YOUNG CHESS CLUB

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 58, 2 December 1930, Page 3

YOUNG CHESS CLUB

Hutt Valley Players SEASON CLOSED The members of the Hutt Valley Chess Club held a very successful end-of-season gathering at Mr, G. E. Grantham s tea rooms oil Monday evening, when 41 players were, present, Including Io visitors .from suburban and city clubs. Avery cordial welcome was extended by Mr Wigham (president), who expressed pleasure at seeing such a large and repre-. sentative gathering, which included the club’s esteemed patron, Mr. H. F. Johnston, K. After referring to the good progress made by the club since it was formed six months ago, and the success of the first ■season’s operations, he announce/! (hat the first portion of the evening's programme would be a' sides’ match, the games of which would, it was hoped, not be played too seriously. ' . . Some bright games were then played “in lighter vein,” . Mr. Wigham’s team defeating Mr. F. K. Kelling’s side by one game. Although the club’s patron, Mr. Johnston, modestly professed to be somewhat rusty through having played very little chess since his college days, yet he showed 'himself up to date in using the Queen's Pawn opening and securing a quicker development than his experienced opponent. It was only in a (difficult endgame.that his lack, of practice resulted in his being, a move behind with his counter-attack in the final stage of the game. Presentation to Winner. At the conclusion of play the first prize in the club’s first tournament—a Staunton set and an inlaid board ,—was presented to the winner, Mr. J. H. Ottoway, who formerly played in the Walrarapa. He was heartily congratulated on his. success in annexing the prize in the club's, pioneer tourney, which was a handicap event, Mr. Johnston, the club’s patron, remarked that he had made a good many, speeches at one time or' another, but this was a novel experience for him, as he had never before addressed a chess gathering. He was very pleased to learn that the Hutt Valley Club had been so successfully launched, and that so much had been achieved in the initial six months. He trusted that tne club would next year advance to senior status, and would be found in the forefront of the Wellington Chess League’s senior teams’ tournament. Mr. E. J. Brooker, president of the Ngaio Chess Club, and ehairman of the Wellington Chess League, happily voiced the-thanks of the visitors for the exceedingly enjoyable evening provided, and also added his. congratulations to the Hiitt Valley C.C. on its success In winning the league’s junior teams’ contest after 1 an exciting finish with the Wadestown and Ngaio representatives. He was pleased to see the three lady members of the . Hutt Valley club tak‘ ing part in matches, and added that the lady members of the Ngaio C.C. had so far only played in private. Promising Start. Mr W. Toomatli, • hon. secretary of the Wellington Chess Club, and also 'of the New- Zealand Chess Association, endorsed Mr. Brooker’s view that the Hutt Valley C.C. had a great future before it. lie paid a tribute to the very successful pioneer labours of Mr. G. L. Glesen, the club's very energetic hon. secretary, and joined in the general wish that Mr. Glesen would get the maximum pleasure from .his impending trip'to England. Much had been achieved since the .club was formed in May last, and this might be said to be typieal of the wonderful progress that the district had made since he first saw it in his boyhood days, some GO years ago, when houses in the Hutt-Petone area were “very few and far between.” , ' A very happy reunion closed with a vote of thanks to the host, Mr. G. E. Grantham, who is a vice-president of the clqb, and with the presentation by the president, Mr. G. Wigham, of an inlaid chessboard to Mr. F. K. Kelllng in appreciation of the work done for suburban clubs by him. The light squares are of ash and the red squares are Australian birch, and the board, which was greatly admired, can be folded up as it is provided with card table hinges. Mr. Kelllng, who was obviously very pleased with this surprise, briefly returned thanks nnd voiced the hope that he might be spared to labour further for the cause of chess, and thereby reduce the debt that the handsome gift, and other kindnesses, had placed him under. CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRANTS Telegraph Charges A meeting of the committee of the Wellington Chess Club was held on. Tuesday evening, when it was decided to nominate Mr. A. W. Gyles as a competitor for the New’ Zealand championship in the tourney that is scheduled to open at Rotorua on Boxing Day. He has been runnerup for the Dominion title no fewer than

eight times, and his many friends are hoping that he will on this occasion annex the first prize. Mr. W. E. Mason, six times champion of New Zealand, is also to be nominated in the event of his being able to compete. It is expected that Mr. Ernest E. Hicks (Ngaio Chess Club) and Messrs. K. Beyer, F. K. Kelllng, and W. J- Fairburn (all of the Working Men’s club), will be the other Wellington competitors at the Rotorua Congress. A letter from the Post and Telegraph Department was read, notifying that in future it proposed to levy a charge of Id. a mile for the use of the department’s wires for telegraphic matches. As It has been a hard struggle to pay the existing charges,! the various speakers were not very sanguine about the club s being able to afford these matches in tlie future. They may be held every two years, or they may (as has been unofficially suggested in Auckland and Dunedin) have to be abandoned for the duration of the new conditions. It has been pointed out that the new burden would press more heavily on the Auckland and Otago Chess Clubs, as they are not centrally situated. The matter is to be further considered, when the views of other clubs are known. , A wireless match between the Otago Chess Club and the Millions Club in Sydney, N.S.W., was scheduled to begin on Saturday evening, and to conclude next Saturday.