OAMARU CHESS CLUB.

North Otago Times, 7 April 1905, Page 2

OAMARU CHESS CLUB.

Tlio animal meeting of tlic Onmaril Chess (.'lull wus held in the Club Rooid Inst wening, Dr Garland wus in thQ cliiiii', ami twelve members were pre« sent, Tlio minutes ol the lust- annual meet* iiitf wore confirme:!, and the annual n> port nnd balance-sheet were read anil . adopted. Tlio report in as follows! "'l!id past yenr has been n mcmowblQ j one in Oamaru, chess circles, owing to the fact that the Xew Zealand ChesS i- Association's nnnunl championship com 3 firesa wus held hero ut Christian's, this - being the lirst occasion on which any ' ( >i the Miial]it towns oi l.he colony liatf ; been honored in this way. H may lid * mentioned liere that the Canterbury Sfl s Chess (-1"1), whoso turn it lyas for n 1 • '••i"iiship meeting, was obliged decline to undertake it owing to death of somo prom uent 'hess players, The Assoc'atiou \v!i3®| obliged to hold the meeting in thj i ' .South Island under its rules, nnd prc« ftrred not (o call upon Tlunedin agaili „ so soon, therefore Oamaru was asted to , undertake to hold the champion* j ship meeting on Ibis occasion, Thfo your (.'omiuitlee agreed to do, on tlio Association s guarantee to find the usual sum oi £2O towards the expense^ I »f the meeting, nnd undertook "i to find the balanco of expenses t which, however, proved to bo n good l (leal heavier llian indicated by the Asso« . clatlon's secretary at tlio outset,, A lo< 1 cal committee of management'was kS® i up wjth f'il| powers lo conduct the com • gross in terms of tho Association's rules, This committee had a good deal •f prel'inimuy 1 work to do, and soma anxiety on the fjcore of linances, besides being responsible for tlio management i during actual play, and ui this connect linn the sorvfacA of our captain, Arch* p deacon Gould, were simply invaluably I banks to the liberality of our friends nnd fellow townsmen nnd of our oivir ' nicinbers'-aiid to the energetic work of S few enthusiast c collectors, all went well 'uiancially and oventunlly the congress . 1 balance sheet showed a satisfactory »ir« ; plus wliidi hns been transferred to out! | dub funds, St. Luke's schoolroom Wfl9 : engaged and proved to be admit ah« ' ly ndaplprl lo congress purposes |n evors way. The congress opened on llo.\in(J , £ j Way (Monday) evening and play conll'W

' ,-ucd utttll tits Thursday ol the follow tiff week,, there''being three sessions dully of threo hours each, and two sessions being allowed (or each round, " The competitors expressed liio opinion that Oatuaru had carried through tho congress management in an oxccilout manner. . • "A social gathering was held at tho conclusion of play in St. Luke's Hall, dt which f members of our club, their friends, subferibrrs of the confess .: funds and others' wore invited to uieet tbe visitors and an enjoyable evening •was spent ' " Your Committee have every reason to be pleased with the success of their venture, which bus upheld • the good nnmo of our town, and trust tlmt it Ims been the means oi promoting the interests of tho game in the colony, besides arousing a keener interest in our own players. Wo also trust that the Association will make Ihls a piccei nit for holding future .congress meetings in nil chess centres (largo or small) t in rotation instead of Confining these meetings to tho four largo centres. " Mr I'\ Adair was tho only local competitor for tho championship, but owing lo business ties was scarcely able to [.how his true form, though he fought some really well contested games. W. K pcct that next time ho competes ho W iil iiush well up at the top oi the list- " During our season proper, two matches by telegraph wero played. The first with Dunrdin (ten aside) wo lost by •>} to IJ. The second w 111 Tirnaru (13 aEide) was drawn, tho score being (JJ each. « our President (l>r Garland) kindly offered a trophy for a sealed hand cap tournament, which was won by theltev. 11. M'Nicoll, wth a score oi 30 points (including 14 handicap); Archdeacon Could '0 handicap), Mr Lindsay (14), mid Mr nice (14) tieing for second place with 28 points each. Tho tournament war. well fought out, arid tho unsatisfactory feature of unpiajed games was absent, the close finish testifying to Mr Hank's ability as n'handicupper, "Tlio attendance of members thrmigh--oljtljt tho season showed un improvement on previous years, probably duo to the fixing of weekly rounds in tho handicap | tourney. <• 'fiiu Club's thanks are due to tho telegraph authorities aJid t.O the local papers." Six new members were elected. The officers (or the ensuing season wern elected as iollows; President, Mr F. Aduir; captain, Archdeacon Gould ; lion, secretary and treasurer, Mr H. Mowbray; committee—Dr Garland, Messrs C. Banks and H. Famiitoii; delegate to Iho Mew Zealand Chess, Association Mr 15. R. Mowbray. Tuesday ami Thursday were fixed as the nights for Club piny, with Tuesday as tho oxtended night. The opening night. will bo Tuesday next, lltli April, when a sides match is to be played. The Committee was directed to arrange details for a sealed handicap tournament with set openings, lo be commenced as early as possible, and alto to ui range for ti knock-out tourney, to l>e played at ft convenient time. Votes of thanks were passed to the outgoing officers, to the local papers, and the telegraph authorities; mid tho usual compliment to the chair closed the meeting,