CHESS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19814, 30 December 1929, Page 4

CHESS.

DOMINION CONGRESS

SATURDAY'S IM/JO . ,' ,!«££> 4SSO-. 'AVION ; F.l.E'i KA U . | WANUANUI, IH-cvuiber :>. ] In t!i.' tJuir.l round of the tourj muueiit. Boy or (.Wellington > played j Sf-ott (Wanaauuh. This game was a i development of the r'reiieh IVfi n<v, j getting nnu'h the better of the j o[.er.in_'. I'usLir.p forward his centre ! iiawns"hi' had Beyer tijjhtiiijr b: ir 'l ° prevent tlio ijueeu 's p.ovn re;u hinj: the j eighth rank. Srott failed to make use j of his advantage. and in the counter at- | tiiek iaumhe,] by Beyer be had to give jup the min'ii for two rooks. In the J end of the game, Beyer ou'played Scott, and with soia< very pretty piny, won a hard-fought tight. Fairburu\ Wellington) v. Hicks (Wellington'— Hicks declined the I'-i shop's gambit offered by Fairburn and built up a very sound defence. 'lhe middle game was a stern struggle for superior position, but with the exchange of queens and minor pieces, there was little to choose between the forces. Hicks won a pawn on the queen's side, but could not sec a way of pushing it in on.to queen. He offered a draw, which Fairburn accepted. Krskiiie (Melbourne > v. (.undersell (Melbourne) —This was a well-played queen's pawn game, in the first, exchanges of which Erskine was left with an isolated pawn. When the end gume was reached, had a pawn advantage. Fine play followed, in which Erskine threatened to fork rook and knight, but Gundersen played without error, and brought off a pretty chess mate. " Jeffreys (Auckland) v. Kelling (Wei lington)—Jeffreys opened with the "ukctort game, and developing quickly, soon had a strong attack on Roiling's castled king. Kolling played soundly, and quietly built up a counterattack with the advance of king-sido pawns. Jeffreys looked like forcing the decision against Kelling, but the latter, jdaying great ehese, forced the exchange of queens, and won a bishop, whereupon Jeffreys resigned. Fourth Bound. Gundersen v. Topp—The Ruy Lop. /- game, with rapid exchanges, gave Guu- ! dersen the better position, and a gradual wearing down of the pieces left Guu- < derseti with the greater proportional udi vantage. Topp was unable to prevent : the loss of his isolated pawn, and i'oI signed on the twenty-seventh move. ! Erskine v. Rutherford —Quite an in- ; teresting queen's pawn game was reached without gain to cither player, but in the subsequent exchanges Erskine won a pawn. Unfortunately for Kuthcrford he left a piece to be taken for nothing and he immediately resigned. Severne v. Fairburn —Fairburn played the centre counter game, getting a satisfactory development. Severne managed to gain"the better position in the. later middle game and won a pawn, forcing the game. He won another two pawns, and, pushing on to the seventh rank, he forced Fairburn to resign. Pleasants v. Hicks —Pleasants played the Kay Lopez and Hicks defended correctly and obtained quite a good position except for doubled pawns on the bishop's tile. The end game was a light with pawns and knight, against pawns and bishops, mid. Pleasants conducted the play of the knight in good style, and won his second game of the tourney. Anderson v. Beyer—This was a j queen's bishop's gambit in which there was a great struggle for position. Advantage came to Anderson as the outcome of a strong combination on the queen's open file. In providing defence here Beyer left his castled kin;; open to an attack which Anderson conducted with his usual skill. Beyer resigned when his last pawn fell. Jeffreys v. Scott —Jeffreys again opened with the Zukerfort game, the contest being very even up to the late middle, game. Here Scott was able to win the exchange and he looked like I winning the. game outright, but Jeffreys defended soundly. The end jj;ame of rook and four pawns against bishop and five pawns was a stubborn fight, and Scott made no mistake in sacrificing rook for bishop and pawn to obtain a winning: position. Jeffreys was the first to congratulate Scott on his fine win. Kelling v. Purdy—Purdy once more adopted the Sicilian defence. The opening was bright and Kelling soon attacked with queen and bishop on Purdy's castled king. Purdy drove back the attack by advancing his pawns, and then, through the open file, set up a determined assault upon Kelling'g queen knight's pawning. Defending this spot, Kelling was obliged to get his pieces into a rather cramped position. Taking advantage of this and of the fact that Kelling's king was rather exposed, Purdy suddenly changed his attack to the king's side. Kelling was just able to save the situation, but Purdy was not to be denied, and gave up knight for two pawns to get an open file. The immediate attack failed, 'but Purdy skilfully played his two passed centre pawns, and won the most interesting game of tho round. The positions of the players at the end of the fourth round "are:— Points. Anderson .. . . 34 •Severne .. ~ 34 Erskine .. „. «A Gundersen .. «j Kelling .. .. 2i Beyer .. „. 2 Jeffreys .. .. 2 Pleasants .. ..2 Purdy .. ." 2 Scott .. ..2 Rutherford .. .. 1J Wicks .. ..1 fairburn .. .. 4 To PP •• *.. i