Andrew Anderson (draughts)

Andrew Anderson was a Scottish draughts (checkers) player and author who standardized the rules of the game. Born in Braidwood, South Lanarkshire on 3 May 1799, he worked as a stocking weaver and played draughts as a hobby, yet by the early 1820s he was considered the best player in Scotland. His strongest opponent was James Wyllie, the Herd Laddie; they played five matches between 1838 and 1847, and Anderson won four of them, losing only the 1844 match at Carluke. After retiring from match play he published several books, including Anderson's guide to the game of draughts in 1848 and The game of draughts simplified in 1852, which established the rules, standardised the recording of moves and fixed the names of opening moves such as the Old Fourteenth and the Maid of the Mill. He died on 1 March 1861.