CHESS CLUB.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 120, 21 April 1932, Page 8

CHESS CLUB.

championship roll. The committee of the Palmerston North Chess Club met on Tuesday evening, Mr H. L. Thirtle presiding over a full attendance. The bon. secretary, Mr A. Whitaker, presented the championship roll, which is to be inscribed on the permanent trophy, which has been made and donated to the club by Mr J. B. Fleck. The roll, which follows, was approved : 1923, Mr F. W. Connell; 1924. Mr A. H. M. AVright; 1925, Mr K. Thorburn: 1926, Mr T. A. Morine; 1927-29-30, Mr A. G. Richards; 1928-31, Mr H. RThorburn; 1932, Mr H. L. Thirtle. Arrangements were completed for the current season’s championship tourney which is to commence shortly. In addition to the title, two prizes are offered —for the best score, and for the best score made by a junior player. The latter comprises chess materials valued one guinea and is the joint gift of Messrs Barnes and Christensen, the vice-presidents. An innovation is that on request by either player the- match committee, Messrs Thirtle, Christensen and Whitaker, may require a game to be played with a time limit by means of a chess timing clock. Fear was expressed that the present financial stringency was depriving the club of members, and it was unanimously decided that no subscription or entrance fee should be accepted from an unemployed chess player, and that a rebate should be granted in the cases of distressed members.

On the suggestion of the ladder secretary, Mr A. Stewart, several modifications of the ladder rules were made with the object of speeding up these competitions. The most drastic were: Making the possession of a rung dependent upon the result of one game; and automatically scoring a loss against a defaulting player if a game is. not played on the ladder night following the date of the challenge. A verbal request having been received from the Anzac cness players for a match, the president undertook to make arrangements if possible for one at an early date.