CHESS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 131, 7 June 1929, Page 14

CHESS

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

> The. -thirtieth annual general meeting of the New Zealand Chess Association was held at 64, Courteriay place, on Wednesday evening, sth June, when Mr' J. C. M'Crea occupied the chair. The following delegates were also present:—T. Fouhy (Auckland Chess Club), G. P. Anderson (Gisborne Chess Club), W. K. -Welch." (Palmerston North Chess Club), G. A. Jones (Masterton Chess Club), J. C. M'Crea (Hamilton and Otago Chess Clubs), H. Douglas (Otago. Chess Club), C. W, Tanner (Napier Chess Club), A. W: Gyles (Wellington Chess Club), W. Wring and F. K. Kelling (Wellington Working Men's Club and Literary Institute). Apologies for nori : attendance were, received from Messrs.-W. Mackay (local vice-president), F. J. Brooker (Canterbury C.C.), and E. S. Taylor (Wellington C.C.). ANNUAL REPORT. Mr. C. W; Tanner (hon; secretary) presented the thirtieth annual report, as follows:— . . ■ Membership.—The number of affiliated clubs is 17, the position being thus the same, as it: was -a year ago. . Unafliliated clubs are now flourishing in Invercargill, Leeston, Timaru, Hawera, Stratford, Eltham, and Tauranga, and these are hereby cordially invited, to join up, thus putting our association in a stronger * position, "bach club of minor status pays an annual subscription of one guinea; and has three votes on any matter coming before the association;'besides the right of nominating. free,.pf cost,: a competitor for- the ■annual .Championship Congress. Each club of minimum status pays an annual subscription of half, a guinea, has two votes on any matter under discussion, and can nominate a congress competitor on payment of an additional 10s 6d. -Championship o£ New Zealand.—The 38th tourney,' to decide .this title (which came into existence on- 4th September, 1879). was .held; in-Wellington during the. Uinstmas, holidays;, the : various -arrangeinents_being very.: capably made by the local Chess League.., There ,were only nine entries; ; a unique (and' very "regrettable) teature beingthat three;of our four large centres (Auckland, Christehurch, and Dunedin) could not .muster one competitor between them>,despite, the fact that leave orabsence is as. a general' rule more easily obtainable at'lChristinas time than at any other period of the year. / #V v%kine, a New Zealander who; settled iri, Melbourne some years ago, won the; championship handsomely, scoring the possible (8-0). This feat has only been periormed_once previously—viz., by the I^^' Dunedin, aVthe 1898 Congress. -Mr. A. W. Gyles (Wellington^ won second prize, and also the bnliancy prize. Mr. E. H. Severne (NelTTnir°?w he th! rd Prize, and Mr. F. R. Kellmg (Wellington W.M. Club) annexed the best recovery prize. The drawings were all published in advance, the innovation, of the previous year being given a w O1? d teal with satisfactory results. , Elimination Board.-^At our last annual meeting it was decided to set up an JMimination Board and to give it power to reject any: congress entry if the appl> cant s chess-playing record is not up to a-proper standard. Messrs. W. E. Mason, W. Mackay, and G. P. Anderson—three local experts who were not personally interested in *>ur 38th Congress—acted as the pioneer Elimination "Board. It 'is interesting to note that they did not'find it . necessary, to reject any of the few entries received:"' ; .: Telegraphic; Matches'.—As . a result of telegraphies contests played, last year the Wellington/Chess;Club regained the .club; championship^ of the , Dominion, after a neck-and-rieck,** race with- the Otago and Auckland Clubs. Some clubs last year played without, clocks,- and some umpires failed, -.to,"■ give: the : required certificate/ re no irregularities having been' permitted. These omissions should not recur in the coming; season.;.Twenty boards are to be. counted .for, the Club Championship in future- contests,;; unless the Otago Club's remit favouring:a smaller number is carried this Evening. * The desirableness of greater dispatch in the makmg of adjudications on unfinished games is strongly, urged. ?. ;■*•■.' • . ~ . . Mr. .Charles Blackburne, the president of the Gisborrie Chess Club, having kindly offered a trophy to be competed for,by the minor clubs', of _the North Island, suggestions for'carrying out this contest were invited from affiliated clubs in December, last. .-So[far no replies are to hand. As cablesare being repaired in Cook-Strait; it is hoped that it will not be necessary to play any more matches on Monday evenings. ' •■.. ,'."■ :;■"■ - ■'.-■ . . '.. \ Obituaries.—The following deaths have occurred during the year under review;— (a) Mrs/S; R. Gyles, the mother of our hon. treasurer, who proved herself a formidable opponent in the Wellington Chess Club's tourneys and telegraphic fixtures, died on 2nd September, 1928. (b) Sir William Sim, the highly esteemed patron of the Otago'Chess Club, arid for many years^one of;, it's active members, died suddenly in this, city oh 29th August, 1928, aged 70 years. He was the Senior Judge of the, Supreme Court of New Zealand at.the ;thne of his death, (c) Mr. Richard .James Barnes, of this city, died onr 7th '• January, ; '■ 1929, i > aged' 68:; years. During -his - illustrious career, extending over four dwadee,' he won the New Zealand championship .fivV tunes, and was runner-up for that honour no less than mne tunes. Despite the handicap of occasional ill-health, he achieved a record of triumphs that made his name a household one in the. chess circles of Australia and New Zealand, (d) Mr. F. W. H. Kummer, for many years past one of our North Island vice-presidents, arid one of the Dominion s.foremost players, died in Masterton on,-3rd February, 1929, aged 63. ' New owes much.to his fine standard of play and:generous support (c) Mr. fiustar H. J. Kummer, the pioneer and ..grand old man" of Wairarapa chess, died on the '11th ultimo in Masterton at the advanced age of 92 years. He arrived m New Zealand in 1864, and shortly afterwards made his home at Kummerstem (32 miles from Masterton). . ; AVith the demise of the "Weekly Press" (Christchurch) there has passed.away one of ■ the few remaining New! Zealand chess columns. The editor ever since the col-umn-s start in/August, 1886, was Mr. Arthur Cant, formerly a very prominent member of the Canterbury Chess Club, and tor several years itß enthusiastic hon. secretary.. To have been a chess editor ior torty-two years and two months is a record for New Zealand, the next best tally .being,that of the late Mr. Michael Connolly who^ediled the chess column in $&sss&>?***' NeWS" f°r fo^ Personal.—rßest;wishes for jah early recovery, are hereby tendered to Mr. F J Brooker, .the^ president of the Ngaio Chess Olub, and chairman ,of the Wellington Oness League, who is at present laid aside by illness. We are pleased to once more have Mr. Dirk Pihl in the Dominion a prominent player arid a liberal supporter, who has^ just, returned -from a twelve months visit to his native land (Norway), and to learn.that Mr. W. Mackay, of Wellington, a North Wand vice-presi-dent, is making an excellent recovery from the further operation ,that he underwent a week ago. Acknowledgments.—We are greatly indebted to the-following:—(a) To the Wellington Chess League for so successfully carrying out the last championship congress; (b) to all who have rendered financial or other assistance either to the annual congress or to the general fund: (c)" to Messrs. G. A. Troup (Mayor of Wellington), the Kummer brothers (of Kummerstein), and E. Gibbard (Dannevirke); for special prizes; (d) to the adjudication and elimination boards for their valued -services;'.* (c) to the Telegraph Department," through whose kind offices the holding of various matches has been mad possible; (f) to the Press for valued reports given from time to time; (g) to Mr. H. M. Rosenberg (Wellington) for overhauling our clocks*; (h) to Mr. Charles Blackburne, president of the Gisborne Chess Club, for the.offer of the trophy referred to above; and (i) to Mr. G. A. Jones (Johnsonyille), for his excellent services as umpire at the annual congress. * The balance-sheet, submitted by Mr. A. W. Gyles, shows that .'after allocating £20 to the annual championship congress, and meeting Bundry small expenses, there is a small credit balance on the year's working. The fund which is being accumulated for the New Zealand Chess Club championship trophy now stands -at £30, and

