TENNIS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 18, 4 January 1912, Page 2

TENNIS.

THE .DAV IS CUP CONTEST. A DINNEK AND AN INTERVIEW. Christchurch, Jan. 3. The competing teams were entertained at Coker’s Hotel to dinner by the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia to-night. Mr. William Goss, president of the Canterbury Association. presided. An apology was made for the Governor, who left Christchurch in response to an urgent call to Wellington on political business. A number of toasts were honoured, including “The American team, ■’The Australian and New Zealand Teams” "The Donor of the Cup.” and "Lawn Tennis.” Mr. Hicks, secretary of the Australasian association, in an interview, said the contests were well contested but did not approach that nlaved in Melbourne in 1908. His

opinion was that McLoughlin played easily the beet (both in the singles ami doubles) for the challenges. 1 ncio.v.tedly Larned made a serious mistake in not playing McLoughlin in the first round of the singles, seeing that he (Larned) was unfit physically for such a streunous contest as tlic Davis Cup matches always produce. He paid a high tribute to the magnificent performance of the Austra 1 i a n rep re s entatives. especially that master of court eraft, Norman Brookes. He added that he was not in a position to state where the next Davis Cup would be played, but lie personally considered that there were only two places m Australia or New Zealand where it should be played —namely, Melbourne or Sydney. As to what nations would be challenged for the next contest he was not in a position io prognosticate. Ti.o entrie-, would have to reach him not later than the first Monday in March next. South ?Afi’ica challenged for the contest just concluded, and he said that he would not be astonished if he received another challenge from the same quarter for the next contest. ■England was also another likely com petitor, and he hoped that America would again be a starter. As the representative of the Australasian Association he would like to publicly express his council’s sympathy with Larned at the unfortunate circumstances which quite precluded him showing the form for which he is noted, and therefore minimised his chance of his team lifting the Gup.

ENGLISH ( OMMENT. London, Jan. 3. The "Westminster Gazette” states that Brookes’ victory over Beals AVright might have been anticipated, but it failed to understand Larned’s defeat. THE SIX DAY CYCLISTS. 1009 MILES COVERED. Sydney, Jan. 3. At 5 o’clock the cyclists had covered 1093 miles. The Sullivan ami Rodgers combination were 14 miles behind and are going to continue slowly to 1809 miles to gain the £lO prize. I.at'w. The cyclists have covered 1000 miles in 58hrs. 29min. CHESS. CILAMPIOX SHIP TO URN AM EN T. The New Zealand Chess Championship Tournament was continued in Napier yesterday, and again tne play was of a very interesting nature. .ADJOURNED games. The three games held over from previous rounds were finished during the forenoon, and resulted as follows :—From fiftli round : Rolling beat Connell. Ffrom sixth., round: Mason beat Severne : Kelling' and Giierson played a draw. Connell (white) v. Kelling (black). —At the -third sitting Kelling, assisted by a favourable pawn 'i?=.position. succeeded in makingx the rock tell against the. opposing bishop. As in several of the earber rounds Mr. Connell by jderitoriou" play gained ine upper hakd in I hi' middle game. Owing, however, to his being handicapped by indßfpoui-

tion he has failed to score for lax: of the staying power with whlen, in his normal health, he so pften givr-s his opponents ”a bad half-hour ’’ at the ‘'business end” of a gaBJSY. Kelling (white) v. Grierson (blaVs). A-Gricrson defended with the Sicilian, and got a very- good game, preventing Kelling from casting, .and having two bishops against whit' ’s bishop and knight. In t-lio. game Kelling worked up a very dangerous looking attack, but Grierson managed to find an adequate reply in every case, tuyemg exchanges and coining out with the bishops against the bishop and knight, which gave him great command of the board. The advance of black’s queen’s pawn forced white to give up his bishop for it. co prevent it from queening. Interesting end play ensued, and should' have resulted in a win for Grierson, but Kelling, with his known aptitude for a difficult end study, exchanged Ins knight for the dangerous white bishop and drew a game full of chess by getting the opposition in the corner with his king.

