CHESS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 151, 28 June 1915, Page 2

CHESS

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION i " The annual general meeting of the New Zealand Chess Association was held on Saturday evening in the V.M.C.A. Building. The following delegates were present : Messrs. H. L. James (Gisborne CO.), S. Mackay (Masterton CO.), Barnes (Otago C.C.), Dalrymple (Wellington W.M. Club), Fell (Rangitikei C.C. and Canterbury CO.), Kelling (Auckland W.M. Club and Timaru.), and D. Purchas (Wellington South C.C). The annual report presented by the lion, secretary (Mr. A. G. Fell) states that there are now 18 affiliated clubs, including the Carterton High School. The financial statement shows that a small profit has once more been made on the year's transactions. The accumulated savings of the past six years will enable the association to devote about £12 to the purchase of clocksMessrs. Still, W. Mackay, and Fell were appointed a sub-committee to arrange the purchase. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Wellington Chess Club, which has lent the association its clocks free of cost for many years past. A loss of 7s 6cl was made on the book of the Nelson Congress, which, however, was made good by a profit of 7s 3d on the book of the Auckland Congress. The number of congress books on hand is 275, as follow ;— -Timaru book 78, Napier 14, Nelson 99, and Auckland 84. The book which was recently issued of the congress held in Christchurch six months ago has been well received, and as club secretaries are successfully pushing the sale of it there is not likely to be ai loss on it. This satisfactory result is, however, only attained by liberal donations from many generous subscribers, and it is now quite clear that these annual congress books cannot be made self-supporting. The association may, indeed, be compelled to reluctantly abandon publication — at any rate, fora time. The annual congress was held at Christchurch during the Christmas holidays, and was mpst satisfactorily managed by the officials of the local club. Thirteen players faced the starter. The prize-winners were :—F. K. Kelling (Wellington W.M. Club), championship, and also the brilliancy prize; R. 1 J. Barnes (Wellington W.M. Club), second prize; Rev. C. E. Fox (Solomon Islands) and E. A. Hicks (Napier) divided third and fourth prizes; E. H. Severne (Canterbury C.C), fifth prize; and W. 11. Buckett (Canterbury CO.), sixth prize. These winners are most heartily congratulated. The thanks of the association are accorded to ex-champions W. E. Mason and _W. Mackay, both of Wellington, the joint editors of the last two congress books, for the excellent manner in which they have carried out their arduous task; also to Mr. l{. A, Joseph (Christchurch), who donated the brilliancy prize. Thanks are also accorded to tho Christchurch Committee for its able manage* ment of the congress, to the Evening Post for supplying reprints of official reports' appearing in its columns from time to time, and to all who have assisted with valued donations. The report and balance-sheet were adopted unahimously, various speakers testifying to the appreciation which players in all parts of tile Dominion have for the splendid work which Mr. Fell is doing for New Zealand chess. The election of officers resulted as follows :— Patron : His Excellency the Governor, Lord Liverpool; president, Mr. J. P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington; vice-presidents: North Island, Upper Division, Messrs. R. H. Abbott. H. E. Myers, and Captain Little (all of Auck land) ; Lower Division : Messrs. F. Kummer (Wairarapa). O. C. Pleasant* (Wanganui), and J. G. W. Dalrymple (Wellington); South Island, Upper Division : Messrs. E. H. Severne (Christchurch), Gordon P. Wood (Timaru), and G. F. Dodds (Nelson) ; Lower Division : Messrs. John Brown, D. H. Hastings, and 0. Balk (all of 'Dunedin) ; lion, secretary and treasurer. Mr. A. G. Fell (re-elected for an eighth term amidst loud applause) ; auditor, Mr. W. Mackay (reelected). Mr. F. Harvey replaces Mr. A. W. O. Davies on the Auckland Adjudication Board, the latter player, who has twice held the New Zealand Championship, ha-ving left the Dominion us a sergeant in the sth Reinforcements, Two vacancies on tho Christchnrch Adjudication Board were filled by the appointments of Messrs. Nightingale and Cumberworth. Mr. Fell brought up the question as to whether the Championship Congress, which would in the ordinary course be held in Wellington during the next Christmas (or Easter) holidays, should be postponed owing to tho war. A very large number of clubs and associations were abandoning championship fixtures owing to an ever-increasing logs of interest in the various competitions and other causes arising out of the war. Moreover, the collection of the necessary funds would be a very difficult matter, and tho money would be better spent, cay, in assisting the alleviation of privations in Europe. In view of the state of affairs existing in the- world today it was very questionable if the association should proceed as in normal times of peace. It might be better for the association to mark its appreciation of the gravity of affairs by postponing this year's Championship Congress. Mr. Jaones asked if Wellington, which had stood down in favour of Napier four years ago, and had given up its turn to Auckland two years ago (Exhibition year), would lose ita turn if Mr. Fell's proposal were agreed to. The Chairman did not think so in the circumstances. Mr. James hoped that the Chairman's view would prove correct, but was dubious about sufficient allowance having been made for human nature. MrJT Barlies, while agreeing with the remarks of Mr. Fell, confessed that he did not like the idea of a break occurring in the Championship Congress, which had been held annually from 1888 onwards. He therefore made the alternative suggestion that the tourney be held as usual, the competitors merely playing for possession of the championship trophy (tho silver rook, which can be inspected during the remainder of this year in tho library of the local Working Men's Club), the whole of the prize-money being devoted to one or other of the war relief or patriotic funds. It was decided to_ put both suggestions before the affiliated clubs, and to ask them to instruct their delegates on the matter as urgently as possible. Clubs should also state the names of players that they propose to nominate in the event of the Championship Congress being played on the lihes suggested by Mr. Barnes. A hearty vote of thanks to last year's officers closed the meeting, particular reference being made to Mr, Fell's untiring "labour of love" in the executive offices, labours to which the cause of chess in New Zealand is so heavily indebted.