CHESS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 16

CHESS

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION

QUARTERLY COUNCIL MEETING

A quarterly council meeting ot* the New Zealand Chess Association was held at C4, Courtenay place, on !Monday evening, Ist December, when Mr. 0. A. Jones (Masterton C.C.) occupied the chair. The following were also rii-egon!: A. T. Craven iiiul E. S, Taylor (Wellington .C.C), H. .\[. .Uosenbera (Wellington Working Men's Club), 12. E. Hicks (Xgaio C.C), AY. Kcniblc Welch (I'alnicrston JCorlU C.C), i.f. ].'. Anderson (Gisborno C.C), H. .Uouglas (Otago C.C), F. K. Kellins (Invercargill C.C aud Kotorua C.C), A. W. Gyles (lion, treaeuver), and W. Toomath (hun. secretary). Apolugies for non-at-tendance were received iroin Messrs. W. Miickay (the local vice-president), F. .Kouliy (who before leaving Wellington authorised F. K. Kelling to look after the interests ot the Auckland CO.), and J. C. AL-Crea (Ol»go C.C). Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., of Kotorua, was elected president of the association, an office that was not filled when the annual meeting was held on llth June last, as it was not known then in which centre the annual championship tourney would bo held. Entries i'or New Zealand's 40th annual championship tourney, which is scheduled to begin in Kotorua on .Boxing Day, were received as follows: W. .T. Greenfield (of Ashlield, New South Wales), J. A. Erekiuu (Southland C.C). E. 11. Severne (Kelson C.C), Eev. A. Miller (AVestport), D. Pihl and W. Herbert (Otago C.C), A. W. Gyles (Wellington C.C), E. E. Hicks (Xgaio C.C), K. Beyer, F. K. Kelling, and \V. J. Fairburn (Wellington Working Men's Club), P. Kumuier (Masterton C.C), A. IT. Sehlichting (Gisborne C.C), L. Pleasants (Wauganui C.C), and H. N. Maddox, J. C Griersou, and J. A. Moir (Auckland C.C). The Wanganui Club reserves tlie right to nominate R. 0. Scott in the event o£ L. Plcasants having to withdraw his name. Mr. Greenfield has taken- part in the last three tourueys for the championship of New South Wales, his best bid being made two years ago, when he finished up in fourth place. He has twice represented New bouth Wales against Victoria in the annual match by telcraph, scoring one win and one draw. \s Messrs. W. Mackay and W. E. Mason were not present, and the entries had to be considered urgently, Messrs. A. I. Craven and G; A. Jones were appointed to act with Mr. G. P. Anderson as the Elimination Board on this occasion. Alter coin" into all the official and lniofheial information at their disposal, they decided to admit all the entrants as "up to standard " Some of the competitors, named above are labelled "doubtful," and it is not at present certain how many 'starters" there will be. .If the number of competitors exceeds H it will presumably be necessary to resort to scctiou-play, ' ™ which case ]2 players would qualify ior the final eight rounds, thu total number of rounds not exceeding 13. One-shilling lists were received as follows: AVelhngton £5 Otago £3, Napier £1 4s Od, Wanganui £1, Gisbovuo 12s, and Hamilton nil. It was decided to send a wire to clubs whose one shilling lists are outstanding, asking them to remit at once. The association's annual grant was on _this occasion specially increased to £20, so^ that after all the outstanding ■'shillings and entrance fees are to hand, .the Kotorua Club should receive outside assistau.ee amounting to about £4.0. The Napier Chess Club having expressed a desire to undertake the 1031-32 championship congress, it was decided to write to the Otago Club' regarding the matter, as it Mould, ,in the ordinary inter-island rotation, be that club's turn in .12 mouthstime Several aHiliated clubs reported having received a circular letter from the I Post and Telegraph Department, notifying that in future it proposed to levy a charge of one penny per mile for the use of the Department's wires for telegraphic matches. As clubs have had a hard struggle to pay the hitherto existing charges, the circular letter referred to above has caused .some consternation and dismay, and several club executives arc extremely dubious about being able to afford matches annually on the new terms, which are generally regarded as prohibitive. After a short discussion, Messrs. Mackay, Toomath (convenor), Brooker, aud Kelliug- were appointed a deputation to interview the Secretary of the Department regarding this matter. The honorary recorder reported that, since the last quarterly meeting, the deaths had occurred of Dr. Fitchett, a former South Island- vice-president, and Mr T. H. Battle, one of. the earliest members of the Wanganui Chess Club, of which he had been the honorary secretary for about two decades. Tributes were paid to the valued services rendered by them to the cause of chess in this Dominion. It was also reported that the annual tourney for the club championship of New Zealand had once more been won by the Wellington Chess Club, which was grateful for the many kind congratulations that it had received. The Blackburn Gup, whicn is competed for by North Island clubs located outside of .Greater Auckland and Greater Wellington, was won by the Gisborne C.C. which is heartily congratulated on being the first holders of this trophy, which was donated by Mr. Charles Blackburn, the ex-president of the Gisbovne Chess Club. Sundry accounts wore passed for payment, after which n hearty vote of thanks to, Mr. Jones for presiding closed the meeting.