Mason (white) v. ' Severne (blacn). —This game was prolonged to the 69th move, when. Mason threatening +o queen a pawn, Severne resigned. NINTH ROUND. In the ninth round, which was begun in the afternoon and finished in the evening, Sainsbury beat James. Miles beat" Mason, Gyles .beat Keiling, Connell beat Jones; while Jourdain and Hicks and Severne and Grierson played draws. Sainsbury (white) v. James (black). -James played the Sicilian defence. Both players followed the book lor some moves, but on his mnln ..icnies, left a knigl.t mum. . . -red. v. ’iich Sainsbury captured. . ommmury pressed hii> mF.ante.;.? xc Lnic-i on, the 18th move. j Gyles (white) v. Kelling (black).— The former, who played the four knights’ game, sacrificed the exchange at move 15 leaving his opponent a choice of evils. Kelling i chose an end-game with a knig.it | down, but an oversight at move 301 terminated his rearguard action, a.:d | he resigned forthwith. I

Connell (white) v. Jones (black). — The Falksbeer countiw gambit was tried, and at move nine black gave white a chance of winning a piece, but white continued on quiet lines. The struggle centred on black’s pawn at king’s sixth. Tibs fell to white, who by a threatened mate .-it king’s rook s seventh won olacx s king’s bishop. Blacks attempt to win Track the piece proved unsound, and after a series of exchanges white was two bishops to the good. A combination of rook and 'he two bishops forced black’s king into a mating position co king s supine, mate resulting on the 46th move. Miles (white) v. Mason (black). — Queen s gambit declined. Mason defended the gambit with the counter attack of pawn to bishop’s four on the third move aikl after ine pawns

were cxclitmgid X'''’"/ 1 /Uxoxs pawn to fix, <■ :’.vi::g YXi'-. ku’gl'it x knux four. Th::: resulted in -'(i cxU -mge cl kffiglit i’W lxl.u--teri-A iiig rl’ty followed, UXcs ad-yjin<-i::g lii”' miwi's on tlie king s side arrl Mason cov.-ibiisitrng a mcng etntre with rocks ami queen. At the 21H move Mason cep’and a pawn vith knigln. m l this enabled .Miles to Xwk knight villi queen and n.ck. Tim knight, having no escape, was captured. This lift .Mason with the inferior game, and Miles was able to (Xablish a strong position on the king's side. There upon Mason counter attacked with rook and knight, hut .Miles played accurately and was able to capture black’s advanced omen ami pawn with the bishop. This led to a xrits of exchanges, and Mason v-rns left with his king in an exposed position with a mate threatened. Thereupon he resigned. Jourdain (white) v. Hicks (black). --This was the first queen’s gambit accepted in the first tourney, in attempting' to retain the gambit pawn. Hicks landed in difficulties in the earlier stages. As on previous occasions, however, he made an excellent rc eovci-y, mid Jourdain had to gbe up the exchange'to get rid of a ticublesome attack. After a general exchange of pieces a dcspente end-game between rook and three pawns ami bishop and three pawns kept a roomful of spectators in excited r.uqosc till kite m the eweniiig. Alt r much manoeuvring each player v. as left with king and two pawns o?!\-. and the game rcuffed in :i draw at, move 66. Severne (white; v. Gin rsou (black). - ((ritrsC'ii adopmd ti t' Sicilian defence, but, through departmg from bis ;u;:al mode of development by a tiaiisposit:on of moves, he got into an ummti’-faetory pomtmn in wliiel) Sc' mmc should Ir'vc won a pawn. Not seeing all there was m ■ it. Severne gave Grierson the opportunity of emerging with an even game. The pieces were reduced to two rooks and five pawns each, ami the positions were so equal that nothing could be done but agree to it draw cm the 37th move. Severn ’s reputation for hard, solid games, resulting in draws, is umivalled at this ecnTUE POSITION. At ih>? elose of Dart night’s piny the position was as follows, and it will be nc-ted that >r is of an extremely interesting nature, the highest scorer having a lend of half a point only with two games to play Fhyed. AVou. Lost. Dr’wn. Pts.

Hicks Grierson - 9 9 3 i 4 1 ;; c', ■1 6 Jourdain p, j 3 Cylc-, 9 o ♦.» J* r ]> Mason 9 .1 2 3 r'l Sdinsburv 9 ' -1 p, Kellie.'. 9 3 o »> ' 4?, MiJos 9 3 3 .» James 9 J 3 3 J > Severn e <» 1 3 5 3 i> Jones 9 1 6 9 2~ Conndl . 9 O 7 0 2