CHESS TOURNAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 184, 29 April 1908, Page 9

CHESS TOURNAMENT.

■'/.■A-.,-,.»'■ " ■'\; : ' conclusion of the play. CHAMPION: MR.'A. W. 0. DAVIES. The.chess championship tournament v+llich iiaSf bbbh proceeding during, the past week in Wellington concluded: - yesterday,, and the champion proved to l>o. Mr; A. W. 0. Davies, the Wellingtbn Chess Club's■ -representative. Yesterday Mr. Davios met and, defeated Mr. Connoll, of tho Wairoa Club, and came put of the' .totirnamcnfc a point ami a ll&lf to tho good. ' • - •. '■■■ ■ ; THE CHAMPION. Mr. Davies is a Welshman by birth, but learned hijs gamoin one , of-tho best .London clubs: . Ho camo to New Zealand, five or six years ago, and at once .rose , iitto pi'dmihencc in the-Wellington. Chess Glub. ,Ho plays a brilliant .and dashing game, and this, has been a foature:, 0f.,-liis exhibition during the whole of'.tljo prefcont-totirhafncnt. Although unplaced 111 lus first.:'attempt ~afc Wellington four .years- ago, :tlie/ 'following- year,.lio carried off ithe 'Championship- in fine stylo at Oamara, . and . 111 .tho - nest, tdprnamciit at Auckland, narrowly missed a tiovtfth Messrs. R. J.' Barnes and J v ,'ftlasori, _who came out lovel. :: Last year at tho Exhibition ./tournament at Christcliurch, iwth .well-kriowii Australian players to .. compete. ..Sgaitist, lio finished/third, registering the bes?: New Zenland . score, •'At the tournament just closed, the clianipion's bold andveiiergetic display ivas greatly admired, and his win with a record of only one loss out of ten games appeared .to be Tery.popular./iudeed. 1 r 'THE RUNNER-UP Tho runuer-up was Mri F. K. Kollmg, .tho Wellington forking Men!s Club.representative, whoso-rccijrd for .the. tournament-was 7J. wins andf2Jtlosses..->Mr. ? Kelling •is a Now Zealaiiderriof-.German. parentage • , and has beeh dttached-.to.tho head, office of the Goverftmdnt- Insurance Department siheo leaving tho Nelsoii College in tlio early eight-ids. Ho is a- member.; of- all- thtee .local chess clubs,- . and .was- honorary secretary, and treasurer of the Now Zealand Chess Association, and subsequently • their ofucial. reporter in which capacity.ho has performed invaluablo Bfirvlco. "As i: player- lie has . won :-soveral prizes'->in . local tournfeys; his two most valued trophies being one presented - by, Mr;, Stuart •Montoath when M.H.R. for To Aro;:and the.Staples Cup. At tho Dunftdin Congress m 1902 he divided second prize with three others,, hnd .won tho bhlliancy prize at..Oamarii. two veara later.... Ho occupios rung eleven- on the Wellington Club's •ladder. 'Purrog the tournament just closed he played.-with much greater steadiness than usual. -. . POSITION OF PLAYERS The.' position ' of.; playdrs at the conclusion }_ thb; tournament. was as -follows 1 ... Wins Losses . • ■. Davies i.; ? 9 1 Kelling ... 2j ; James •. ;.. ... • 7 . , 3 • • ft.-Mason ... ... 6} 3} Stewart .... ... • S-i - • 4. ■ -v-.Kummer-in ;.i 6. . . •[•Freeman - '... . ~ ... 4' *6... ■■ Connell .3* s . . ."'jJSfiiesV ..- ... 3 7; • ,■ • 3 : • -7 Rev Fo\ 1 9 FJNAL ROtJND 1 , : Detaijs ,'of tho' gained fin'-, the final round ard as follows — • Connell v.-Davies—AZukcrtortj opening. Connell pursued: the attack from > tho start . and /compelled. Davies/to-open up his king'spawns and.weaken his king's side, giving Connell the .better -.game: Oil the 22nd move," by .Somfe . .unaccountable oversight, Connoll : hemmed"m- his own queen and al- " lowed • its -capture; This' proved altogether too great a; handicap from which to recover, and; Daviea scored a comparatively ; easy win on tho 43rd move. • •" .':. MaseK'--vr .•James.—Bis" French Jl ( d6fe»eo. • Mason - lost' a: pawn early ' in' tho gako and James gave up tlie exchange to get three . conrf6ctcd*lias3ed:central spawns.. v-'lhis gave irresistible' advaitthgo, Valid • ; ho scored on thb ! 43rd move:'; Stewart- v. Kelling;—daro-Kann defence;. Tht) players, castlcd on opposite sides and:an exciting: attack, and'counter-attack was • witnessed. -, c Stewart, ill endeavouring to wm a -piec(?,"; pushed a pawn, prematurely, which i allowed his opponent to cut, put two .pawns.