 and played a drawn match.
In 1884 the first international match between England and Scotland took place, and resulted in so decisive a victory for the northerners that the contest was not renewed for ten years. The matches played in 1894 and 1899 also went strongly in favour of the Scots, but in 1903 the Englishmen gained their first victory.
In 1905 a British team visited America and defeated a side representing the United States.
The tournament for the Scottish championship has been held annually in Glasgow since 1893. The number and skill of the Scottish players have given this tournament its pre-eminence; but if the levelling up of the standards of play in Scotland and England continues, the competition which is held biennially by the English Draughts Association is likely to rank as a serious rival to the Glasgow tourney.
| BLACK. |
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| WHITE. |
The English Game.—Draughts as played now in English-speaking countries is a game for two persons with a board and twenty-four men—twelve white and twelve black—which at starting are placed as follows: the black men on the squares numbered 1 to 12, and the white men on the squares numbered 21 to 32 on the diagram below. In printed diagrams the men are usually shown on the white squares for the sake of clearness, but in actual play the black squares are generally used now. In playing on the black squares the board must be placed with a black square in the left-hand corner. The game is played by moving a man forward, one square at a time except when making a capture, along the diagonals to the right or left. Thus a white man placed on square 18 in the diagram can move to 15 or 14. Each player moves alternately, black always moving first. If a player touch a piece he must move that piece and no other. If the piece cannot be moved, or if it is not the player’s turn to move, he forfeits the game. As soon as a man reaches one of the squares farthest from his side of the board, he is “crowned” by having one of the unused or captured men of his own colour placed on him, and becomes a “king.” A king has the power of moving and taking backwards as well as forwards.
If a man is on the square adjacent to an opponent’s man, and there is an unoccupied square beyond, the unprotected man must be captured and removed from the board. Thus, if there is a white man on square 18, and a black man on square 14, square 9 being vacant, and white having to move, he jumps over 14 and remains on square 9, and the man on 14 is taken up.
If two or more men are so placed that one square intervenes between each they may all be taken at one move. Thus if white having to move has a man on 28, and black men on 24, 16 and 8, the intermediate squares and square 3 being vacant, white could move from 28 to 3, touching 19 and 12 en route, and take the men on 24, 16, and 8; but if there is a piece on 7 and square 10 is vacant, the piece on 7 cannot be captured, for becoming a king ends the move.
It is compulsory to take if possible. If a player can take a man (or a series of men) but makes a move that does not capture (or does not capture all that is possible), his adversary may allow the move to stand, or he may have the move retracted and compel the player to take, or he may allow the move to stand and remove the piece, that neglected to capture from the board (called “huffing”). “Huff and move” go together, i.e. the player who huffs then makes his move. When one player has lost all his pieces, or has all those left on the board blocked, he loses the game.
The game is drawn when neither of the players has sufficient advantage in force or position to enable him to win.
The losing game, or “first off the board,” is a form of draughts not much practised now by expert draught players. The player wins who gets all his pieces taken first. There is no “huffing”; a player who can take must do so.
Draughts Openings.—As there are seven possible first moves, with seven possible replies to each, or forty-nine in all, there is an abundant variety of openings; but as two of these (9–14, 21–17 and 10–14, 21–17) are obviously unsound, the number is really reduced to forty-seven. Much difference of opinion exists regarding the relative strength of the various openings. It was at one time generally held that for the black side 11–15 was the best opening move.
Towards the end of the 19th century this view became much modified, and though 11–15 still remained the favourite, it was recognized that 10–15, 9–14 and 11–16 were little, if at all, inferior; 10–14 and 12–16 were rightly rated as weaker than the four moves named above, whilst 9–13, the favourite of the “unscientific” player, was found to be weakest of all.
The white replies to 11–15 have gone through many vicissitudes. The seven possible moves have each at different times figured as the general favourite. Thus 24–19, which analysis proved to be the weakest of the seven, was at one period described by the title of “Wyllie’s Invincible.” In course of time it came to be regarded as decidedly weak, and its name was altered to the less pretentious title of “Second Double Corner.” In the Scottish Tournament of 1894 this opening was played between Ferrie and Stewart, and the latter won the game with white, introducing new play which has stood the test of analysis, and so rehabilitating the opening in public favour. The 21–17 reply to 11–15 was introduced by Wyllie, who was so successful with it that it became known as the “Switcher.” This opening perhaps lacks the solid strength of some of the others, but it so abounds in traps as to be well worthy of its name. The other five replies to 11–15, namely 24–20, 23–19, 23–18, 22–18 and 22–17, are productive of games which give equal chances to both sides.
The favourite replies to 10–15 are 23–18, 22–18 and 21–17, but they do not appear to be appreciably stronger than the others, with the possible exception of 24–20.
In response to 11–16, 23–18 is held to give white a trifling advantage, but it is more apparent than real. With the exception of 23–19, which is weak, the other replies are of equal strength, and are only slightly, if at all, inferior to the more popular 23–18. 9–14 is most frequently encountered by 22–18, but all white’s replies are good, except of course 21–17 which loses a man, and 23–18 which weakens the centre of white’s position.
Against 10–14 the most popular move is 22–17, which gives white an advantage. Next in strength come 22–18 and 24–19. 23–18 is weak.
The strongest reply to 12–16 is 24–20. The others, except 23–19, which is weak, give no initial advantage to either side.
As already mentioned, 9–13 is black’s weakest opening move, both 22–18 and 24–19 giving white a distinct advantage. Nevertheless 9–13 is a favourite début with certain expert players, especially when playing with inferior opponents.
The term “opening” is frequently applied in a more restricted sense than that used above. When practically all games started with 11–15 it was convenient to assign names to the more popular lines of play. Thus 11–15, 23–19, 8–11, 22–17, if followed by 11–16, was called the “Glasgow”; if followed by 9–13, 17–14, the “Laird and Lady”; if by 3–8, the “Alma.”
The variety possible in the opening is a fair reply to the objection sometimes heard that the game does not afford sufficient scope for variation. As a matter of fact a practically unlimited number of different games might be played on any one opening.
The three following games are typical examples of the play arising from three of the most frequently played openings:—
