CHESS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 42, 18 August 1925, Page 16

CHESS

WORKING MEN'S CLUB V; NGAIO

The thirteenth match between the above clubs was contested at Ngaio on Saturday evening, when Mr. Ernest E. Hicks (vice-president) extended a cordial welcome to the visitors, r loi whom Mr. F. K. Selling responded at the supper adjournment, thanking the local enthusiasts for their kind hospitality. The home side was, unfortunately, handicapped by the absence of some of its leading players. Being short-handed, they lost some games by default, as the contest was part of the Wellington Chess League's interclub tourney. The score was as follows:— W.M. Club. Ngaio. Falkner, S l Lindsay, J C Kelling, F. K. • Hicks, E. E. ... * Altridge, J 1 Absentee 0 Burgess, J 0 Topp, A. B. ... 1 Rosenberg, H... 0 Hicks, W. J. ... 1 Perry, J. E. ... 0 Topp, H 1 Wring, W 1 Absentee 0 WaUker, G A Glasgow, J. A. A Williams, R. ... I Gibson, A. H. 0 Bosher, W. ... 1 Fink, W 0 Long, H. E. ... 1 Absentee 0 Anderson, H.... £ Stringer, H. ... £ M'Ewen, J 1 Absentee 0 Total to date 8 Total to date 4j * On finished. It will be noted that Kelling will require to win the unfinished game (which is fh a very even state) if the Working' Men's Club is "to share honours at the first six boards, which count for the senior teamV tourney of the Wellington Chess League. By having made the higher score at the next six boards (7 to 12 inclusive), the Working Men's Club scores a point for the junior teams' tourney. The older club also wine tie annual match, for which all the games count. Of the thirteen matches played to date, the Working Men'B Club has wen seven, the Ngaio C.C. five, and one ended in a tie, the score being 71. all when these two clubs met at 52, Cuba street, on 23rd July, 1919. OBITUARY. Mr. W. T. Thane, who died in this city last week, aged 74, was the Wellington Chess Glut's first honorary secretary. It js interesting to recall that the club was formed on 16th June, 1876, at a dinner held in the old Panama Hall, Taranftki street, as the outcome of an exciting match, Town v. Civil Service, which the former won by one game. The final score was:—Town 24 wins, Civil Service 23, drawn 3. When the Wellington Chess Club held it* 49th annual general meeting in March last, the late Mr. 'Thane, who retired from active participation in chess many years ago, was present by special invitation. He gave the present-day members ja, very interesting sketch of the doings in the earliest years of the club, when matches against Legislative and Civil Servic* teams were a. regular and most enjoyable feature. The death'of Mr. J. W. Witty, at the age of 87, which occurred at Gisborne a fortnight ago, removes another pioneer worker in the cause of New j Zealand chesi. He was an active player for 77 years, and had been a tower of strength to the Gisborne 0.0. for 40 years. Before leaving England the latt Mr. Witty won a box of cigars by scoring a game from Herr Lowenthal, the famous German master, who was touring the Motherland at the time. According to the New Zealand Chess Association's last Congress-book, Mr. Witty commenced business in Napier in 1863, when he inaugurated the first Napier Chess Club, this being probably the first chess club formed in New Zealand. During the Te Kooti raids the Maoris pulled up his fences, which thejr used for fireiwood, and let loose his horses and cattle, only a blood mare being recovered. The late Mr. Witty was also an enthusiastic bowler.'