CHESS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 170, 11 April 1908, Page 5

CHESS.

1 . » '— AUSTRIAN CHAMPION LEADS. BY ' TELMIUPn—rRSfIS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT ' . > Vienna, April .9. - lii the eleventh found of the International Chess Tournament lat Vienna, Schlechter is leading with 9 games, Maroczy being second with B}, and DurasJ.third with 8. The above message refers to what is probably tho most .important ichess event of 1908-r-a tournament of twenty leading exponents of the game, which has] been arranged •in . connection w'itU She national celebrations in; Austria-Hungary, in honour of tho jubilee of the Emperor, Franz-Joseph. It is an appropriate coincidence that Karl Schlechter, stated in the cablo message to be leading in the tourney, i$ the chess', champion of Austria, with Geza Maroczy, tho 'Hungarian champion, second, and Otto Duras, of .Prague (Bohemia), third. Dura 6 has, during tho last two. years, turned his attention from the "problem" side of the game to active playing, with marked success. The tournament is understood to bo a full round journey, of twenty competitors, and there is- every indication that tho finish will bo worthy\ of the occasion. Notwithstanding the fact that Horr Lasker, chess champion of the world, and Dr. Tjirrasch, champion .of Germany,\ are absent from this tournament, the presence of so many redoubtablo players londs a keen interest to the games. Hcrr Lasker was recently challenged by the American champion, F. J. Marshall, whom bo defeated. Lasker' is claimed to bo tho most perfect exponent of practical chess play that ever bent over a board. .He achieved the distinction of world's champion in 189G-7, when ho defeated tho veteran Steinitz by a decisive majority of ten games td two 5