CHESS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19816, 2 January 1930, Page 7

CHESS.

♦ j DOMINION CONGRESS. SEVERNE IN THE LEAD. | (PRBSS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WANGANUI, December 31. The sixth round of the Dominion Championship Chess Tourney resulted as under:— Purdy v. Erskine.—Erskine adopted the Sicilian Defence, the opening moves of which provided rapid exchanges, to weaken Erskine's pawn position. Puriy gave his opponent the chance of changing off queens at the eighth move. The device gave Purdy free rooks and he immediately set up an attack on Erskine's pawns. It looked as though Purdy had the better chances, but Erskine played a perfect defence. At one stage Erskine offered a draw, but Purdy played on to win or lose. The advance of his passed pawn from the line of his supporting rook gave Erskine the advantage, and the game ended in the latter's favour on the o9th move. Gundersen v. Hicks.—Gundersen played the Three Knights game and captured Hicks's centre pawn. Hicks did not capture the knight immediately, but took the bishop's pawn with a cheek. HKcks then set to attack his opponent's exposed king, but he had not a sufficiently developed force, and Gundersen soon took up the attack. The pawn ending was stubbornly contested, but Hicks made an unfortunate move, which gave Gundersen the game. Rutherfurd v. Toop.—ln this game early critical positions came from the Ruy Lopez, played by Rutherfurd. Topp got into an awkward position, but gained temporary relief with the loss of a pawn. Topp then attacked with rook and queen, but Rutherfurd provided a safe defence. Topp, in bringing into play the second rook, gave Rutherfurd the opening he desired and Topp's king was checkmated in five moves. Pleasants v. Beyer.—Beyer again adopted the French Defence, but obtained the inferior position from the opening, and Pleasants was able to establish his knight at queen six with a check. The open files on the qneen side gave Beyer a chance to attack, but the plan failed, and he came out of the exchanges a rook down for two passed pawns. Pleasants was able to force a win on the 40th move. Kelling v. Scott.—This was another variation of the French Defence, in which KeJling obtained much the better development. Scott castled on the queen side and Kelling pushed forward his pawns supported by the two rooks and queen. He seemed to have an overwhelming attack, but it faded away with the exchanges that resulted, though Kelling was left with two pawns up. Scott played his two knights well and maintained the fight for several moves, but Kelling saved the centre pawn and pushed it on to queen and won the game. Jeffreys v. Fairburn.—A very even development of the Giuoco Piano game with identical moves on each side for ten moves. In the middle game the attack swung between the two players with Jeffreys the more aggressive. In building up a strong attack Jeffreys left his king in danger, and to force a draw he gave up bishop for pawn, hoping to get perpetual check. Fairburn failed to make a better move and had to submit to a draw. Severne v. Anderson.—ln this Sicilian game very even positions were built up. Anderson soon taking up the attack. Severne defended soundly and exchanged queens to obtain two strong forward centre pawns. Anderson was able to win one of these and was able to -top the advance of the other. A blocked position was reached, so a draw was agreed upon