CANTERBURY CHESS CLUB.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7215, 28 November 1888, Page 6

CANTERBURY CHESS CLUB.

The annual meeting of the Canterbury Chess Club was held last evening, at their rooms, Hobbs' buildings, when- there was a good attendance of members. The chair was occupied by Mr Acton Adams, vicepresident, in the absence of the;president, Mr Hookham.. .

The latter's annual address was read by the Chairman. It referred to the continued progress of the Club, which, he said, members would acknowledge was in a large degree due to the energies of the hon. secretary, Mr A. fl. Toad, and hop. treasurer, Mr J. J. Milner. He pointed out that the game was winning its way to greater popularity year by year. The annually increasing number of tournaments and matches of all kinds, of chess columns and treatises devoted to the game, were evidences of this. Yet the rate of progress was slow when they considered the intellectual merits of the game; how admirably it blended-recreation with the exercise of the reasoning faculties; the commendations universally bestowed upon it, and the intellectual development of the age in which they lived. They could not but view with regret, not unmingled with surprise, the comparatively small percentage of the civilised world which at the present time enjoyed the practical knowledge of the merits of their noble game. The explanation he heid was simple and easy. Chess was rarely taught to young people. It was generally regarded as a game for old fogies. There was good reason to believe that some day it would become the popular pastime of intellectual communities. But that time could hardly arrive until facilities had been given to the youth of both sexes for the acquisition of a knowledge of the game. Mr Hookham then went on to suggest that State schools in general, both here and elsewhere, might advantageously follow the example set them long ago by the Government schools of a certain town in Germany, -where chess was systematically taught to the pupils. He concluded by hoping that strenuous efforts would be made to instruct the rising generation, if they would extend the domain and increase the number of'adherents of their Goddess Caissa. (Applause.) The Hon. Secretary read the annual report of the Committee, which congratulated members on the steady progress of the Club. The average attendance of members nightly had been from fifteen to twenty. In March last the Club played the Auckland Chess Association, and defeated them by seven games to five. The Club had the proud position of being the champion Club of the colony, having beaten all the provincial Clubs in turn. The status tourney had resulted in the following players Deing raised a class:—Messrs Byrne, Cant, Lyre, Hookham, Ollivier, Spiller, Scott and Turrell. The handicap tourney had been won by Mr Scott with the good score of 14 games won and S lost. The honor of sedond place lay between Messrs Ollivier and Hookham. The former had won 12 and lost 4, and one to play. The latter had won 11, lost 4, and had two games to play. It was hoped that during the Christinas holidays the New Zealand Championship Tourney would be in full swing, and that the Club's representatives would be in their best form. The balance-sheet showed the receipts in subscriptions to have been £39 ss, and the expenditure £37 7s 7d, leaving a credit balance of £117s sd. Mr Milnek, the Hon. Treasurer, explained that the Club was financially in a better position than it had ever been previously. On the motion of Mr A. M. Ollivibr, seconded by Mr F. Guinness, the report and balance-sheet were unanimously adopted. Mr Ollivibb moved the re-election of Mr H. Hookham as President of the Club. The motion was seconded by Mr Goinness. The mover and seconder eulogised Mr Hookham's efforts in the past in the interests of the Club. The motion was carried by acclamation, and a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Hookham for his excellent address. The election of other officers resulted as I under: — Vice-Presidents, Messrs A. M. Ollivier and W. Acton-Adams; Hon. Treasurer, Mr J. J. Milner; Hon. Secretary, Mr A. H. Todd (all re-elected); Committee, Messrs J. G. L. Scott, C. Turrell, F. Guinness, A. Cant, and R. A. Joseph. The Chairman said they had an important item of business to transact, and that was to choose two representatives to play in the champion tourney, which would take place about Christmas. The arrangements for it were progressing favorably. Messrs H. Hookham and A. M. Oilivler were elected to represent the Club at the tourney. A vote of thanks was passed to the outgoing officers, and to Mr Ollivier lor auditing the accounts. After a discussion on the subject, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Guinness— "That it be an instruction to the incoming Committee to endeavor to obtain better accommodation for the Club. Mr Eyre moved " That in Club matches the number of moves be seventeen per hour." Air Todd seconded the motion. ' ' ' Mr Hookham, who was now present, opposed the motion, holding that to increase the speed of play wou d deteriorate it. He had evidence of this in the Chess Congress at Adelaide last year. They should study to play the game well rather than quickly. The great fault of young players and amateurs generally was to play too quickly, and not give sufficient study to the moves. He moved as an amendment "That the word 'seventeen' be struck out." Mr Eyue submitted that those who played their games at the rate of seventeen moves an hour would not be handicapped when they had to piay games with outside Clubs at this rate. Other Clubs in the colony and elsewhere, with few exceptions, played from seventeen to twenty moves per hour. . After a discussion Mr Hookham's amendment was carried, and fifteen moves per hour was made the rule for the Club matches.

The meeting then terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.