The Boy's Own Book of Indoor Games and Recreations / A Popular Encyclopædia for Boys

by C. Stansfeld Hicks; John Nevil Maskelyne; Gordon Stables

15	to	18	—	4	—	24	to	20
11	to	15	—	5	—	28	to	24
8	to	11	—	6	—	26	to	23

The following is now the position. Both sides are well placed, and the game, if played thoroughly, should end in a draw, with White for preference.

Black has now the choice of two moves. We will suppose that he defends his position by moving from 9 to 14.

The first double column gives the moves from the position in the diagram; six moves on each side having been made. The other columns show six variations. The star indicates the losing move in each case.

12				26	*	22	25		22
13	9	-	14	9	-	14	18	-	25
14	31		26	31	-	26	29		22
15	6	-	9	5	-	9	9	-	14
16	13		6	26		23	27		23
17	2	-	9	1	-	5	6	-	9
18	26		22	22		17	13		6
19	1	-	6	11		16	2	-	9
20	32		28	20		11	22		17
21	3	-	8	7	-	16	15		18	..			..			9	*	13
22	30		26	25		22	17		13	32		28				26		22
23	9	-	13	18	-	25	18	-	27	18	-	27				3	-	8	..
24	19		16	29		22	13		6	19		16				23		18
25	12	-	19	3	-	7	14	-	18	12	-	19				14	-	23
26	23		16	22		18	32		14	24		8				31	-	27
27	13	-	17	15	-	22	10	-	17	3	-	12				15	-	18	5	*	9
28	22		13	19		15	21		14	31		24				22		6	27		18
29	8	-	12	10	-	28	1	-	17	9	-	13				13	-	22	1	-	5
30	24		19	17		3	26		22	26		22				27		18	30		26
31	15	-	31	22	-	26	17	-	26	7	-	11				1	-	10	9	-	14
32	26		22	3		8	30	*	23	30	*	26				18		14	18		9
33	12	-	19	16	-	20	5	-	9	1	-	6				10	-	17	5	-	14
34	22		8				23		18	26		23	24	*	19	21		14	26		23
35	14	-	17	white wins.			7	-	10	11	-	15	11	-	15				15	-	18
36	21		14				31		26	24		19	28		24	white wins.			22		6
37	10		17				9	-	13	15	-	24	15	-	18				13	-	22
38	8		3				26		23	28		19	22		15				6		2
39	7	-	10				13	-	17	6	-	9	13	-	31				7	-	10
40	25		21				18		14	20		16	15		11				32		28
41	17	-	22				17	-	21	10	-	15	14	-	18				22	-	25
42	20		16				14		7	17		10	11		7				23		18
43	10	-	14				3	-	10	15	-	24	31	-	26				14	-	23
44	16		11							23		19	21		17				19		16
45	31	-	26				black wins.			24	-	27	26	-	22
46	11		8							10		6	17		13				white wins.
										27	-	31	18	-	23
										6		2	7		3
	draw.									black			black
										wins.			wins.

If you play out these games carefully you will see that there is a reason for each move, and thus demonstrate that Draughts is a scientific game possessing no element of luck or chance.

THE LAIRD AND LADY.

The opening known as the Laird and Lady is a favourite with players north of the Tweed. Rare fine players at Draughts are the Scotsmen. They carried the game across the Atlantic, where it is popularly known as Checquers, or, as the New Englanders spell it, Checkers.

The first two moves on each side in the Laird and Lady are the same as those in the Old Fourteenth.