suggestions are accordingly invited as to what form the trophy should take. The report and balance-sheet' were adopted.

It was decided that in telegraphic matches for the club championship of the Dominion twenty boards should be counted m future, except in matches in which the Otago Chess Club is concerned, when sixteen boards are to decide the issue, as the Otago C.C. has lost the use of a room that was available last year, and members are very cramped when playing in their present inadequate quarters. Clubs are requested to at once have all clocks put m order that were reported as faulty last year. The Napier, Hamilton, and Gisborne Clubs have entered for the Blackburne Trophy mentioned above. Any other North Island club wishing to take part in this 12-board contest should apply at once to the Gisborne hon. secretary, Mr. A. Gleave. Gisborne, being the originating club, is being asked to manage the contest in its initial year. The Otago Club's remit suggesting that either player in an unfinished gamely telegraph should be allowed to submit an analysis to the adjudication board was. rejected by 24 votes to 12. The newly-formed Invercargill Chess Club was elected to membership, and is to be asked to appoint a delegate. The Otago Club is willing to forego its claim to the right of holding the next championship congress in favour of one of the smaller affiliated centres. In the event of-a smaller centre applying for the congress the association, will specially increase its contribution ■ from £20 to £25, and will ask the four major clubs to guarantee £3 on their one-shilling lists, and each minor club to guarantee, say £1, on its one-shilling list. Experience has shown that these guarantees can easily be reached when the list Js entrusted to a canvasser, : instead-' of- being posted on a notice board. This-scheme would provide outside assistance amounting to about £45, instead of the customary £20. Any club wishing to apply for the next congress on this basis should write to the association promptly, or at any rate before the council's September meeting. The election of officers resulted, as follows:—Patron, General Sir Charles Fergusson, Baronet, Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand; president: This office js to be filled by a nomination from the centre in which.the next championship congress is held; vice-presidents: North Island, upper division, K. Barker (Auckland), 8. Burton (Hamilton), and A. H. Schlichting (Gisborne); lower division, W. Mackay (Wellington), A. H. M. Wright (Palmerston North), and Paul Kummer (Masterton); South Island, upper division, B. Trathen (Nelson), Roy Lovell-Smith (Christchurch), and H. Kennedy (Christchurch);.; lower division, F. W. Humphries (Oamaru), Rev. Dr. Merrington (Dunedin), and. Dr. G. Barnett (Dunedin);. Hon. secretary, C. W. Tanner; hon. treasurer, A. W. Gyle; hon. reporter, F..K.:Selling;'hon. auditor, F. J. Brooker.

Sundry accounts were passed for payment, and the meeting closed with votes of thanks to last year's office-bearers, to Mr. C. S. B. Lambert, who audited the balance-sheet owing to Mr. Brooker's regretted illness, and to the chairman for presiding.