CHESS TOURNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 2, 3 January 1924, Page 3

CHESS TOURNEY.

MOIR IN THE LEAD. CRACKENTHORPE SECOND. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", Wednesday. The final round in the sectional tourney of the Xcw Zealand chess championship lias been reached. The position now is that Moir leads with 7 points. C'rackenthorpe. with two games to play and Ci points, and Dunlop, with two games to play and l>4 points, fill second plate. Gyles is third with 0 points and one game to play. The concluding; round of section play takes place to-morrow, when the four leaders of each section play each of the four loaders in the other section. The following have qualified:—Section A: Crackenthorpe, Moir. Gyles and Hicks. Section r>: Dunlop. Barnes, Severne and Vnughan. In the ninth round Vaughan beat Hawkins: Vaughan beat K. A. Hicks: Armstrong I>oat Kummer: Moir drew with Gyles; Vaughan heat K. A. Hicks: Severne beat Anderson": Ounlon beat Kennedy: Gyles beat IMhl; Kummer beat K. A. Hicks; Armstrong beat Fairburn; Moir beat Kelling. THE LAST ROUND. The finished games in the final round of the sectional tourney resulted as follows: — Fairburn v. Miller.--Voirlmrn again opened with queen's gambit, a very even game resulting. Towards tlie end of the middle game Fairburn played weakly, enabling; Miller to win two pawns. With Jthis advantage Miller forced an easy win. Gyles v. Moir.—This was a queen's pawn name, in which a most exciting ■position arose. At the fifteenth move Moir threatened to win a piece, but Gyles obtained mate. To save the position Moir changed off queens, forces were then equal and a draw was decided upon. Hicks v. Pleasants. —A Scottish game played by these contestants, was short and bright. T'leasants lost a knight for nothing and si few moves later Hicks pot in a dangerous check, which foretold the mating position. I'lcasants resigned. Hawkins v. Vaughan.—This was n variation of kinir'a pawn opening , by vhich Vkiurhan obtained a good attack. Hawkins later lost the exchange and with a much weakened position resigned. l'ihl v. Hicks. — In this queen's gambit {fame Pihl obtained a splendid and dagcrous attack. Hicks defended well and worked up a combiiratioii that gave him the exchange and later checkmate in three. C'rackenthorpo v. Kelling. A sparkling game, in which Crackenthorpe gave up two bishops for pawns to get a mating position. Kelling had to lose a bishop to prevent mate, Later Kelling attacked strongly, but the defence. was adequate and a draw was agreed to. Anderson V. Dunlop. — Anderson played the Scotch game and a very even game resulted in n draw. Barnes v. Severne.—Barnes played Ruy Lope/. The defence and play were sound until the end of the game, when Barnes was able to force a win. Hughes v. Kennedy.—Another Ruy Lopez without advantage to either player.. A blocked position occurred towards the end of the middle game, and a draw resulted.