XIX
Classified List of Principal Openings.
9-13 Opening.
| Edinburgh | 9-13 |
9-14 Opening
| Double Corner | 9-14 |
| Choice | 9-14, 22-18, 11-15 |
10-14 Opening
| Denny | 10-14 |
10-15 Opening
| Kelso | 10-15 |
11-15 Opening
11-16 Opening.
| Bristol | 11-16, 24-20 |
| Liverpool | 11-16, 24-20, 9-13, 20-11 8-15 |
| Paisley | 11-16, 24-19 |
| Manchester | 11-16, 23-18 |
| London | 11-16, 22-18 |
| White Doctor | 11-16, 22-18, 10-14, 24-20 16-19, 23-16, 14-23 |
| Leeds | 11-16, 22-17 |
| Newcastle | 11-16, 21-17 |
12-16 Opening.
| Dundee | 12-16 |
The Losing Game.
As a matter of fact very fine scientific play is possible with this form of Draughts, but all the same the youngest beginner can play at it, and very amusing results will follow. The object in the game is for one of the players to give all his men away, or get them fixed immovably, which, of course, would be a lost game in ordinary draughts, but is a won one at the losing game. It must be borne in mind, in playing the losing game, that it is not good policy to give away men at the beginning of the game so as to be left with three men against six, or two against five, for as a matter of fact in most positions the player with the superior forces can give all his men away, leaving the other player with one or more of his men left. Here is where the laugh comes in. The hasty player keeps giving away his men until possibly he has only one left, whilst his more wary opponent has three or four. But can he give that man away and so win? Not much! He soon finds he is perfectly helpless, and the other player can force him to take all his men, whilst his solitary man or King remains still on the board, a woeful example of “vaulting ambition, overleaping itself and falling on t’other side.” In the losing game it is a case of “the more haste the least speed,” for he who is too hasty to give away his men at the beginning finds he cannot give the remainder away at the end. From the first “position” must be played for, the board opened, and men exchanged carefully, so that at the end the player who wants to win may have such advantage that he can compel his opponent to capture his remaining pieces. When the game is reduced to one man on each side he who has “the move,” as it is called, which would enable him to win, or draw, at the least, in the ordinary game must lose at the Losing Game. Here is an example of
A Losing Game.
Another form of the Losing Game is for one player to have all his twelve men against a single man of the other player. I give a position of this kind as
A Problem in the Losing Game.
Fig. 25.
The 12 Black men on their original squares.
White man on 29.
Black to move and win, that is, give all his men away.
Another funny form of draughts is for one player to give the other the odds of having once (or oftener during the progress of the game) the right of moving twice in succession, this right being exercised at such time as the odds-receiver may choose. There should be great disparity in the strength of the two players, as the odds is really very great.
The Interchanged Men.
As a final poser for those who like to puzzle their brains, I give the following as a problem. Place the men in due order on the draught-board, and then by a series of legal moves reverse the position of the men, that is, the Black men must stand where the White men came from, and vice versa.
Quaternions.—Quaternions is the name of a somewhat easy yet interesting game played on a checkered board (similar to a draughts board) with thirty-two counters or draughtsmen (sixteen white and sixteen black). The players move alternately by placing one of their men on a white square of the board, and the object of the game is to get four men of the same colour in a line, either perpendicular, horizontal, or diagonally, and the player who first succeeds in doing this wins the game. Of course, each player also does his best to stop his opponent from forming his quaternion or file of four. Should neither player be able to form a quaternion, then the game is drawn.
To show clearly what a quaternion is, I give the following diagram:—
Fig. 26.
The four men on squares 1, 2, 3, and 4, form a quaternion, and similarly do those on 5, 13, 21, and 29, and those on 10, 15, 19, and 24. The numbers here given to the squares are the same as in draughts. The point to be borne in mind in playing the game is to try to unite a perpendicular with a horizontal line of squares, or with a diagonal line. By careful play three men can be got on one of these lines, and three on a communicating line, each having a vacant square. The player of the opposite colour can fill only one of these squares, and consequently cannot prevent the formation of the quaternion on the other line.
The most careful play on both sides is required from the very first move, or the game can be forced right off. I give a diagram of an opening:—
Fig. 27.
It is now Black’s turn to play, and he must stop White from forming a line of three men with a vacant square at each end. To do this he must place a man either on 7 or 17. Supposing he plays on to 17, then White can force the game thus:—
| White. | Black. | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 23 | Black plays on 23 to stop White |
| 7 | 3 | getting an open three; 9 would not |
| 9 | 5 | be so good. |
| 11 | 12 | |
| 2 |
The position is now as diagrammed:—
Black to Play.
Fig. 28.
