TOUR CONCLUDED

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 117, 11 February 1936, Page 6

TOUR CONCLUDED

Australian Chess Player

Mr. C. J. 8. Purdy, Australian and New South Wales chess champion, concluded his tour of New Zealand last week. Having arrived in Auckland early in December, he gave simultaneous and blindfold displays at Auckland, Morrinsville, Hamilton and Tauranga. He then came to Wellington to compete in the New Zealand championships, where he won first prize, but not the title, as, under the New Zealand association rul&s, the title must be held’by a New Zealander. He then gave exhibitions in WeUington and sailed south to Christchurch and Dunedin, afterward travelling north to Palmerston North,, Gisborne, .Napier, Woodville and Greytown. - Arriving back in Wellington only two hours previously, having been held up iu ■the Wairarapa district through the -weekend storms, Mr. Purdy gave a farewell display against 74 competitors, and at 11.30 p.m., when tho final game had concluded, he had won 55, drawn 10, and lost only nine. It was hoped to beat the present record of 117 games, but with bad weather and an unsuitable date the attempt was not made. The competitors who managed to gain a win from the champion were Mrs. Goldsmith, Miss Gwen Goldsmith. Messrs. R. C. Sim, W. C. Pottinger, K. Beyer, V. Meninkoff. C. J. Watkins, AV. J. Emery, and G. Smith. Mr. A .T. Craven, president of the New Zealand Chess Association, congratulated Mr. Purdy on his very fine success all over the Dominion.