Wireless Chess

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 182, 1 May 1931, Page 11

Wireless Chess

Sir, —In to-day’s “Dominion” under “Items in Brief” is a paragraph claiming the first wireless chess match to have been played between the Otago and Sydney clubs. It may interest the chess players and wireless fans among your readers to know that a wireless chess game was played from station IYA, Auckland, some three years ago. Mr. J. A. Moir, the prominent Auckland chess player, controlled the game for station IYA at the studio. This game was played against all listeners-in, the procedure being as follows: The announcer gave the concert item to be broadcast and immediately following announced the station move. Listeners then telephoned their reply to the station, and the first telephone connection was taken as the listeners’ move. When the station next came, on the air the listeners’ last move was announced, together with the station’s reply. The item was announced and the’ programme carried on in the usual way. This game was finished in the two hours during the period of the programme and was finally won on the twenty-fourth move by the station. The prominent chess club players in and around Auckland were very keen on the game, and it was to note the speed with which the telephoned replies came in immediately after the station announcement regarding the station move. I believe this is the only occasion on which a chess game has been played between the station and listeners. ■ At the end of 1929 I had the opportunity of interviewing Sir James Reith, director-general of the British Broadcasting Company, and on telling him of tliis wireless chess game he was intensely interested and said that they had not heard of anything of a similar nature being attempted.—l am, etc., F. W. BARKER. Wellington, April 29. P.S.: The writer organised the IYA game and took the microphone for the evening (having been announcer previously at IYA). There was quite a deal of organisation in arranging for receipt by telephone calls, tendering moves to Mr. Moir, his reply, etc.—F.W.B.