that can be said to be unfair. Indeed, it is sometimes almost impossible to finish the game without exchanging men. In some situations the player with two Kings can so move them as to render the winning of the game by his opponent with three Kings, impracticable. Obviously, therefore, the proper plan is, for the player with the superior force to reduce his adversary to a single King, drive him into the double corner, and win. This is very easy. Remembering the position of the board, with the white squares marked from 1 (at the left-hand upper corner) to 32 (the right-hand lower white square), we will suppose that black has a single King in square 28; the white then brings up his men so as to occupy the squares 23 and 19. He then

Black then moves either to square 20 or 12. In either case White moves to square 11, when Black's next move must be his last, as he must move into a square commanded by one of his opponent's pieces. Thus it will be seen that the single man can always be driven out of the double corner and beaten in from seven to fifteen moves, no matter in what part of the board the two Kings may happen to be. The grand principle is, to bring up your men to the two squares in front of the double corner with only

one vacant square on each line intervening. From . that position the superior force can, as we have seen, win the game, in seven moves, whether he has the move or not.

Now let me advise those of my friends who are anxious to arrive at the honour of being considered good players, to study the position of the numbered board. They will thus become so familiar with the notation as soon to be able to play the printed games without even seeing the board.

TO KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE THE MOVE.

THE best and easiest method of ascertaining when you have the move has been stated by Mr. Martin, a player of great skill. To know when you have the move is a matter of considerable importance, especially towards the end of the game. In critical situations the possession of the move enables you to force the game and win. But if it happen that your own men are in a confined and cramped position, the knowledge as to which player will have the last move in the game is of little moment. This is a plan of discovering the player with the move :-Count all the pieces, both black and white, which stand on the columns-not the diagonals--which have a white square at the bottom. If the number be odd, and White has to play, White has the move: if the number be even, Black has the

move.

Another method, which holds good, like the foregoing, with any number of men, is this:-If you desire to know whether any piece of yours has the move of any piece of your adversary's.

you must examine the position of both. If you find a black square on the right angle under his man, you have the move. The most familiar example usually given by players is that quoted by Painter, who, in 1767, brought out a revised edition of Payne's Treatise on Draughts. And, by the way, Payne's book was probably founded on that of M. Mallett, a Parisian Professor of Mathematics, who a century earlier wrote a highly ingenious work on the game. Suppose you have a White man on square 30, and your opponent to have a Black man on square 3; in this position it will be seen that the right angle is in a black square between 31 and 32, directly under his man; consequently you have the move. Had your man been on square 29, the right angle would have been found on the black square between 30 and 31; or if it had been on square 31 the right angle would have fallen on the black square at the right-hand corner of the board, and the move would have been with your adversary. There is yet another method. In order to know if you have the move, you must count the men and the squares. If the men are even and the squares odd, or if the squares are even and the men odd, you have the move; with even squares and even men, or with odd squares and odd men, the move is with your antagonist. See this diagram:

We reckon the squares thus-From the White king on square 26 to the Black king on 28, the white squares are odd and the men even. From the White man on 32 to the Black man on 19 the squares are again odd; then which has the move? It will be seen that though the men are even, two to two, the squares are five in number-odd. In the giving of man for man it is very important to know with which player the move lies, as that often determines the game; or in driving a man into a corner-as with three kings to two-you cannot give well the exchange without you have the move.

The player who begins the game certainly has not the move, the men and the squares being both even; but though the second player has the move, it is no manner of advantage to him at

that period of the game. While the players continue to give man for man, the move belongs alternately to each, the one having it with an odd number of men-11, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1; the other with an even number-12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2. Till some mistake be made by one or other of the players, the move cannot be forced.

The ultimate fate of the game cannot be affected by the first move if it is made towards the centre of the board; but in the subsequent moves, if the game is not opened well, it must or ought to be lost. No bystander should be allowed to interfere, even if he sees a false move. Above all, the young player is recommended to use caution with promptitude, and decision with courtesy.

THE LOSING GAME.

A very pleasing variety in Draughts is made by playing what is called the Losing Game. He who first loses all his men wins the game. This losing your men is not so easy as might at first sight appear. The secret of success lies, however, in a very simple series of moves. What you have to do is, to open your game by giving piece for piece for the first three or four moves, and then open your back squares, and leave spaces between them and the advanced pieces, so as to enable you at a favourable opportunity to give two men for one. Having lost a man more than your opponent, be careful to retain that advantage by giving man for man. But you