-,j fle then- linf fortunately, jilacsd Ills, queen on . the gquilre adjdi.niilg. tMt : t6. whifin hti ■ iatdnded i moviiig ';f6f. : liothlilg, immediately tile. SOth move. Freeman .v; Kummer.—King's pawn opening'and iln irregular defoncoi jn tho'early parfe oMho gaibe Kummer woii'a rook and a pawn Icnight.' .With this -commanding : advantage :he -pressed home a vigorous attack and'w6h on tho 43rd move.-. Fox v. : Barnes.—Ruy .Lopez openihg. BaMes to. feftecb- a pretty finish; Tbferev .wftS, however) one flaw' in the combination. of .which the Southerner promptly took full advantage and scored, his first win; , GAMES UNFINISHED (Tlireo- ; feames .unfinished.. from previoiis : rounds i wero also completed; Tho results. • were-aa .follows i Cannfcll v. James.—Tina Rkmo was resumed .with a pili)Ti-in: Gonnoll-s/fivotir; Connell, however, mo.de a slip, and nllowed his queen to be capturedi from.which loss.ho could not recover. :- --. . ,: Barnes v. Connoll.—Aftor the second adjournment with .a: knight. ?bishop.' and fiVd ' pawns: a«amst a rook- and five pawns, Barnes continued athS gamo • with cousiderablo .ingenuity, and by a. vorv; tnckv. of rook'for'a.bishoni-thfdatoiiet! to force a-pawn on tho_jßth, squaroj queemns it. This, howover; -.Connoll: proventod, •• capturing a pawn • ; arid getting- his'knigllt -in ";po3)tioii -to pre-, vont two doublo. pawns- on .tho. 6th and 7th ; ■,sqilare§, , on. : i]io..r6oh!s.; file! i"' .C/bliiieil qtieendd , i the" bishops, just . in, .time to , prevent either of the.'.pawns iqiiccninpi .'- After. >Barnos .had : captured /avknisht/hq '• resigned, on. tlie 68th move In the titifinished gtlmo between Mason and Kummer,-.aidraw. was.agreed to without thor'nlay.-^-PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS Ghnstchurch. • . f Jt*>oyivier/;.phristchurch;... . !lßß9^H.'iHopkliam,'Gliristchurch.. , - Ji' Barnes, Wellington. .- ■ • . 1891— F. W. .Siedeberg,'Ptinedin. .. thinodm. 1893^J.','iEdwards,'Wellington. ■ ■ . , Mhckay,"•Wellington. . ■ Mangaweka<. 1836—R; j. Barnes, Wellingtort. 1897—R.'J. Baffles, Wfelliligton. --.• / 1898— R. A. Clcland/ Dunodin. E. Mason^,Wellington. > 1901—D. iFdrgaith^Miledin.' 1901— R.J. Barnes j,Wellington. ■ , 1902—J- C. Grierson, Auckland. F;.'Mafeon, Wellington. 19Q4—A. W, O. Davies, Wellington. - . 1905— R. J.-Barnes, Wellington. ■ 190G—W. S. Vmer, Porth, W.A. 19087TA. W. 'O. Davies, Wellington. . ' ; THE PRIZFS ' ' 1 ■ , : ■■^6dr!64sh^pfii!oS;'hro-.atti , ded by the Congress, -viz., £20, £10, £5, imd £3; ,A bril- . lianby also presented each year by Mr. Jiisjiico,' ; Deriniston',, President of the N.Z. Associatioli. This, trophy, will .bo alldtted by Mr. Hojliiis, of TaJatrnki, who held tho championship .of the, Birmingham Congress, and who. came toVtho Dominion about sis. yeaA ago^'!'■l , bo , 'gameß'.■B'ill:bd. sent, to him on paper. • ' • SOCIAL GATHERING. Last eVeiiihg, puckefed brows relaxed, ,anc .thi ; tliinking-maoliines * • becoming huniar . dnco ' more; joined ill a social • gathering' al the,-Wiltdaor Hotel. Dr. Fitchett oecupiec thd chair. ', • ■ . Mr. , Foil '(Wellington)' -proposed th< healtlt. of thd prize-winiiers, Messrs. Davie; (champioiOV. ..and Blaki Mason.' 1 ' The toast was', drunk; with musica honours. . . '■~ " ~ Mr. Davies, wild"was cheered on rising briefiy -returned .■thanks.", , Mr; Kelling referred .to'tho deiith of Mr C. "\Y. ; Benbow, who'ivns president of tin •' Now.';'Zei»land'.'. Associationfar .'many years atid' r ;to the, gfeat --lote the .game had - sus tained by that sid event. '.Ho also rogrettoj that'Ml'. ,E. , .W, : ;Pethcfick,, senior vice-presi derit,-,had bwrnfinable, through ill-health, t bo present durlng'ths tournament., He als. naid a tribute td 'thd past play'of Ml

.Barnes, tlio ex-champion,. who, through indisposition, had not been able to do himself justice this -year. '.."Ml". Jainos referred to tho kindness of tho Mayor;ami City. Council, in .placing n room tit their disposal for the tournament.' Dr. Fitchett then presented the prizes to the winners. Several other toasts wei'o honoured, including "THe" Visitors" ; tlio presidbnt of the Association, Mr. Justice Dcmiistoh, who is resigning that position; ''Pioiieers of the Oamfe,' 1 responded to by Mr. Charles Janion,. tho only surviving dompetitor > n the 1879 - totinioy; nntl tho "New Zealand Chess Association."