ERSKINE LEADING IN CHESS TOURNEY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6802, 4 January 1929, Page 8

ERSKINE LEADING IN CHESS TOURNEY

NO LOSSES TO DATE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The position of the players at tho chess congress after the eighth round is:—

Games in the eighth round were as follows: Scott v. Gyles.—This was ahother queen’s pawn game, Scott concentrating for a-long diagonal attack with his queen and bishop. Gyles provided an adequate defence and set up a counterattack. In the middle game exchanges Gyles came off with the major pawn force. A critical position arose with queens and rooks in the lato middle game, in which Gyles won another pawn. He played the ending very soundly and threatening to give up a rook and pawn for a rook in order safely to queen his extra pawn, forced Scott to Tesign. McCrea v. Erskine. —Erskine adopted the Sicilian opening. McCrea adopting a defensive rather than--an offensive line of play. Erskine established a line oblique of pawns and then changed off his queen’s and king’s rooks. McCrca’s knights were somewhat hampered in their movements by Erskine’s good pawn position. The latter played his knights with great effect and won McCrea’s rook. Further ~exchanges improved Erskine’s position, whereupon McCrea resigned. Kelling v. Fairburn.—Fairburn played the French defenco but failed to get a good development, allowing Kelling to establish a strong advanced pawn centre and a free open gqme. Fairburn failing to castle, pushed his king abd pawns forward to open tho rook’s file. This was to Kelling’s advantage, for with the king on the bishop’s second, ho was able to dominate the open file. Fairburn made several ; knight moves and won a pawn, while Kelling marshalled his forces for attack. Fairburn, in saving his queen, had to leave his king to be checkmated in two moves, whereupon ho resigned. Miller v. Severne. —Miller opened against Severne with the queen’s pawn game ,on similar lines to that adopted by Gyles against him in the seventh round. Tho middle gamo exchanges, however, left the positions very even and with no prospect of brilliancies. Miller failed to prepare for a. series of exchanges which Severne instituted, thereby winning a bishop. The end game was a steady chase for a passed pawn but Miller had to give up a rook for a knight to save a checkmate. His position was hopeless, so he resigned.

w. L. D. Pts. Erskine 7 — — 7 Gyles <> 1 — 6 Miller 4 4 — 4 Selling 3 2 o 4 Hicks 2 o 2 3&‘ Sevcrne o 2 3 3J Eairburn 2 5 — 2 Scott o (5 — 1 McCrea — 5 2 1