CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Northern Advocate, 12 October 1934, Page 9

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

WELLINGTON CLUB RESULT. SUCCESS OF A. W. GYLES. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) WELLINGTON, This Day. With a score in this year’s chess tournament of 10 wins, one draw, and one loss (104-15 L A,’ W. Gyles has • again won the Wellington Chess Club ' championship. The runner-up is E. J. Dyer, whose tally is 8 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses (9-3). As the club’s rules provide for the‘three highest scorers in the annual championship tourney taking over the three highest rungs on the ladder, Mr Dyer will, at the end of the current season, be promoted from rung 14 to rung 2—a record jump in the history of this club. W. C. White, J. Otto and J. L. Hardy have tied for third place, each scoring 74wins and 4£- losses. A triangular playoff is thus necessary in order to determine the holder of rung 3 on the club’s ladder. Championship Roll. From the year 1876, when the Wellington Chess Club was founded, until. 1909, the club’s championship was accounted for by only five players—C. W. Benbow (who was a very prominent figure in New Zealand chess for many years after his arrival from Birmingham in 1875), A. I. Littlejohn, R. J. Barnes, W. E. Mason, and A. W. O. Davies. Of this illustrious group, Mr W. E. Mason, six times champion of New Zealand, is the only survivor. Mr Benbow died on March 9, 1908, aged 66; Mr Littlejohn died on May 25, 1910, aged 49; Mr R. J. Barnes, five times champion of New Zealand died on January 7, 1929, aged 68; and Mr W. E. Mason, six times champion of New Zealand, died in Auckland on January 16, 1928, aged 52. The club did not hold a championship tourney for nine years, but revived the competition in 1918. The ( winners from then onward are as follow:—1918-19, A. W. O. Davies; 1919-20, R. J. Barnes; 1920-21, W. E. Mason; 1921-22, R. J. Barnes; 1922-23, W, Mackay; 1923-24, W. E. Mason; 1924-25, E. A. Hicks; 1925-26, G. P. Anderson; 1926-27, R. J. Barnes; 1927-28, A, W. Gyles; 1928-29, F. K. Kelling; 1929-30, F. K. Kelling; 1930-31, A. W. Gyles; 1931-32, A. W. Gyles; 1932-33, E. A. Hicks; 1933-34, A. W. Gyles; 1934-35, A. W. Gyles. Mr W. Mackay, the champion of eleven years ago, was an ex-champion of the Dominion. He died on April 9, 1933, in his 70th year. Mr E. A. Hicks, whose name appears twice on y the above championship roll, died on March 25 last, in his 50th year.