ht Player_, the first part of which dates from 1838, additional
volumes appearing in 1851-1853 and 1861. In 1852 Andrew Anderson
published his _Game of Draughts Simplified_. A first edition had
appeared in 1848, but the later print is the important one, as it
standardized the laws of the game, fixed the nomenclature of the
openings, introduced a better arrangement of the play, and, since
Anderson was one of the finest players of the game, excelled in
accuracy. In Anderson's time little was known about the openings
commencing with any move other than 11-15, and it was not until more
than thirty years later that the other openings received more adequate
recognition. This was done in Robertson's _Guide to the Game of
Draughts_, and perhaps better in Lees' _Guide_ (1892).

Andrew Anderson was the first recognized British champion player of the
game. He and Wyllie, better known as "the herd laddie," contested five
matches for the honour, Anderson winning four to Wyllie's one. After his
victory in 1847 Anderson retired from match play and the title fell to
Wyllie, who made the game his profession and travelled all over the
English-speaking world to play it. In 1872 he successfully defended his
position against Martins, the English champion, and in 1874 against W.
R. Barker, the American champion, but two years later he was beaten by
Yates, a young American. On the latter's retirement from the game, the
championship lapsed to Wyllie, who held it successfully until his defeat
by Ferrie, the Scottish champion, in 1894. Two years later Ferrie was
beaten in his turn by Richard Jordan of Edinburgh, who had just gained
the Scottish championship; and the new holder defeated Stewart, who
challenged him in 1897, and successfully defended his title against C.
F. Barker, the American champion, to meet whom he visited Boston in 1900
and played a drawn match.

In 1884 the first international match between England and Scotland took
place, and resulted in so decisive a victory for the northerners that
the contest was not renewed for ten years. The matches played in 1894
and 1899 also went strongly in favour of the Scots, but in 1903 the
Englishmen gained their first victory.

In 1905 a British team visited America and defeated a side representing
the United States.

The tournament for the Scottish championship has been held annually in
Glasgow since 1893. The number and skill of the Scottish players have
given this tournament its pre-emi