CHESS CONGRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 3, 5 January 1944, Page 3

CHESS CONGRESS

TIE IN CHAMPIONSHIP

The 51st New Zealand Chess Congress concluded last night. There was a tie for first place in the championship tourney between two members of the Wellington Chess Club, E. H. Severne and R. G. Wade. Severne, a retired school teacher, has taken part in 27 congresses, but this is the first time he has been a tourney winner, though he has several times been run-ner-up and has always been a consistent place-getter. Wade has taken part in three championships, and this is his second tie for first place. At the last congress, held at Timaru, he tied with Dr. Allehand, but lost the playoff. T. Lepviikmann, who was taking part in his first congress, was within an ace of winning the championship, but went badly astray in a winning position against Severne. Gyles was handicapped, as was McNabb, by being a marked man. J. D. Steele, playing in his first championship, made a good showing and this youth's excellent style should carry him a long way in the next congress. A feature of the congress, commented on at the prize-giving function by Mr F. K. Kelling, president of the New Zealand Che?s Association, was the success of the younger talentWade, Steele, Wood, Fletcher, and Henderson —all of whom scored 50 per cent, or more of the possible. The play-off between Severne and Wade will commence on Saturday, January 15, and will be for the best of three games.

Results: — Round 7: E. H. Severne drew with K. Beyer. Round 8: J. L. Hardy drew with Beyer; T. Lepviikmann lost to R. U-. Wade; L. J. Darwin (Christchurch) lost to H. McNabb. Round 9: Beyer drew with Darwin; Severne drew with Hardy; A. W. Gyles drew with T. Lepviikmann; Wade beat J. D. Steele; McNabb lost to F. K. Kelling. The final placings were:—Severne and Wade, 6g points; Lepviikmann, 6; Gyles, sk; Steele, 5; Beyer, 4jk McNabb, 4; Kelling, 3; Darwin, 21; Hardy, *' MAJOR OPEN. Round 9: Mrs. T. G. Short lost to Dr. Elizabeth Meyer; W. J. Fairburn lost to Miss A. R. Hollis; L. Gneiss lost to N. S. Henderson. Round 10: Dr. Meyer beat W. A. Pearse; Henderson lost to Fairburn; N. T. Fletcher beat Mrs. Short; Miss Hollis lost to B. Wood; H. I. Christensen beat A. Summers; Gneiss lost to J. K. L. Webling. Round 11: Webling beat Christensen; Fairburn beat Gneiss; Pearse lost to Fletcher; Wood beat Henderson; Mrs. Short lost to Miss Hollis; A. Summers lost to Dr. Meyer. The major open tourney was won by Miss Elizabeth Meyer, Ph.D., of Auckland, with a score of 9J points, made up of 8 wins and 3 draws. Her win was not unexpected, as she was run-ner-up in the last Auckland championship. Other scores were:—Webling (Wellington), 7-J points; Brian Wood, last year student Wellington Technical College, 7 points; Fairburn and Fletcher, 6J; Henderson, s|; Miss Hollis (Auckland), 5; Gneiss, Christensen (Palmerston North), and Mrs. T. G. Short (New Zealand lady champion, Auckland), 4-J; Summers (Palmerston North), 3; and W. A. Pearse (Timaru), 2. ___^_