It will be seen that White has now three on a perpendicular (beginning at 2) with a vacant square, and he also has three on a diagonal (also beginning at 2) with a vacant square. Black can now only occupy one of the vacant squares, and White thereupon occupies the other, thereby forming his quaternion and winning. Black lost the game on his second play by placing his man on 17; had he gone on to 7 his game would have been as good as White’s.
Now for a few general hints. Open the game on the middle of the board. Play to squares near those occupied by your opponent’s men. Keep your men in connection (with an eye to forming threes, as in the illustrative game given above). Keep forming threes as long as you can so as to force your opponent to stop the threatened quaternion. Keep a wary eye always on your opponent’s game, and try to confine him as much as possible so as to prevent him from forming threes with an adjacent vacant square. Play the cautious game rather than the risky one—that is, keep the draw always in hand, and win if you can.
Consequences.—Each player has a slip of paper. Three inches broad and eight inches long is a convenient shape and size. Each player writes upon the top an adjective which might be applied to a lady, and then folds the top of the slip so as to cover the word. All now pass their slips to their neighbours so that each one has another slip. Without looking at the adjective, which should be well covered by the fold, each writes the name of a lady who is in the room, and folds the slip again so that no writing may be seen. Once more the slips are passed along, and upon the new slip which each player has now should be written an adjective applicable to a gentleman. Fold the paper and pass it along again. This process is repeated until this adjective has been followed by the name of some gentleman of the party, then by the name of a place, next by what the gentleman said to the lady, then her reply. After that come the consequences, and finally what the world said. All the slips are now dropped into a hat, and someone is appointed to read them one by one, supplying the verbs in the right place. They will create roars of laughter, for they will run something like this: Simpering Jane Cook met Knock-kneed Peter Thompson up a tree. He said to her, “Well, I am surprised” and she replied, “Does your mother know you’re out?” The consequences were that he pawned his boots, and the world said, “I told you so.”
Concert.—The players having selected a “conductor,” seat themselves round him. The conductor now gives to each a musical instrument, and shows how it is to be played. When all are provided with their imaginary instruments, he orders them to tune, and so gives each musician a chance to make all sorts of noises. Next the conductor waves an imaginary baton, and begins to hum a lively tune, in which he is accompanied by his band, each player imitating with his hands the different movements made in performing on his supposed instrument. Every now and then the conductor pretends to play an instrument, and the player to whom it belongs must instantly alter his movements for those of the conductor, and continue to beat time until the conductor abandons his instrument. Should a player fail to take the conductor’s office at the proper time, he must pay a forfeit.
Shadow Buff.—A sheet or other large piece of white linen should be fastened at one end of the room, so that it hangs without wrinkles; Buff seats himself on a low stool with his face to the sheet, and a table, on which is a lighted candle, should be placed about four or five feet behind him, and the rest of the lights in the room extinguished. Buff’s playfellows next pass in succession, between him and the candle, distorting their features as much as possible—hopping, limping, and performing odd antics, so as to make their shadows very unlike themselves. Buff, who is not blindfolded, must try to guess to whom the shadows belong, and if he guesses correctly, the player whose shadow he recognises takes his place. Buff is allowed only one guess for each person, and must not turn his head either to the right or to the left to see who passes.
The Boat Race.—A most exciting game, and one that is particularly suited to parties. Any number of players may take part in it, the more the merrier, and they must be divided into two sides. The players stand in two rows, facing one another; at one end of the line there is the starter and at the other the umpire.
At the word “Go!” the starter drops a penny into the hands of each of the two men nearest him. These two men then drop it into the outstretched palms of the people next to them, and so the pennies are passed along from one to the other, and the winning side is the one which manages to get its penny into the hands of the umpire first. A great point which all the players must bear in mind is that on no account must the coin be touched by the fingers. Each player must secure the penny in the palms of his hands placed together, and must drop the penny into the hands of the man next him by simply opening his palms. This greatly adds to the fun of the game. In the hurry to pass on the coin the excited player will drop the money and pick it up in his fingers, and his side is then disqualified for that game.
A Musical Glass.—Take a thin cut-glass goblet, and having cut out of stiff writing-paper a cross with arms of equal length, lay it on the top of the glass, and turn down each end of the four arms, so that the cross will not slip off. Having thus fitted the cross, take it off the glass and pour water into the glass until it is nearly full. Now wipe the rim carefully, so that no particle of moisture remains on it, and replace the cross. You can make the glass vibrate and give out a sound by rubbing your damped finger over some part of the exterior. That is why it is called a musical glass; but an even more wonderful experiment may be made with it. You rub the glass with your damped finger under one of the arms of the cross; the cross will not move. Rub it between any two of the arms, and the cross will begin to turn slowly, as if by magic, and will not stop turning until one of the arms reaches a point immediately over the place you are rubbing. You can then move your finger round the glass and make the cross move as you please.
Boomerangs.
