Chess Grand Masters May Play In City

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30982, 11 February 1966, Page 12

Chess Grand Masters May Play In City

The Russian grand master, Yura Averbakh, may compete in the Canterbury Chess Club’s £lOOO centennial tournament, which will begin in Christchurch on December 26.

A blanket invitation had been extended to the leading i Russian players through the ; Russian Embassy in New Zealand and Averbakh was one who had displayed in’erest in the tournament, the secretary of the club (Mr A. L. Wilkinson) said last evening. Averbakh has won the Russian championship twice, he said. Another grand master, the American champion, Bobby Fischer, was another possible starter. He had won his first American title at the age of 13 and now, at 20, had won it six times. Australian Entries Definite entries had been i received from the former world correspondence champion, C. J. S. Purdy, of Australia. and his son, J. Purdy. An international correspondence grand master, C. J. S. Purdy had won the world correspondence championship between 1953 and 1958. He was also an international master and had won the Australian championship four times. His son had also won the

Australian championship, the second time in 1962-63. The tournament will incorporate the New Zealand championship, and will be one of the most important held in

New Zealand. One round will be played each day and the tournament is scheduled to end on January 14. F.I.D.E. rules will apply. Prize money of £lOOO will be at stake. The main prize for the A grade section of the tournament will be £5OO, with second, third, fourth and fifth taking £l5O, £75. £3O and £2O, respectively. There .will be a first prize of £lOO in the B grade and £35 in the C grade. Minor prizes will also be presented down to fifth position in these grades. The tournament will celebrate the centenary of the Canterbury Chess Club, which was founded in 1866 and originally was known as the Christchurch Chess Club. Another centenary will be celebrated on March 23 when club members stage a telegraph match against Nelson. This will commemorate the construction of the first telegraph line to Nelson and the first telegraph match played between the two centres in that year.