CHESS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 132, 8 June 1925, Page 14

CHESS

AUCKLAND V. WELLINGTON

Play in the annual 20-board match between the Auckland and Wellington

Clubs was concluded on Saturday even ing, when very satisfactory progress was made. The good work of the various officials mentioned in last week's report was again o£ the greatest assistance. Nino more games wero completed on Saturday, as follow:—Edwin A. Hicks, the local champion, ingeniously warded off J. A. Moir's counter-attack at board 1, and scored an instructive .win, the Auckland champion resigning at move 49. Mr. Hicks was congratulated on enhancing his splendid unbeaten record in telegraphic matches extending over several years. A stubbornly contested game at board 2, between W. E. Blason I (W.) and D. J. Jones (A) ended in a I draw at move 48. A. W. Gyles (WU made a good start at board 3, winning two pawns. Later on he made a slip (at move 32), losing his queen for a rook, and he resigned to 0. C. Roberts (A.)' without further play, his game being hopeless. A very even game at board 4 between G. P. Anderson (W.) and A. Fotheringham (A.) ended in a draw being agreed to at the 35th move, when each player had six pawns, and the bishops were of opposite colour. A drawn, game also resulted at board 7, where wie "local player., J. 0. M'Crea, had an extra pawn (5 against 4), but could not effect a " break through." The contest at board 9 yielded a win to H. H. Smith (A.), E. S. Taylor losing a piece at move 34 in endeavouring to speed up a slow game. Messrs. D. Purchase (W.) and J. Sim- (A.) agreed to a draw at move 40 in their very even bout at board 12. A win was registered at board 13 by H. Lees (A.), who won a rook from J. W. Simpson at.move 43. A meritorious wfn was scored for Wellington at board 19 by W. Wring, who handled an ending of rooks and pawns splendidly, and gained the verdict at move 53. As stated in last week's notes, three games were disposed of on the previous Saturday*evening, Messrs. A. T. Craven and C. W.- Tanner scoring. for Wellington, and Dr. Bruce Mackenzie for Auckland. As half a point'is allowed for each player in a drawn game, the score of this exciting match is now six all, "and eight games are marked incomplete. The- Auckland captain's "globo" offer regarding the eight outstanding games is to be gone .into on Tuesday evening by the local committee. . The Wellington Club has a pronounced, advantage at two boards, and a smaller grip on another game. The Auckland Club has a slight advantage at three other boards, and the games at boards 8 (Fouhy v. Ogle) and 17 (Lawson v. Osmond) are in a very even state. A hurried examination of tho eight outstanding positions was made at a late hour on Saturday, and it left the impression that the result of the match is going to bo extremely close. It is quite possible that it may end in a tie when all the unfinished games are accounted 'or.