CHESS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 136, 11 June 1928, Page 16

CHESS

♦ CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP OF NEW ZEALAND The following schedule of matches by telegraph for the club championship of New Zealand has, it is understood, been approved by the telegraph authorities:— 23rd-and 30th June: Otago CO. v. Canterbury CO., and Auckland C.C. v. Wellington CO. 9th and 18th July: Otago v. Auckland. 23rd and 30th July: Canterbury v. Wellington. 13th and 20th August: Canterbury v. Auckland. 3rd and 10th September: Otago v. Wellington.' As was the case last year, matches that involve the use of the Cook Straits.cably arc set down for decision on Monuay evenings. The Canterbury Chess Club, beingl desirous of having its strongest team in action, is asking to have Saturdays substituted for Mondays if at all possible. It is interesting to recall that this competition was inaugurated six years ago, the winning teams being as as follow: — 1922 Auckland, 1923 Wellington, 1021 Wellington, 1925 Auckland, 1920 Wellington, and 1927 Otago. Just as Rugby footballers arc wondering if the Canterbury Rugby Union can retain the Kanfurly Shield in this season's challenge matches, so, in a quiet way, are our leading chess players asking the question: Can the Otago C.C. retain the honours that it won so handsomely a year ago, when the club championship went to the South Island for the first time? It will be minus the services of B. W. Stenhouse, an ex-champion of the club, who has settled in Australia, and Dirik Pihl, a well-known congress player, who is away ou a lengthy visit to Norway, his native land. On the other hand, J. B. Duulop (thrice champion of New Zealand) has returned to Dunedin from his trip to England, and the club lias a new champion in the person of Kon M'Dermicl, the colt who made such an excellent showing at his first New Zealand Congress during the New Year holidays. The Canterbury Chess Club will probably put forward a markedly stronger team than it was able to muster last year. Messrs. H. L. Anderson and Hans Kennedy have returned from lengthy trips abroad, and W. J. Fairburn, a well-known Wellington player, has made his home in the Cathedral City. Three other prominent members of the club gained useful experience by taking part in New Zealand's last congress. For these and other reasons it is expected that the "Avonsiders" will make an excellent showing in the forthcoming matches. The '_ Auckland Club will, of course, greatly miss Mr. A. W. O. Davies, the New Zealand champion, who died so suddenly on IGth January last. On the other hand it will have the valuable services of Mr. J. A. Moir, .who stood down last year. He should be a tower o£ strength to his club, of which he. won the championship four years running. The ■Wellington team, which will be led by Mr. A. W. Gyles, is expected to be of about the same strength as 'last year's side— which was runner-up to the Otago C.C. in the 1927 contest. According to present indications, the four contending clubs should be very evenly matched, and the team that gains the honours will probably have to be content with a very small margin. This actually happened four years ago, when the Otago, Auckland, and Wellington Clubs each won two matches and lost one, and the championship only went to the Wellington C.C. because it could show the best tally of won games, viz., 22%. out.of a possible of 3G. At the conclusion of the Christchurch Congress in January last, a discussion was held during the prize distribution function on the desirableness of putting these telegraphic contests on a more satisfactory footing. The necessity for providing for a stricter control, for more efficient scnitin-eeringy-iind for the elimination of sundry "laxities" that have latterly crept into" these contests was stressed by several speakers. It was contended that after each match.the umpire should forward a report to the "distant" club that he is acting for, and that he should give a certificate stating that he has allowed no such irregularities as consultation discussions, the trying out of variations over the board, the lax use of clocks, and other practices that a player would not be allowed to resort to if his opponent were sitting opposite to him. The New Zealand Chess Association is accordingly making certain recommendations to its affiliated clubs, with a view to having these telegraphic matches fought out under more satisfactory conditions.