CHESS

Evening Post, Issue 12, 14 July 1936, Page 16

CHESS

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

In this year's 20-a-side telegraphic matches for the club championship of the Dominion, the Wellington Chess Club won the North Island contest by two games, the final score being: Wellington 11, Auckland 9. In the South Island match the Canterbury Club defeated the Otago Club after an exciting finish. The Canterbury and Wellington Clubs have therefore qualified to take part in the inter-island final, which is scheduled to commence at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday next. In order that there may be no delay in exchanging the first moves, the teams have been asked to assemble at 6.15 p.m.

- These two clubs have not played each other since 1930, the last year that the Otago, Canterbury, Auckland, I and Wellington Clubs all took part in a ful)*round tourney. There was no contest in 1931 owing to the financial depression and the increased' charges which the clubs could not afford to pay. From 1932 onwards the club championship of New Zealand has been decided on the one-life knock-out system, the North Island winner playing the South Island winner in a grand final. Trie Otago and Wellington Clubs fought out the final in the first three years (1932, 1933, 1934), but last year there was a double change, as the Auckland and Canterbury Clubs qualified to represent their respective islands. In last year's inter-island final the Canterbury Club defeated the I j Auckland Club 11 to 9, and became I holders of the Bledisloe Cup for the ! first-time. Since the Canterbury and Wellington Clubs last opposed each other six years ago there have been I several changes in both teams. Three i local players, Messrs. W. Mackay, E. A. Hicks, and D. Purchas, have passed away, while Messrs. E. S. Taylor, W. H. Hughes, and Miss Phillis have left : Wellington. ■ Messrs. W. E. Mason (six times champion of New Zealand), T. Fouhy, GT Wigham (a former Birmingham expert),: arid W. R. Jones are still with us, but they will not be able to-take part in next Saturday's final. To-- make matters worse, two .or three local representatives are on the doubtful list, so that the Wellington Club will not be at full strength in the most important match of its Diamond Jubilee year. LOCAL TOURNAMENTS.. The Wellington Chess Club has received 20 entries for this year's championship tourney. These have been divided into two sections of 10, and when the preliminary nine rounds have been got off the three highest scorers in each section are to play off in-the finals. The best tallies to date are as follows:—Section A: G. P. Anderson, 44-4; A. W. Gyles; 5-1; J. ,L. Hsrdy, 4-2; A. T. Craven, 3-2; and D. Wild, 3J-2J. Section B: F. K. Kelling, 4J-14; E. H. Severne, 3J-1J (made up of 2 wins and 3 draws); J. Morton, ' 4J-2J; E. J. Arlow, 3-3; and R. C. Sim, 2-2. Mr. E. J. Dyer, who won j last year's tourney, is not a competi-! 1 tor on this occasion. ■ I

There are 12 entries for the club's B grade championship, the leading tallies in which are now as follows:— R. C. Glass, SJ-J; W. J. Emery, 4-0; H. P. Yarrell, 2-0: and G. Morpeth, 2-1. The club's annual handicap (or "Petherick") tourney has attracted 14 competitors. The leaders at this stage are L. Goldsmith, 5-1; C. J. Taylor, 7-3; H. Davies, 6-2; G. Morpeth, 6-4; and J. C.Kirkwood, 5-4. There are 21 entries for the annual tourney to decide the chess championship of the Wellington Working Men's Club and Literary Institute. The best tallies to . date are: L. Gneiss, 14-3; H. M. Rosenberg, 11-6; F. K. Kelling, 10J-1J; W. J. Fairburn, 10£-3£; W. McClure, 10-6; R. Brown, 6-4; and K. Andrews, 7-5. Twenty-one members are competing in the club's annual handicap event, the positions of the leaders being at present •as follows: H. M. Rosenberg. 12HJ; D. Stephens, 9-3; K. Andrews, 7-1; W. McClure. BJ-SJ; W. J. Cornish, s£-2J; and V. C. Minenkoff, 4-2. The annual contest for the championship of the Ngaio Chess Club was commenced some two months ago with 13 entries. When a full round has been played the six highest scorers are to contest the second half of the championship competition, and the remaining seven competitors' are to play in the second half of the club's junior championship. , The leading scores were as follows after last Tuesday's play: E. E. Hicks (present champion), sh-h; H. J.-.Topp, 6-1; T. G. Fouhy. 5 2; H. N. Robie, 3-1; J. S. Harrison, 7-4; C. L. Maloriey, 4-4; and R. A. Godtschalk, 3J-3J. Ten members competed for the championship of the MiramarSeatbun Chess Club, which has just been won by Mr. H. N. Robie, whose score was 8 wins and 1 loss (to G. W. Wood). The runner-up was last year's winner, E. Hutchings, whose tally was 7 wins and 2 losses. This club is about to launch a handicap tourney, for which 11 entries have been received.