WELLINGTON CHESS CLUB.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 123, 23 November 1908, Page 2

WELLINGTON CHESS CLUB.

A meeting of the Wellington Club's general committee was held at the clubroom, Manners-street, on Saturday evening, when there was a large attendance of members. Mr. E. W. Petherick (President) occupied the chair. Mr. F. W. Collins was appointed a delegate to the New Zealand Chess Association, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. H. L. James. Messrs. A. W. O. Davies (the present champion of New Zealand) and John Mason were selected to represent the club at the ckampionship tournament, which commences in Dunedin on Boxing Day. Mr.' Davies has been residing in Sydney since winning the championship at Wellington last Easter, but it is understood that he is anxious to cross the Tasman Sea to defend the title. He is showing 'fine form in Sydney, and, should nothing arise to prevent him visiting New Zealand, he may be relied on to again give an excellent account of himself. Mr Charles Janion was made a life member of the Clvb — a well-deserved compliment to a chess player whose labours to advance the game in New Zealand are highly valued and run back over a period of more than forty years. It was Mr. Janion who mooted and brought to a successful issue the first telegraphic chess match in New Zealand, viz., Canterbury versus Nelson, when telegraphic communication was first established between those places in the middle sixties. Mr. Janion, too, is the only player in the Dominion of those who took part in the first championship congress (1879), Mr. D. R. Hay, the remaining survivor, having settled in Melbourne. My. Petherick iorraally repeated the announcement made by him at the recent smoker v. non-smoker sides match, viz.. that he would be very pleased to donate a fresh shield to replace the one given by him six years ago, and which has just been won outright by Mr. Barnes. He suggested that the members of any club within a ten-mile radius might be allowed to compete for the new shield. However, he did not wish to dictate any ] terms, and was quite prepared to leave the matter entirely in the committee's hands. On the motion of Mr. Littlejohn, seconded by Mr. Collins, and sup- j ported by Messrs. Still, Fell, and Kelling, a hearty vote of thanks was ac- j corded to Mr. Petherick for this his latest kindness to the club. Messrs. W. E. Mason and A. G. Fell were appointed a sub-committee to submit to a future i meeting a comprehensive scheme for the ' competition for the Petherick Shield No. 2. _______