positions are king at 28 and at 30; black’s at 24and 19. Black moves
| Black. | White. | |
| 24 to 27. | 28 to 32. | |
| 19 to 23. | 30 to 26. | |
| 23 to 30. | 32 to 23. | |
| 30 to 25. | 23 to 26. | |
| 25 to 30. | 26 to 22, | and wins. |
Another case may be tried with caution, and which is as follows, two kings each: black at 15 and 23; white at 16 and 25. White moves,
| Black. | White. | ||
| 25 to 22. | 23 to 18. | ||
| 16 to 11. | 18 to 25. | ||
| 11 to 18, | and wins next move by blocking. | ||
These are not positions likely to entrap very good players, but succeed very often with average hands.
The game in these instances resulted in the winner having what is called "the move." To ascertain whether you have the move of any one of your adversary's men, examine the situation of each. If your opponent has a black square at a right angle under his man, you have the move, and vice versa.
Draughts is in reality a deeply interesting game, and one that is very rarely appreciated.
THE LOSING GAME OF DRAUGHTS.
7 ane game of draughts is rarely understood, and there- ly appreciated. We believe that there is even more tht required in the losing than in the winning game of
s, for it is equally as necessary to see several moves on d the game may be almost instantly lost bya thought-
in at the losing game we must compel our adversary to our men, and the novice usually commences by losing y men as possible. This proceeding is an error; the s the advantage who has the most men on the table, be instanced by one or two examples. white to have a king on each of the four squares; 1, black, one on 31, First, we wil! suppose that white 's thus :— White. Black. 4to8, gt to 27. 3to7. 27 to 23. 2 to 6. 23 to 18. 1tog. st now retreat, for, if he moves to 14 or 15, the game ost, as he may be compelled to take each of his opponent’s in succession. Thus, suppose he move to 14 :— ) White. Black.
A ew ws
sto 9. 14to 5. 6to 9. 5 to 14. 7 to to. 14to 7. 8 to 11 and wins,
Ss move must be a retreat in answer to white’s £ to
Black. White. 18 to 22. sto 9 22 to 26. 6tom 26 to 31. 14 to 18,
to.
n of each, If your opponent has a black square at_ GAMES OF SKILL. 425 At this point, if white advanced from 18 to 23 to be taken, he would lose the game unless very careful, as the lost man would have the move against him. His best move, therefore, would be 18 to 25. If black moves to 24, he loses. Black had better move to 32, and white 6 to ro.
Black. White. 32 to 28. 8 to rr. 28 to 32, 15 to 19. 32 to 28. 19 to 24. 28 to 19. to to 15. tgto 3 Z txto 7, and wins,
We will now point out the best ‘‘traps” for the losing game. .
Suppose white’s men to be placed from 2r to 32. If then we can secure one of the adversary’s. men at 21, we are almost certain to lose all our men first, and thus to win the gamie, for, by keeping this man blocked until required, he can be made ‘use of at the right time, Let us take si example, white moving first.
A White. Black. 22 to 18. g to 14. 18 to 9 ‘ 5 to 14 (very bad play; at to17. 14to 21. this ought to 24 to 20, trto16. have been 6 20 to rr, 7to 16, to 13.)
2g to 18 (nota good move, but will ro to 15. x8tor. serve to illustrate the 8 to 15. 28 to 24. advantageof manat 21.) 15 to co.
24 t0 15. 6 to 10. 15t0 6. Ito 10. 26 to 22, 4to 8 27 to 23. 16 tO 19. 23 to 16, 12 to 19. 22 to 18. to to 15, to 4 gto 8. 4torr. 2to 7 ato 2.
White now has six men on the board, whilst black has only two; but white can reduce this number at any time by moving go to 26, Black can only move Ig to 24 or to 23. Suppose he move it to 23, then it will be better for white to reduce black to one as follows :—
White. Black. 3 to 27. 23 to 26. go to 23. 21 to 30. 2g to 25. go to at. 32 to 28, arto17. 28 to 24. 17 to 14.
If black move to 18, r0, or g, he loses at once, so 14 to 17 is the best move. If white move 27 to 23 he loses the game, for black would move 17 to 22, from which white could not escape. Hence the game would be best played by
White. Black.
ato 6, 17 to at,
6 to 10. arto 25, to to 14. 25 to 30. 14 to 17
The game might now be prolonged, but still to win the losing game with the four against one is almost a certainty, as it can only be lost by an oversight.
