CHESS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15158, 23 December 1914, Page 10

CHESS.

CHAMPIONSHIP OF NEW ZEALAND.

At a special meeting of the- Council of the New Zealand Chess Association, held at "Wellington on Saturday evening, the hon. eecretary (Mr A. G. Fol!) read a number of letters which he has received in reply to hie circular on the question ne to whether or not the Association should publish a book in connexion with the Championship Congress, which commences in Christchurch on Monday next. Although none of tho foui Congress Books issued in the past has paid their way, they have evidently been appreciated, as nearly all tho writers voiced tho opinion that it wou.d bo a pity to have a break in the chess records of the Dominion, and urged the printing of the proposed. booklet. It mijht be ueceesarv to i=eue the booic in a l<??s pretentious form than that of it« predecessors, but thie couiw eeems to be generally regarded as the lesser of two evile. A considerable amount of assistance has b-?en promised towards tho cost of getting- out. tho proposed book, tho fate of which appears to be trembling in the balance. It was announced on Saturday evening that two of the sixteen players nominated will not *ix> competing, viz., Moe*rs Davies (Auckland) and" Mackenzie (Wellington), and that one or two others a.re stili labelled "doubtful." In these circumstances it is not possible at present to arrive at an exact statement of the cost of the Ccr.jTv.-ve Bcx-k, and it was accordingly decided to hold over for the present the. question of pinslicat-ion. A ppecial Council meeting is to be held on Wednesday, tho CUJih proz., to zically decide the niatter.

The question of playing , more than six rounds per week at tie forthcoming , championship tournament was then considered. It was pointed out that some competitors would have to withdraw from the contest unites the duration of the tourney could be ehortened by the playing of more than cii rounds per *vc<.k. It accordingly decided to etnetion the more rapid playing of the rounds, provided the coj.petitors are unanimous :r» desiring the euspecaion of the rule which limits the play to tix rounds per week, aud also provided ibe nutaber of coapotiters exceeds twelve.