CHESS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 146, 21 June 1923, Page 10

CHESS

THE FIRST WELLINGTON CLUB

Fifty-seven years ago yesterday, on 20th June, 1865, the" first 'Wellington Chess Club was" founded by Mr. C. P. Powlesr who'is still a resident of this city. Most of. the members were adl\»rents of St. Paul's Church, which had been consecrated a fortnight earlier. The earliest meetings were held in the Athenafiuni. which is now known as the Exchange Buildings. At the end of the fir»t. month the club had twenty-five members. At that time the Nelson and Canterbury Chess Clubs, were playing a match that may bo termed historic, as it -was the first contest to be played by. telegraph in the Southern Hemisphere. Tho idea originated . with" the late Mr. Charles Janion, who did so much for New Zealand chess during his fifty years' connection with it. It was hoped that the Wellington players would also have a telegraph ,mutch in 1866, but, as a matter of fact, they had to wait twelve years for their first contest over the wires. _Mr. Montague Mosley, a retired journalist, who died in this city on the 18th ultimo in his eighty-eighth year, was a prominent member of this original Wellington Chess Club. It was flonrishing_ when he left Wellington in 1871 to reside-in-Christchurch. On the other hand, it was non-existent in 1875. It evidently faded out of existence in the oarly seventies. . THE PRESENT CLUB. The present Wellington Chess Club was formed on Friday, 16th June, 1876, .■is a result of an exciting sides match, which ended with the following score: — Town. 24 wins; Civil Service, 23 wins; drawn, 3. To celebrate this match a dinner was held in the old Panama Hotel, raranaki street, and it was at this function that th ß present Wellington Chess Club was formed, the list of officers being as follows :—President Mr George Hunter, M.H.R.; vice-president; w^7-- Ben u0W; hon- Usurer, Mr. W. Whittem; hon. secretary, Mr. (now "i c R«vo, W. T. Thane; committee, Messrs, jf] hhy> w p _ Kenned G Didsbury, E. Reeves, and Charles 'White. An energetic canvass was promptly made b> the late Mr Edward Peeves and Mr. Vy i>. Barraud (who is the club's only life-member and the only foundation member on the club's roll), and it was so successful that the membership had 'jnereased from 30 to 80 a week after the club was founded. During the 47 years of its existence the club has had fpr>nt^rv- IP^eSfdents'1P^ eSfdents ' and fifteen difdw wfen was .celebrating its birthi»a?d^glrd^homatchasainst