CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Evening Star, Issue 20372, 2 January 1930, Page 15

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

MINDS SEVEN AND EIGHT SEVERHE MAINTAINS HIS LEAD [Pm United Press Associatios.l WANGANUI, December 31. The following were the concluding games in the sixth round:— Jeffreys v, Fair burn.—A very even development of tho Guioco Piano game, with identical moves bn each side' for ten moves. In the middle game the attack swung between the two players with Jeffreys more aggressive in building up a strong attack.. Jeffreys left his king in danger, _ and to force a draw he gave up a bishop for a pawn, hoping to get perpetual check. Fairburn failed to make a better move and had to submit to a draw. Sevcrnc v. Anderson.—ln ibis Sicilian game very eveii positions were built up. Anderson taking up the attack, ••Severn© defended soundly and exchanged queens to obtain' two strong forward centre pawns. Anderson was able to win one of these, and was able to stop the advance of the ♦tlicr. A blocked position was reached,- so a dj’aw was agreed upon. ROUND SEVEN. Scot v. Rutherfurd.—A popular book variation of tho Queen's Bishop Gambit was played. Scott was, the first to attack, but did hot go on with it. In the middle game Rutherford wen a pawn, and . cott later left a pawn to be captured for nothing. A blunder i by Scott gave Rutherford a bishop and a knight for a rook, but the former played his rook so well that a draw resulted.

Beyer v. Jeffreys.—Thu was a Sicilian game, Beyer adopting _ the Fianchetto development for his king’s bishop. ’ The early exchange of queens gave Beyer the stronger pawn game', bur Jeffreys demonstrated tho 'superiority' of two bishops in play against a knight' ami a bishop, and gradually wore .Beyer’s position down till he was able to mate wi'V rook and bishop. Anderson v. Pleasants.—A'very even position came out of this Queer.]. Pawn opening, each player attacking in turn.' Pleasants was forced into an exchange which left him with a weak pawn position. Later on Anderson was able to pin Pleasants’s' bishop, whereupon Pleasants’s position collapsed,' and he resigned. Fairburn v. Gunderson.—ln this Queen’s Bishop Gambit Declined, Fairburn set up a good pawn position] but failed to defend the leading pawn in the middle game. Gundorsen outplayed Fairburn, who had his queen right out of play, and scored a checkmate at move 41.

Topp v. Purdy.—An unusual King’s' Pawn opening was played, which lost a pawn .for Topp, and left him with a very open ' king. Topp exchanged queens, but Purdy made excellent use of a rook and bishop ! and a fo; u-d passed pawn, and Topp, seeing a mate threatening, resigned. Hicks v. Kellpfg.—This was a most interesting Ruy £opez gaine; Hicks seeming to get the better position from the opening. Attack and counterattack were the order of play, but. Rolling obtained a fine pawn centre, while Hicks’s pawns were weak. The latter threatened to lock in a bishop,; and in taking.a. pawn to save the pieceV Kelling lost 'two ' pawns. The- force# were now even, and with the exchange of the second rook a draw was agreed Erskino v. Severne.—A popular b\iok variation of the Queen’s Bishop Gambit was' played,' Sevefne’s pieces seeming to be very cramped in their defence, and Erskine found it very difficult to work through. With the advance of the king side pawns supporting the bishop at knight 5, Severne blocked Erskine’s advance. In making a hurried clock move Erskino left a, chance for Severne to offer the sacrifice of a queen to get a checkmate. In. considering the position Erskino exceeded the time limit, and the game went to Severne. POUND EIGHT.

Pleasants v. Sevcrne. —Pleasants opened with the exchange variation of the Huy Lopez, leading to the exch -igo of queens at the sixth move. The middle game proved a struggle between Soverne’s two bishops and Pleasants’s two knights. Severne planned to win a piece, and avo up the exchange for the purpose. Pleasants parried the* move, but later made a weak reply and lost the game. Rutherfurd v, Hicks.—This was a carefully-played Huy Lopez. Rutherford soon brought up a strong attach, but it faded away as Hicks brought his pieces inf > ± lay for defence and counter-attack. Solid sound play was the order of the middle game, which ended with Hicks a pawn to the good, but with doubled pawns neither player was able to force the position, and a draw was agreed upon. Erskine v. Topp.—Erskmo played the Queen’s Pawn opening, and Topp developed quite a good position against his redoubtable opponent. An attack was made and repelled by each player returning through the middle game. Undoubtedly ISrskino won tho cxchange and obtained a strong pawn advance, to strengthen which ho gave up the exchange. Topp was unable to prevent a pawn advancing to queen and resigned. Purdy and Scott.—Scott played the two knights defence to the Guioco Piano opening, developing a very weak position, and Purdy was soon able to get ivis opponent’s king into difficulties. Purdy’s combination to bring about Scott’s downfall was very pretty indeed. and checkmate was announced on tlio eighteenth move. Kelliug v. Fairburn. —This was tho brightest game of the round, perhaps of tho tournpy to date, resulting in the checkmate of Fairburn on tho sixteenth move. Rolling played five Scotch game, Fairburn setting up a very weak de-

fence which gave the former the chance of bringing off_ a brilliant checkmate with a double discovered check. Gundersen v. Beyer.—A free, open position developed for both players from tho French Defence taken up by Beyer. In the middle game Beyer attacked on tho queen side, but Gundersen met the attack adequately and established a fine pawn oblique. Later, Gundersen won the exchange, and, in a few moves a minor piece. With a rook down Beyer had a hopeless game, and resigned. Jeffreys v. Anderson.—This was an outstanding Queen, Pawn’s game. The opening was well played on both sides, the possibilities for attack being equal. Jeffreys, preparing for winning a centre l)awn, overlooked a strong attacking move of Anderson’s, and in consequence lost a piece. Rapid exchanges followed, and Jeffreys’s king was soon forced by two rooks and a bishop into a checkmate.

POSITION OF PLAYERS. Position of the players at tho end of round 8:

Sovenie ... Won. 0 Lost. 0 Drawn. 2 Pts. 7 Anderson ... 5 0 3 64 Gunderson 4 G ;i 1 •04 Kelling ...; i 4 2 2 5 Erskine ... 4 2 2 6 Purdy 5 3 0 5 Jeffreys ... 3 3 2 4 Pleasants 4 4 0 4 Rutherfurcl 3 4 1 3J Hicks 0 .> 5 2.} Scott 2 5 1 2 4 Boyer Topp 2 6 i) 9 I G 1 u Fairburu 0 G 2 1