The Penguin Hoyle 1958

[Richard Pask]

In the section on draughts the author, Hubert Phillips, of contract bridge fame, writes: 'I first realized its possibilities when, as a schoolboy, I played some games against an ex-world champion; he set up a position in which (as he demonstrated) he had announced a win in a maximum of 53 moves.'

I wonder who this was? (Mr Phillips was born in 1891)

In his broadly positive section on the game, Mr Phillips covers the usual basics - some endings and tactics - and includes the usual dodgy advice of retaining the king-row men for as long as possible. [He doesn't say this explicitly, but it's what his 'general principle' amounts to.]

Moreover, while his 32-page coverage of the game is quite impressive, it's disconcerting to learn in the foreword that, 'I … have, I hope, said enough about [draughts] to render recourse to any other book unnecessary.' (!)

Mr Phillips was very well regarded in the field of card games, puzzles and games in general, so it's astounding [or should be!] to read such things.

Actually, in virtually every instance, it's simply a matter of ignorance: the writers in question genuinely believe what they are writing. (In the age of the Internet, such ignorance is inexcusable.)

Any photographs of Mr Phillips playing checkers?

[Edgar C. Atkinson]

It seems that there are any of four former champions that he could have played. James Wylie died in 1899, so it seems unlikely that it was him. Robert Martins died in 1904, so he would have been in advanced years at the time.

More likely seems James Ferrie or Richard Jordan. Ferrie defeated Wylie in a marathon match for the title in 1894 and, then, lost a closely contested title match to Richard Jordan in 1896. Jordon abandoned the title in 1903. Either of these two could have calculated a 53 move win such as, say, a phase of Second Position.