CHESS TOURNAMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 January 1935, Page 12

CHESS TOURNAMENTS

N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS (PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, January 1. The first three final rounds of the N.Z. Chess Championships were played during the last two days. At the end of the third final round, J. A. Erskine (Southland) is leading with 51 points, K. Beyer (Wellington) being next with 4£ points. H. R. Abbott, the young Canterbury player, and A. G. Gyles (Wellington) have each four'points. Abbott met Erskine today and suffered his first defeat. Resuits were as follow: — First final round. —Gyles beat Darwin, Erskine beat Le Petit, Scott drew with Severne, Beyer beat Watt, Abbott beat Dunlop, Kelling beat. Hicks. Second final round.— Gyles beat Scott, Le Petit beat Kelling, Beyer drew with Erskine, Severne drew with Abbott, Hicks beat Darwin, Dunlop beat Watt.Third final round. —Beyer beat Kelt iiig, Erskine beat Abbott, Scott beat Hicks, Dunlop beat Gyles, Watt drew with Severne, and Le Petit versus Darwin was not finished.

THE PLAY DESCRIBED. CHRISTCHURCH, January 1. Notes on the games (white names fil First final round, Gyles v. Darwin: Sicilian opening. Darwin exchanged knights on the fourth move, leaving Gyles with a very free game. He prevented Darwin from castling, while in defending a knight allowed Gyles to fork a rook. Darwin received no compensation for this and resigned on the eighteenth move., Erskine v. Le Petit: English opening. Black lost time in opening by an unnecessary pawn move, and as a result had a difficult game. He lost a piece on the twentieth move and immediately resigned. Scott v. Severne: Queen’s pawn game. Severne defended with the Budapest counter-gambit which Scott accepted. The game was marked by rapid exchanges. By attacking the queen, Scott won a pawn, but failed to hold it. The players agreed.to a draw on the thirty-first move. Beyer v. Watt: Queen’s pawn game. Watt adopted the King’s Franchette defence, though black was fairly cramped. The game was even at the twenty-third move. Watt exchanged a bishop for a knight, giving white a commanding position on the queens side, and control of the queen’s bishop file. Trying to free the game, black lost his king’s pawn. This was a weak move, as the pawn exchange gave white the advantage, resulting in all variations in the queening of the king’s pawn. Watt resigned on the thirtieth move. Abbott v. Dunlop: Queen’s gambit declined. The game developed on the usual lines. Dunlop’s eighth move confined his queen’s bishop and his sixteenth allowed Abbott to break up black’s king side pawns. With this advantage, Abbott played decisively to force Dunlop’s resignation on the thirty-ninth move. It was a very interesting game, with Dunlop setting a net trap on his twenty-eighth move, with which Abbott took no chances. Hicks v. Kelling: Kings Franchette opening. This long' bout ran into three sittings. It was even till a late stage of the end game, when Kelling obtained a slight positional advantage, which enabled him to force a win at move SO. Second final round: Gyles v. Scott— Nimzowitsch defence. Gyles early obtained the freer games. At the twenty-third move he missed an opportunity of winning Scott’s queen for two pieces, but won a pawn instead. Scott made a great fight for a draw, but missed his way when pressed for time. Through taking a pawn to equalise, he left himself in a waiting net and resigned. Le Petit v. Kelling: Queen’s gambit declined. The game opened on orthodox lines. The attack soon passed into Le Petiit’s hands, and he gained a pawn at move 22. Heavy exchanges followed, leaving Le Petit with a king and five pawns against a king and four pawns. The correct handling of a tricky ending enabled him to score an instructive win at move 53. Beyer v. Erskine: .Queen’s pawn game, and Slav defence. On move 21 Beyer began a violent attack which resulted in heavy exchanges, gaining him a pawn. The game finally resolved itself into a draw at move 42, with bishops of opposition colours. Severne v. Abbott: A four knights game. Severne very early had Abbott in difficulties through winning a pawn, for which black received no recompense. Abbott regained the pawn on the twenty-fifth move, and a draw was agreed to at move 30. Hicks v. Darwin: Caro Cann. An even game, with a good deal of exchanging till move 24, when an oversight by Darwin lost him a rook for a pawn. He then resigned. Dunlop v. Watt: Sicilian defence. White attacked strongly, and on the forty-fifth move, the pieces were even with Dunlop having a passed pawn. At this stage, Watt gould have forced a draw, but missed the opportunity 4 . letting Dunlop win with the passed pawn. Third final round: Kelling v. Boyer: French defence. Kelling did not. follow up the Nimzowitsch attack to tho| be/t advantage, and his club mate was thus able to work up a very strong counter-attack, which carried all before it. Kelling resigned a hopeless game at move 25.

Erskine v. Abbott: English opening. The game resolved itself into a Sicilian with colours reversed on line of play recommended by the Australian Chess Review. Abbott had a difficult game and lost a piece. Ho resigned at move 41. Dunlop v. Gyles. Sicilian defence, which developed normally. Dunlop gradually took command of the centre and brought his knights into action, which enabled him Io win a knight at move 25. Gyles’ game quickly fell away, and he resigned at move 3G, mate being imminent. Scott v. Hicks: Hicks played an irregular defence to Scott’s queen's pawn opening. Both sides played very carefully. Scott used the pinning motive in winning a knight, but Hicks had some compensation in two united pawns on the queen's side. Scott offered exchanges of rook and queen, which Hicks accepted, thereby losing a certain draw. Scott stopped Hicks' three passed pawns and gained a passed pawn on the king’s side. Hicks then resigned. Watt v. Severne: Severn© played the Morphy defence. At move 18 Severen had a change of winning U| pawn which he overlooked. Thereafter, a very even struggle took place, J’ieces wore exchanged, and as there seemed no possibility of a break through by either player a.draw was agreed to at move 52,

TO-DAY’S RESULTS CHRISTCHURCH, January 2. In the chess tourney, round nine, Abbott (Canterbury) beat Kelling < Wellington). Dunlop (Otago) defeated Hicks (Wellington); Beyer (Wellington) boat. Darwin ( Christchurch i. AUSTRALIAN RESULTS MELBOURNE, January 1. At the Australian chess championship, in the fourth round. Watson defeated Thierjung, Condon defeated Hastings, Hynd drew with Goldstein, Green beat Coultas, Koshintzky defeated Greenfield, Purdy defeated Crowl, Lamparter defeated Fillian. The only undefeated competitors are Koshnitzky and Goldstein with four each, Purdy with 3A and Lamparter with three. MELBOURNE, January 1. Chess championship sixth round* Koshnitzsky defeated Coultas, Crawl defeated Gordon, Watson defeated Lamparter, Purdy defeated Greenfield, Goldstein defeated Fillian, Hastings dedefeated Thierung, Green and Hynd drew. The leaders are Koshnitzky, Goldstein and Purdy, 5J points each.