CHESS CHAMPIONS.

Auckland Star, Issue 291, 9 December 1925, Page 6

CHESS CHAMPIONS.

The world's chess championship has been won by a Russian, with two LatinAmericans as his most distinguished and brilliant opponents; and though chess is not, and never can be, a popular game or pursuit or occupation, the facts we have mentioned seem to deserve a little brief comment. There is no doubt that chess throws a heavy strain on the thinking powers df the players, and success at this game involves the possession of certain intellectual faculties of a high order. It wpuld be an interesting psychological study to analyse the peculiar mental gifts and powers which have enabled so many Slavs —both Poles and Russians—and so mnny. Teutons to attain eminence at chess; > But" it is a little disconcerting to our owif racial and national self-esteem to remember that England has produced very few chess players of the highest class—at least in recent years. Even Dr. Lasker, though a British subject of long standing, is of German extraction, and now he, too, has fallen before the brilliancy of Torre, ■who is still a boy in years and hails from Mexico. It is certainly a curious fact that the two outstanding "phenomena" in the modern gamq, Capablanca, of Cuba, and Torre, of Mexico; are both Latin-Americans—that is, they belong to a mixed race, whose members, in spite of many acknowledged merits, have never been credited with possesssing the self-control, the mental concentration' or the temperament that appear to be indispensable for success in all such strenuous competitions. Clearly chess is a game which still requires a great -deal of investigation and study, not only in regard to its own intricacies, but with respect to the special intellectual and temperamental qualifications needed to raise the player to the , loftiest heights of skill and fame. Lads on bicycles who like to'hang on to the rear of a motor vehicle and be drawn up hills - should take warning that' the practice is to be put down by the city traffic department. A lad a little over 14 years of age appeared before Mr. J. W. S.M., at theCourt to-day charged with this breach of the regulations regarding traffic. On account of his youth he was warned and ordered to pay costs. Two young men,'for breaches, were each fined 10/ and costs. Mr. Poynton remarked that the fines must be increased if this dangerous practice is not discontinued. "There is no doubt there is a wide dif- , ference between pinus radiata and pinus insignia," said Mr. T. Allen, of Milford, toa "Star* , reporter, and to prove his contention he had with him a branch from a splendid radiata that had just been felled. In the ineignis, he explained, the cones grew singly, while in the radiata they grewjn a sort, of Catherine-wheel shape round a branch. Mr. Allen says there is no doubt which is the better tree. Radiata is in'every way superior to the common insignis, having a closer grain, being much freer from knots, and a better timber tree in every way. Draft.plans for the new Bishopscourt at Christchurch and the lay-out of the grounds have been approved. The gen-' eral design is on Georgian lines, with brick walls faced with white cement, and a slate roof. The building will be of two storeys, with an attic, and.its main - frontage will be towards the north, states the "Press." After mature consideration .it has been decided to reduce the land? in the Bishopscourt block by dividing the Park Terrace and Victoria -Street -frontages into building sections. This will leave about two acres surrounding, the residence. Mr. C. Wood, the architect, aimed at providing for a building adequate for the ordinary . family needs of a married Bishop, yet for a relatively modest building, and in ', the opinion. of the Church authorities he has achieved a handsome and dignified '. building without ostentation. A house chapel will-possibly be provided. Prbb- • ably about eighteen months will elapse : before the house is complete, and the : . Church Property Trustees have been commissioned ' toy provide- a .temporary' residence for the Bishop-desigiiate. ■;-:"A ; motion of with the rela-. : ' tiyes of the late Mr; & L.'&ijtnsie/cbnsul; for Yugoslavia , in' New: Zealand' Was passed at yesterday's -meeting 6f :the " council of the 'Auckiand-^thamber->df ' Commerce, A similar motion in respect of the death of the late' Queen Alexandra was also carried in silence.... .

"A work of necessity," remarked Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., when,dismissing a Vase"aiT the. Magistrate's- - Court to-day. Richard Sterling (Mr. Marshall White), pleaded guilty to having left a motor bus standing in a prohibited area, but stated he was compelled to do so because of an accident. ' . It was remarked this the Arbitration Court that in some trades the apprenticeship committees set up were'not doing as much as they might, and displaying the interest expected of them in matters concerning {he welfare of apprentices. Mr. Justice Frazer remarked that some committees were showing signs of slackness. While some were doing go-><! work, others again were not about the trade, boys, court, or anyone else. A peculiar point occurred in the case brought at the Magistrate's Court by Woolsey Allen, junior, timber merchant, against George Ambrose Maunsel, builder, to recover £66 5/1 for timber supplied. There was no question as to the timber being supplied, the point was whether or not the lien was on the right house. Evidence was adduced by the Official Assignee that the timber had gone into an adjoining property and Mr E. C. Cutten. S.M., gave judgment against plaintiff, ordered the lien to be vacated. , To Envoy S. Buick, of New Plymouth has come the. greatest and the rarest honour that the Salvation Army can bestow. Advice has been received that General Booth has seen fit to confer on him the "Order of the Founder," the V.C. of the Salvation Army, and an award that is made only on rare occasions to those who have done exceptional service for the Army. At the present time there is only one membeif of the Army in the whole of Australia, and New Zealand who has been awarded the "Order of the Founder." During the last year or two Envoy Buick has covered the district in a motor car, not in order that his work might be easier, but so that he might traverse more ground, and it is claimed that during his life in laranaki he has collected for the Army no less a sum than approximately £22,000, as his annual collections total between £500 and £600. v When the question of amendments to. apprenticeship orders were being discussed at the Arbitration Court this morning, a union secretary stated that the position in some trades to-day did not hold out much opportunity for apprentices who wished to get into certain trades. In the engineering trade not a single apprentice would be taken on during the next twelve months, and in the electrical trade there would be no openings for apprentices for the next two years. His Honor (Mr. Justice Frazer): There are so many apprentices now. Goodness knows what is to become of them. A settlement in the case which involved a claim for £1411 damages for alleged fradulent misrepresentation in a land exchange was reached in the' Supreme Court before the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, yesterday afternoon. The plaintiff was Cyril Dudley Lester (Mr. Johnston), and the defendant Richard Keene (Mr. Goulding). It was announced after the luncheon adjournment that a settlement had been reached agreeing to judgment for plaintiff. The amount was not disclosed. An Auckland man who is well known in ■ commercial circles, came back here from the Dunedin Exhibition for a few days to attend to his incoming American mail. During his.stay here he remarked upon the warmth of the climatic conditipns in the north as compared with the southern city. As a matter of fact he had felt the cold down in Dunedin so much that he had* considered the • advisAbility of removing his office warming appliances here to his temporary offices in the Exhibition buildings. ■ Very heavy weather was,experienced on the West Coast last week, and.shipping was considerably delayed. At Greymouth the Kaitangata, which was fully loaded with a cargo of coal for discharge at Tauranga and Auckland, was -held up for almost a week. She was ready to sail on- Tuesday evening of last week, but did not succeed in crossing outwards until Monday afternoon last. Several smaller vessels were also delayed at the coal port. An X-ray plant valued at £329 has been presented to the Auckland University College by Dr. Xeil McDougall, of this city. , The gift was acknowledged by the college council last evening, 'when it was decided that Dr. McDougall be thanked for his gift. The following message in a corked bottle was picked up on the Mohaka Beach on Sunday: "S.S. Ripple, engine trouble, dark and stormy night, sinking fast. One boat got away, but don't think it will- reach shore. —Engineer Neilson." The manager of Richardson and Company doubts whether it is a genuine message from the ill-fated Ripple.