THE CHESS WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE CHESS WORLD.

TELEGRAPHIC MATCH

AUCKLAND V. WELLINGTON

(By H. 0.8.)

Although at the time of writing there has been no announcement from the captain of the Wellington team in respect to any of the 15 unfinished games in the Auckland v. "Wellington telegraphic chess match, there is no doubt whatever that honours this year will go to Auckland. A much stronger team than usual was placed in the field and they gave a good account of themselves. It was bad luck that the veteran player of telegraph matches for Auckland, R. Barker, lost a rook on the second night's play. He had an improvised set, and a large black bishop did duty for a queen. This he forgot during the progress of the game, the consequence being the loss of his rook. So incensed was Barker that he took the offending piece home and burned it. However, lie set himself a herculean task to bring off a draw, and when the game is adjudicated that may be the result. Barker gives cogent reasons for I a draw resulting.

The game which lan Burrv played had its flashes of brilliance, and he was able to announce mate in three. It is a pitv that this young player is not able to * take part *in regular tournament games. Both Dr. Short and Mrs. Short were in form, the former winning his game outright. Mrs. Short had every appearance also of bringing off a decisive victory, but made a slip and lost a piece. She has compensation in material, however, and possesses three pawns for a knight, and the adjudicators will have a task to say whether the game should be a draw or a win for Auckland. At board 19 Oakley Browne offered a draw comparatively early on Saturday night, but the replv came through "play on." The result is that Wellington now has a definite loss at this board, every variation disclosing the fact that Wellington cannot win, and that a decisive victory for Auckland is staged.

Bad Luck. C. A. Langabeer had bad luck in losing his game followed by the loss of his set of chessmen. As there were insufficient sets in the club for all the boards he brought his own men, and somebody evidently thought lie had a better right to them than the owher. He is hoping that the pricking of somebody's conscience will have the effect of returning the set. The Auckland champion, A. Pickett, went down at the top board to the Wellington captain, A. W. Gyles. He was placed in an awkward position in the early stages and had to struggle 011 against overwhelming odds until he resigned.

Taking the games as a whole Auckland has little to complain of except the delay in sending from the Wellington end on the second night. Some of the "hold up" must have been, avoidable, and there were many complaining remarks from team members. There was 110 delay in replying to moves from the Auckland end. The thanks of the Auckland Chess Club are extended to the telegraphist, Mr. J. W. H. Harrison, for the way he sent and received the moves. Without an operator fully conversant with the game the position would have been most difficult. Aucklanders are looking forward to the match against the winners of the Christchurch-Dunedin match, which will be played next month for the Bledisloe Cup, which Wellington holds at present.

Next Saturday the Auckland Cliess Club will pay a visit to Hamilton to play a match against the combined Waikato clubs. The farming district has been "combed" from end to end for players so that Auckland may be set a difficult task. No matter which team wins the match will do much to stimulate the game throughout the district,

A challenge match for the Williamson gold medal, held by the president of the Auckland Chess Club, was completed this week. The conditions were "the best two out of three games." The president won the first two games outright and retains the medal.

A Speedy Victory. This frame was played in the fifth round of the premier tournament at Margate. Queen's Pawn Opening. White. Black. W. A. Fairliurst. S. Kesclievsky. 1 l»—Q4 Kt—Kß3 2. P—0134 P—K3 3. Kt—Kß3 P—Q4 4. Kt—B3 I'—B3 ' 5. P—lv3 QKt—Q2 (i. B—Q3 I'xl» T. BxBP P —QKt4 S. B —Kt3 (a) B —K2 9. Castles B—Kt2 10. P —K4 P —Kts 11. P—K5 PxKt 12. PxKt KtxP 13. PxP Castles 14. K —lvtsq P—B4 15. B—Kt2 B—K5 1(5. It—Bsq Q —Kt3 17. PxP (b) BxP IS. O—K2 QK —OSq HI. QK—Qsq b—Kt2 20. Kt—Ko B—Ksq 21. I'—QB4 Q—Kt2 22. Kt—B3 Kt—lvs (c) 23. B —Ksq Q —Kt3 24. 1i—152 KxK 25. BxH 1J —Qsq 20. B—B2 Q—B3 27. Kt —K5 Kt—KtG 2.5. KtxQ KtxQch 20. K—Ksq BxKt 30. K—lvtsq P—B4 31. K —Ksq Kt —Bo 32. P—B3 K—B2 33. B—K5 Kt—Q6 34. K—K2 Ktxß Resigns. (a) Or S B—Q3, holding the other diagonal, is an equally good alternative, or even 8 B —K2, so that the bishop could be played to B3 in certain circumstances. And it will be seen that had S B—Q3 been played, Black could not have ventured on 10 . . .

I>—Kto, for this forced a dangerous continuation for White, or the loss of the king's pawn.

(b) There was nothing better, but it left Black with some positional advantage, with both his bishops threatening the king's side. Thus with liis 2<Jth and 21st mores the attack assumed definite form, causing White the loss of at least a move. 21 K— Ksq would have saved White much trouble, as there was no necessity to keep the square B3 for the knight. (c) This attack on White's king's bishop's pawn was the crux of the situation, and how to meet it was the problem. I'ossibly it might have been better to play 23 RxR. RxR ; 24, It—Bsq, to stop 24 . . . lI—Q7: and matters are easier for White, as there is less material to think about. And why not 27, BxKt, Qxß; instead of faking the rink of a counter-attack? Opening tlie diagonal by 27, Kt—K.> was fatal, and Black rightly took advantage of such a tactical error.