CHESS CONGRESS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 154, 27 December 1912, Page 3

CHESS CONGRESS

FIRST DAY'S PLAY. (BT TELKGRAPH— PKESS ASSOCIATION.) NELSON. 27th December. The twenty-sixth New Zealand Chess Championship Congress was opened "hero to-day. The following competitors are taking part: — Grief son (Auckland), Sainsbury (Gisborne), Hicks (Napier), Maunsell (Carterton), Mason and James (Wellington C.C.), Barnes and Kelling _ (Wellington Working Men's Club), Se* vefne (Canterbury). Gyles (Westport), Dodds (Nelson), and Cole (Wakefield). The first round commenced in the afternoon, the results of the finished games being as follows :—: — Maunsell v._ Gyles.-^Maunsell opened with the Ruy Lopez, Gyles replying with the classical defence, lt was an even game up till the tenth move, when White won the King's Pawn, and Black, by a counter attack, brought about a very critical position. White, on his fifteenth move, threatened to win the exchange, and, on the sixteenth move, followed up his intention, overlooking the fact that Black's fifteenth move had brought about a mating position which was effected by Black. Barnes v. James.— * The latter adopted the Caro Kann game, and careful play on both sides produced a very even game up till the twenty-third move, when Black, overlooking the position' of a Bishop, gave away a Knight. Queens were exchanged on the thirty^second move, giving White a dangerous passed pawn. James, however, made a very strong fight with his pawns, one of which he < threatened to Queen on • bis fortythird move. This move also opened an ' attack on White's Bishop on the back line, but James had overlooked that the attacked Bishop , took the opposing Bishop with a check. James resigned a hard-fought game. Kelling y. Mason.— Mason replied to Kelling's opening by the Petrofi) defence, and a very close game ensued till move fourteen, when Black advanced a Knight on the Kihg's side,, bringing about a Very critical position, which extended both players as - regards time. The resulting exchange left White's King exposed, and Black, with doubled Rooks on the King's Rook's file, forced further ex- i changes, and left White's Pawns open to attack. Again pressed for time, the hurried moves did not help White's game. Black, by a series of checks with Queen and Rook, ultimately forced White to lose Queen for Rook, Kelling resigning on the 49th move. Hicks V Saiftsbury.— A variation of the Guioco Piano game was adopted, and an early series of exchanges left both sides with doubled pawns, the open Knight's file being occupied by White's Queen. White won the exchange, but, as a result, Black got a good attacking position. Hicks accepted an offer to exchange Queens on the thirty-third move. The end of the game proved most interesting, and, in a Ukelylooking position tor Black, a draw was decided upon, as, in the resulting exchange, Black gave up two Pawns for a Bishop, ■ ' The game Severne v. Grierson, is unfinished, but Severne, just at closing time, gave away a Knight for a Pawn ; and Dodds and Cole, at the adjournment, were still at the end of their game. _ At the Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, before Mr. William Jessen, J.P., Patrick Kelly and Alfred George Mabin, charged with drunkenness, were fined 10s -each, in default forty-eight hours' imprisonment. Thomas M'Cready and a first offender, similarly charged, were convicted and discharged, and one first, .offender, who did nofc appear, was ordered to pay a fine of 10s, the alternative being forty-eight hours' imprison- ( ment. ,