Who said it?

[Richard Pask]

Help required please! I've forgotten who's meant to have said, 'The game of checkers [draughts] is played by a maximum of persons with a minimum of intelligence.' Also, could you, if possible, give me a book reference.

Personally, I don't like quotation as it's ambiguous, but that is by the way. I greatly prefer, 'Everyone plays draughts, but there are few draughts players.'

[Ed Gilbert]

https://www.irishdraughts.org/quotes.html

[Richard Pask]

Many thanks!

[liam stephens]

Draughts - Pithy Quotes

Chess, as a showy game may claim the sway.
But Draughts, for depth, will bear the palm away;
Chess can be played by Philidors, though blind;
Our game requires both sight and thoughtful mind.

- Drummond : his 2nd Edition, 1851.



“It was Pillsbury’s practice in blindfold games to play by the numbers. For example, instead of saying ‘If I go here, he will go there; then I go here, he goes there’ and so on, he thought of the numbers of the squares. … Mentally articulating the numbers aids the visualising faculty.”

- Vocabulary of Checkers, 1909.


“If he goes there, I go here; then he goes there and I go here ; but then he goes there, and I go mad”

- Anon.


A man must serve his time to every trade
Save censure – critics all are ready-made.

- Byron.


“It should hardly be thought necessary to remind players, who are conscious themselves of not rising above mediocrity, that in many games there may be moves, the scope and tendency of which they do not understand, and the merits of which they cannot appreciate at first sight.”

- Anderson : in his 2nd Edition, 1852.


“The end of the Age of Giants – professionals stalking the land, closely guarded by their patrons and backers, looking for prey – coincided with two trends, which appeared on the scene virtually simultaneously and were to become almost inextricably intertwined. I mean the rise of Amateurism and the forming of National Organisations for the promoting of the game.”

Oldbury : in his Encyclopaedia of Draughts, 1978.


See also Oldbury’s Chequer Chiaroscuro, 1966.

[DrCaesar]

I have seen it attributed to William Gladstone more than once.

[Richard Pask]

Please can someone give the William Gladstone source - I mean the newspaper reference and details of the interview, as opposed to the draughts book in which it later appeared. You see others cite W G Grace - both involve W G, which is interesting.

[chipschap]

It's reproduced in this book

https://www.amazon.com/Checkers-Exhaust ... 1332418740

but I don't find an original source as requested.

[Richard Pask]

According to the legendary Albert Belasco - famed for his 1888 penny guide to draughts, and for apparently living to be over 130! - Gladstone made this statement on 28th December 1896 - The twelve best indoor games for two.

[Richard Pask]

For anyone who doesn't understand British humour, I was OBVIOUSLY joking about his age!!!

The 1993 edition of Belasco's book on chess and draughts gave the distinct impression that dear old Al was still alive and well. When I gently pointed this out to the publishers - that a man aged over 130 should surely deserve special recognition - they politely acknowledged that he had indeed departed this earth. (In 1926 if I recall correctly).