CHESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 306, 28 December 1931, Page 10

CHESS.

DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIP. FIRST ROUND DECIDED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NAPIER, Sunday. The forty-first New Zealand chess championship congress was opened in Napier yesterday by the president of the New Zealand Chess Association, Mr. John Mason. Results in the first round were as follows:— C. J. S. Purdy (New South Wales) beat J. A. Erskine (Southland). This was a keenly-contested game. Queen's gambit declined. Purdy appeared to have a slight advantage at the adjournment, and secured a win by accurate play. W. J. Fairburn (Wellington) beat Jv. O'Halloran (Napier). pawn game. Fairburn early obtained an advantage. This was the firEt game finished. E. L. Smith (Napier) lost to G. Gundersen (Victoria). Sicilian defence. At the adjournment Gundersen had an advantage of two pawns and superior position. Smith resigned early in the evening session. A W. Gvles (Wellington) beat the Rev.' T. Miller (Westport). Sicilian defence. E. H. Severne (Nelson) drew with E. S. Ruth erf urd (Taranaki). French defence. A carefully-played game, in which a draw was agreed to at the thirty-first move. R. O. Scott (Wanganui) lost to H. N. Maddox (Auckland). Irregular opening. Scott by oversight lost a knight on the seventeenth move: thenceforth he had a hopeless task. F. K. Kelling (Wellington) versus Grierson (Auckland). Queen's gambit declined. This was the only unfinished game. Each player is left with a rook and four pawns. The scores after the first round (one game unfinished) are:—Purdy 1, Gundersen' 1, Maddox 1, Gyles 1, Fairburn 1, Severne Ji, Rutherfurd I A. Erskine 0, Smith 0, O'Halloran 0. Scott 0, Miller 0, Grierson and Ivelling unfinished.