Boomerangs.—The wooden boomerang of the Australian savage has elements of danger, and attempts should not be made to throw it except away from other people and from animals. Even the thrower will do well to have a tree behind which he can retire; but meanwhile much fun can be derived from small boomerangs made of pasteboard. They should be cut in the shapes given, A and B are the best. There is no need to be very exact, but the card should not be bent and should be capable of lying flat upon a table. Other similar shapes may be invented. The curious flight of a little boomerang of this kind is induced by placing it upon a book with one of its ends projecting over the side of the book. Raise the book to a level with your eyes and then with a pencil or penholder strike sharply the edge of the boomerang near the end. Do not treat the boomerang as though you were playing at tip-cat or “peggy,” and avoid smiting it upon its upward flat surface. When you have learned to hit it properly it will skim through the air, then rise a little, and finally come back to some place not far from its starting-point. In any case its peculiar movements are likely to be amusing. A flip with the finger nail is another way to start the boomerang upon its course.
An Amusing Game.—In this game the ball is an empty egg-shell, and the field a covered table.
After the sides have been chosen—any number of persons taking part—the players kneel at both sides of the table, a captain at the head on one side, and another captain at the foot on the other side. In front of each captain are placed two upright articles—candlesticks, tumblers, or what not. These are the goals, across which a ribbon is stretched.
The egg-shell is placed in the centre of the table, and put in play by both captains blowing at it. All the other players then assist in the blowing, which keeps the ball moving about the table at such a rapid succession of tangents as to cause a great deal of fun. Soon most of the players will be helpless with laughter.
A touchdown, which scores four points, is made by blowing the ball through the opponents’ goal. The captain of the victorious side then takes the ball back to the opposite goal and blows it across the table, the object being to pass it through the same goal again. This, if successful, scores two more points.
The time limit of the game is thirty minutes, divided into two parts of fifteen minutes each. After the first half the two teams change positions, as in football.
Nine Men’s Morris.—Two persons, having each of them nine pieces, or men, different in colour from those of his opponent, lay them down alternately, one by one, upon the spots; and the aim of both players is to prevent his antagonist from placing three of his pieces so as to form a row of three without the intervention of an opposing piece. If a row be formed, he that made it is at liberty to take up one of his competitor’s pieces from any part he thinks most to his advantage; unless he has made a row, which must not be touched. When all the pieces are laid down, they are played backwards and forwards in any direction that the lines run, but can only move from one spot to another at one time. He that takes all his antagonist’s pieces, is the winner.
Nine Men’s Morris. Fox and Geese.
Fox and Geese.—Fifteen draughtsmen serve for the flock of geese. The fox may be two draughtsmen placed one upon another. The game is played on a board marked as shown in the illustration. Sometimes holes are pricked at the junction of the lines and pegs are used instead of draughtsmen. The fox is placed in the middle of the board, and the geese as shown in the illustration. The game is to confine the fox to some spot on the board, so that there shall be either the edge of the board or else two rows of men round him. When the fox cannot escape, the game is done, and the player of the geese wins; but when one of the geese is left on a point next to that occupied by the fox, and is not supported by another goose behind, or by the edge of the board, the fox can take it, and by jumping over its head to the next space, as in draughts, he may, perhaps, escape the others, as all the geese are compelled to move forwards towards the end of the board that was unoccupied at the commencement of the game. The fox is allowed to move either backwards or forwards. Neither the fox nor a goose must be moved more than one space at a time. If the fox neglects to take when he has a chance, he is huffed, and one of the captured geese is restored to the board. The fox should avoid getting into the lower square of the board if possible, as he will find it difficult to extricate himself from a position which can be so easily blockaded.
Fox and Geese — A Second Method.
A Second Method.—There is another way of playing fox and geese on a chessboard, with four white men, representing the geese, and one black one, for the fox.
The geese are placed on the four white squares nearest one player, and the fox may be put where his owner pleases. The best place for him is that marked in the diagram.
The geese can move forward only, and the fox moves either way. The object of the geese is to pen the fox so that he cannot move, and the fox has to break through.
The geese have a great advantage, and a good player keeps them in a line as much as he can. This the fox tries to prevent, and if the geese make a false move he is able generally to break through the line.
Puzzles.—Dead Dogs Made Living.—The dead dogs are, by placing two lines upon them, to be suddenly aroused to life and made to run away. How and where should these lines be placed, and what should be the shapes of them?
Dead Dogs Made Living.
The Springs Puzzle.—A is a wall, B C D three houses, and E F G three springs. It is required to bring the water from E to D, from G to B, and from F to C, without one pipe or channel crossing the other, and without passing outside of the wall A.
The Springs Puzzle.
Three Square Puzzle.
Three-Square Puzzle.—Cut seventeen slips of cardboard of equal lengths, and put them on a table to form six squares, as in the figure. Now take away five of the pieces, leaving only three perfect squares.
