CHESS COLUMN.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. G. Leweu,.— Upon examining your game we find you have evidently dropped a stitch, and omitted several moves in the opening. E. J. Falkiner.—Many thanks for notice. H.H., Chrietchurch.—We shall take pleasure in replying to your welcome letter by post. F. 8., Reinuera.—Regret yon cannot furnish the game. It is not, liowover, as rule considered necessary to obtain permission of one's opponent in these matters, though this may be open to question as a matter of taste. Correct solutions received : Problem No. 837, W. 8.5., B.K.J. (Rotorua); Problem No. 838, B.F.J. (Rotorua), W..5.8., G. Lewell, M.J.M.: Problem No. 839, W. 5.8., H. Carpenter, Hugh C, W. Scott: Problem No. 840. W. 5.8., M.J.M., H. Carpenter, 8.G.8. (Mount Eden). SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 837. White. Black. 1 Q to K 3 V to Q 5 (a) (b) 2Q to 115 ch Any 5 (J mates accordingly (a) 1 — K to B 5 2 Q to 1C 3 ch K moves 3 P to Q i ch mate (b) 1 _ rtoßl 2 Q takes P ch Any 5 Q mates accordingly SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 833. White. black. 1 Q to B 2 P to It 4 2 I , to B 4 V takes P 3 Q to Kt 3 I , talc oh 1* 4 (J to B 2 I , to R 7 6 (j> to B sii ch mate PROBLEM No. 841. (By E. M. F&ankenstkin.—Chesa Problem).

Black, 3.

White, 4.

White to retract his last move, and then mate in one. Ponsonby Chess Club.—The iirat of the teams' matches under the scheme recently mentioned in this column was played ok Tuesday week last. Messrs. Falkinerand Pope captained the players, chosen alternately from those present, the team .selected by the former proving victorious in the King's Knight (Janibit, which was the Ojvening accepted for the evening's contest. On Thursday last the same captains picked teams from members present, Mr. Pope's side claiming victory on the latter occasion. Considerable success so far answered the experiment with the novel attachment, and all engaged appeared to considei the scheme an excellent one for stimulating interest in the club. NEW ZEALAND ANNUAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNEY. The proposal of Mr. Ac ton-Adams, of the Canterbury Chess Club, that an annual contest tor the championship of New Zealand be held, is in all probability likely to reach an actual existence so tangible as to become a permanent and increasing benefit to New Zealand chess. So marked are the advantages likely to accrue that it is almost superfluous to enumerate at length ; but perhaps the most forcible argument, in favour of such contests is the general publicity likely to be given to the game thereby, a lever which none bidding for popularity can afford to discard. When chess languishes, the weak spot may most certainly be found in a want of proper publicity of its many advantages of practice, and one of the primary efforts of chess enthusiasts should be to touch the public through the great power of the jrYess. We do not see sufficient record of chess gatherings in the daily press; its light is too carefully hidden under a huge bushel of misunderstanding ; the grand game is permitted to be clothed too entirely in a garb so grave time the outside many look upon it with suspicious awe. And why ? Merely because the game is not [wpularised in the proper spirit—sufficient " go" is not thrown into it. Every club should have at least an annual entertainment fittingly closing a season; each club committee should go outside the I' to K I, and endeavour to make their particular club a social success ; and those whom it may concern should endeavour to infuse that esprit de cor/w which is so lamentably absent on the surface. It cannot be denied that chessplayers in the colonies give loss individual support to their respective clubs, either morally or otherwise, than does any footballer or member of a boating club to the particular sport with which he may determine to associate himself. Those given to the study of metaphysics may perhaps discover what strange influence chess may exert upon the brain that it should hamper, with such exquisite effect, the natural generosity of the individual. Is there any other solution of the general financial weakness of chess clubs ? As a pastime and pleasurable recreation, it stands prominently lirst.

Mr. Geor 6 e Cozens, President of the Auckland Chess Club, has recently presented the club with two set of locally-made chessmen. They are club size, and are in every way a creditable piece of workir ship, and give evidence of the power to supply sets of chessmen from native-grown woods in every senso satisfactory for club purposes. Mr. Ashtou has defeated Mr. Brockelbank in a. friendly match at the odds of a Knight. The latter won the first three games, and then suffered five successive defeats. The match between Messrs. Malcolm and Mark is not yet finished. Mr. Woodroffe ha 3 lost to Mr. Brockelbank at the odds of Knight and the move. A correspondent of the Chess-players' Chronicle sent the following game, published therein in 1882, with the following inquiry : " Do you know a brighter gem than the following, by the late Alderman Ward and Mr. F. G. Rowe? The notes are made after consideration of thousands of notes.— Hugh Brown." White. Black. F. G. Rowe. W. O. Ward. IPtoK4 P to K 4 2 Kt to K B 3 Kt to Q B 3 3 B to B 4 B to B 4 4 P to B 8 (a) Kt to B 3 5 P to Q Kt 4 B to Kt 3 6QtoKt3 Castles 7KttoKts(b) BtakesPch 8 K to B sq B to Kt 3 OKt takes BP Kt takes K P 10 K to K 2 Q to It 5 UHtoßsq(e) Kt to B7 VI Kt takes P die ch K to lisa 13PfcoQ4 B takes P 14 Kt to Q 2 B takes P IB Q takus B Kt to Q 5 ch 10 K to K sq

Black, is.

White, 12.

„. „ KttoQ6disch 17KtoQsq QtoKßch 18 R takes Q Kt to K B 7 ch, mate Notes. (a) Notes are abominations!. (b) Notes are the chief cause of swearinir at chess. (c) D n notes! [This correspondent evidently requires looking after.—Chess editor.] V , Communications for the Editor of this column must be addressed "Chess," P.O. Box 191 Auckland.