WELLINGTON CHESS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 190, 10 May 1938, Page 8

WELLINGTON CHESS

Working Men’s Club Annual Meeting

Members of the Wellington Working Men’s Club and Literary Institute held their forty-ninth annual chess and draughts meeting recently, Mr, D. Stephens presiding over a good attendance. The report stated that Hie -iiitiual tourney for the championship of the dub was won by F. Ix. Kelling, who was the club's first chess champion 49 years ago. He therefore retains for another term the Pressley championship shield. K. Beyer won the second prize, and \\. McClure third by defeating L. Gneiss when playing off a tie for third place. The annual handicap chess tourney was won by K. Beyer. Hie contest for second prize is narrowed down to Messrs. Rosenberg and Cornish, the result depending on the outcome of two outstanding games. AU the ladder matches played during the year were won by the defenders.

The club's representatives did well in the three teams' tourneys of the \\ elliugton Chess League, gaining tne first and two second places. They were run-ners-up in grades 1 and 3, and won the second grade competition, the successful team being Messrs, Hirter, McClure, R. Brown, Stephens. Cornish and Pascoe. The club’s representatives in tbe three champion-of-cliampious tourneys were as follows: Grade 1. F. K. Kelling; grade 2. G. Smith; grade 3, G. M. Morpeth. Mr. Kelling succeeded in winning the senior evenj after playing off a tie with F. Vincent, Brooklyn. F. K. Kelling represented the club in the forty-seventh tourney to decide the chess championship of New Zealand, and shared fifth prize with Mr. 11. McNabb, Nelson. Mr. Kelling can now show 26 prizes for his 30 New Zealand congresses.

It is worthy of note that the club has been represented at 46 of New Zealand's 47 chess congresses, and it has failed to secure a prize in only six of these 46 tourneys. For this remarkable record the club is in a large measure indebted to the late Mr. R. J. Barnes, whose formidable list of successes still commands admiration. All last year’s executive officers were re-elected. It was decided to nominate Messrs. Kelling. McClure and Morpeth for the league’s cliampion-of-champions events, and to enter for the first and second grade teams’ tourneys. Entries arc coming in freely for the club’s annual championship and handicap tourneys. MIRAMAR-SEATOUN CLUB The Miramar-Seatoun Cbes-w Club held its seventh annual meeting last week, when Mr. G. W. Wood, the retiring president, occupied the ehair. The-annual report stated that there had been a welcome increase in membership during the past yea r. The annual handicap tourney was won by Mr. E. W. Hutchings, who thus holda the silver cup donated by Mr. G. Wood for the ensuing year. In handing over (he Wood Cup to Mr. Hutchings. Mr. F. K. Kelling, the president of the Wellington Chess League, complimented him on hie good and consistent play. T'he annual championship tourney was won by Mr. IV. Arbuthnot, the runnerup being Mr. E. W. Hutchings. The club took fifth place in the Wellington league’s second-grade teams' tourr nament, and Mr. E. W. Hutchings, the club's representative in the league’s B grade champion of champions’ event, was successful iu winning that competition. .11: was decided Io make a small increase in the annual subscription iu order to assist. the fund for purchasing chess sets. The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mr. A. Walker; secretary and treasurer, Mr. G. NV. Wood; committee. Mrs. Gadd and Messrs. JI. Dyer, Loretz and Knudsen, with the officers ex-officio: handirappers, Messrs. E. and W. Hutchings; delegate to Wellington Chess League. Mr. 11. N. Ruble.

It was decided to begin the annual handicap foujitey shortly and'to hold a series of ladder competitions in place of the customary championship tourney. Two teams arc to be entered in the league’s second-grade teams’ to.iruey, and Mr. IV. Arbuthnot is to represent the club in the league's second-grade champion of champions' competition.