Six and Five Make Nine.—Draw six vertical lines, and, by adding five more lines let the whole make nine.
Six and Five Make Nine.
Cylinder Puzzle.—Cut a piece of cardboard about four inches long, of the oblong shape of the figure, and make three holes in it as shown. Make one piece of wood pass through, and also exactly fill, each of the three holes.
Cylinder Puzzle.
A Button Puzzle.—In the middle of a piece of leather make two parallel cuts, and below a small hole of the width of the distance between the cuts, pass a piece of string under the slit and through the hole, as in the diagram, and tie two buttons much larger than the hole to the ends of the string. The problem is to draw the string out without taking off the buttons.
A Button Puzzle.
A Slit Puzzle.
A Slit Puzzle.—Cut a round piece of wood as in A, and four others, like B. Get them all into the cross-shaped slit, as in C.
Creeping Through a Small Space.
Creeping Through a Small Space.—Take a piece of cardboard or of leather, the shape and size suggested in the diagram. Cut it in such a way that you may creep through it, still keeping it in one piece.
An Ingenious Square.—Here is a way to place one to nine in three rows of three figures each, so that they will add up to fifteen in eight different ways.
The Cabinet-Maker’s Problem.—A cabinet-maker had a round piece of veneering, with which he has to cover the tops of two oval stools. It so happens that the area of the stools, without the hand-holes in the centre, and the circular piece, are the same. How must he cut his veneer so as to be exactly enough for his purpose?
Circle Puzzle.—Secure a piece of cardboard, the size and shape of the diagram, and punch in it twelve holes in the position shown in the diagram. Cut the cardboard into four pieces of equal size, each piece to be of the same shape, and to contain three holes, without cutting into any of them.
Circle Puzzle.
The Nuns.—Twenty-four nuns were placed in a convent by night to count nine each way, as in the figure. Four of them went for a walk; how were the remaining nuns arranged in the square so as still to count nine each way? The four who went out returned, bringing with them four friends; how were they all arranged still to count nine each way, and thus to deceive the sister in charge, as to whether there were 20, 24, 28, or 32 in the square?
The Nuns.
Cross-Cutting.—How can you cut out of a single piece of paper, and with one cut of the scissors, a perfect cross, and all the other forms that are shown in the diagram?
Cross Cutting.
Cross Puzzle.—Cut three pieces of paper to the shape of A, one to the shape of B, and one to that of C. Let them be of the same relative sizes as in the diagram. Place the pieces together so as to form a cross.
More Cross Cutting.—With three pieces of cardboard of the form and size of A, and one each of B and C, to form a cross.
Cross Puzzle. More Cross Cutting.
A Problem for Surveyors.—A gentleman who lived in a house on an estate decided that he would divide the estate into five building plots. There were ten fine old trees, and his instructions to the surveyor were: Don’t count my house in the division. I shall have that extra, but divide the remainder of the park into five equal parts with straight boundaries. I shall retain one part for my own grounds. Be careful to arrange that each plot shall have two of the trees. How did the surveyor divide the estate?
A Problem for Surveyors.
Another Problem for Surveyors.—A squire planted a number of oaks when his heir was born, and on the twenty-seventh birthday of the young man there was a tree for every year, and yet though there were only 27 trees, there were ten rows and six trees in each row, which made sixty, the age of the squire himself. How did he manage it?
Halfpence Puzzle.—Place ten halfpence in a row on the table. Take up one of them and place it on another, never in any case passing over more than two halfpence. Repeat the operation until no halfpenny remains by itself in the row.
Puzzling Advice.—Read the following:—
If your B m t put :
When your IS . putting :
The Miser’s Ruse.—A miser once asked his tenants to dinner at an inn, and asked the landlord to join the party. When the bill was presented, the miser suggested that they should cast lots who should pay the score. It was decided that they should be counted by the days of the week, and that every time he who counted called “Saturday,” the person so named should leave the room until there was only one man left, and he should pay. How did the miser manage to throw the expense on the landlord?
Two Eyes Better than One.—Put a coin on a table’s edge, with half the coin’s edge overlapping. Move three yards away and close one eye; now advance, and try to knock it off with one finger, keeping the one eye shut all the time.
Wolf, Goat, and Cabbages.—Suppose a man has a wolf, a goat, and some cabbages on the bank of a river, and he wishes to cross with them, and that his boat is only large enough to carry one out of the three besides himself. He must, therefore, take them over one by one, in such a manner that the wolf shall have no opportunity of devouring the goat, or the goat the cabbages. In which way is he to do this?
The Double Handcuffs.
The Double Handcuffs.—Ask two friends to allow their hands to be fastened together with string, which must be looped, as shown in the illustration. Now tell them to liberate themselves without unfastening the knots, or cutting the string.