CHESS TOURNEY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 1210, 7 January 1925, Page 6

CHESS TOURNEY

THE NEW CHAMPION. NELSON, Jan. 6. Cecil J. S. Purdy, the winner of the chess tournament, hails from Australia. He was born at Port Said, Egypt, in 1907, and went a few years later with his parents to Sydney, New South Wales. He learnt chess from a book about three years ago, and found great interest in playing through some of Morphy's games, jt was then that he became acquainted with L. S. Crakanthorp (father of Spencer Crakanthorp, last year's champion and a strong player), and from him during five months of week-end trips to Manly had his real lessons in chess. He made rapid improvement, was soon doing away with the handicap with which he was at first glad to play, und after a study of Lasker's "Chess Strategy" became equal to his tutor. During the next year he m-at A. E. N. Wallace, the New South Wales champion, and since then jiis only practice has been about 50 games with him and a few with L. S. Crakanthorp. Purdy plays for tho Manly Chess Club in inter-club matches, but he does not indulge in club play for practice. In 1922 he came sixth in the State championship and last Easter came fourth, drawing with Wallace and Spencer Crakanthorp in their championship games. Playing this year for the first time in inter-State matches, he won his games against Queensland and Victoria. He has had practically no chess since Easter as lie was working for a "leaving certificate" examination, hoping to get an exhibition for the university. He cannot quite understand his present good form under these circumstances. He hopes to compete at the Dunedin Exhibition tourney to be held next year.