CHESS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 156, 29 March 1926, Page 4

CHESS

WELLINGTON CLUB ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Wellington Chess Club was held last week, 25 members being present. The president, Mr. W. Mac Kay, occupied the chair. me fiftieth annual report stated that the membership included <67 active and 4 honorary members. The club assisted in the Wellington Chess League s open-ing-of-season match, m which North Wellington tied with South Wellington, each side scoring 35 games. Hie club s championship tourney was won by u. P Anderson, W. E. Mason being the runner-up. Other tourneys resulted as follow: -intermediate; H. J. Thompson, I. Jnnio r : W. R. Bock, 1. ‘ Petherick” Handicap: J. A. C. Barnes, 1; !'•' Graxiv, 2; E. S. Taylor, 3. these players were congratulated on their peifonnanccs. The continued popularity oi ladder matches was one of Wie gratifying features of the season The most notable promotion was that of Mr. y\. White, who won six consecutive matches, and held rung i. lhe lea-’ue’s "champion-of-champions contest was unfortunately not held last year. It was hoped that this event would not again lie allowed to lapse. The club wan its three telegraphic fixtures, defeating the Auckland Chess Club (11 to 9), the Canterbury Chess Club (12 to S), and the Otago Chess Club (12i- to 74). At the thirty-fifth congress to decide the chess championship of New Zealand, the club, was represented by Messrs. E. A. Hicks and A. W. Gyles, neither of whom was seen at anything like his best. Hearty congratulations were extended to the various prize-winners. The deaths of two members, Messrs. W. F. Barraud and A. L. Lawson, and of three exmembers, Messrs. W. T. Thane and C. L. Barraud, and W. C. Sandford (of, London), are recorded. Mr. W. F. Barraud assisted in forming the club on June 16, 1876, and Mr. Thane was the club’s first honorary ' secretary. He was the last survivor of the pioneer executive officers. The late Mr. Sandford took third prize in the New Zealand Championship Congress of 1903-4. For many years past he has practised as a barrister in London, where he kept in touch with chess, and won the championship of the Imperial Chess Club. The balance-sheet showed a small profit on the year’s transactions. The election of officers resulted as follows Patron, Sir Harold Beauchamp, K. 8.; president, Mr. W. Mackay; vicepresidents, Messrs. F. K. Kelling, E. S. Taylor, A. T. Craven, and H. G. Lee; Committee. Messrs. J. .Foully, W. White, J. C. McCrea, G. Wigham, and G. P. Anderson: match committee, Messrs. R. J. Barnes, W. White, and W. Wring; delegates to New Zealand Chess Association, Messrs. A W. Gyles and W. Toomath; delegates to Wellington Chess League. Messrs. W. White, and W. Toomath; hon. auditor, Mr. A. W. Gyles; hon. librarian, Mr. W. White; hon. treasurer, Mr. C. S. B. Lambert,-, hon. .secretary, Mr. W. Toomath; assistant hen. secretary, Mr. F. K. Kelling. Mcssr . Barnes, White, McCrea, Kelling, and Toomath were appointed a Rules’ Revision Committee. The Question of celebrating the jubilee of the club on Wednesday, June 16, was discussed at some length. Finally a committee consisting of Messrs. I. K. Dohertv, Wigham, Tanner, Barnes and Toomath, was set up to go fully into the matter and 'report Votes of thanks wore enthusiastically ac-'-'t'de’i to the Press anti last year’s office-bearers, special mention being made of tho many years of excellent service as the honorary treasurer rendered by Mr. Gyles, senior, who had successfully steered the club through some very "lean years.”