CHESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11854, 4 January 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHESS.

5 TO CORRESPONDENTS. . Problems Nos. 1797 and 1793.—Bcfch corrects , solved :by " Tenei." : ,The.:, solutions will be v held over t till; next : week,; as' the :•; difflcultiei ;- of 1793 have, no doubt, baulked 'solvers."r; Bui it- is a beautiful position and well wortl mastering. • . r X PROBLEM No. 1801. e .:.:.:", ' ;-•■■■• -,"■.■'.■ :■■ a BLACK, 5. ..■;;'.';;.-

t White, 9. -.' ! White to play and mate in two moves, ■ *>'- -;-. ; " ■ .- '.'■-■■-' I , : PROBLEM No. 1802. .-: : (By W. A. SIHNKIUN.) i '-.' '.: BLACK, 6. ',- .

,■■":'.'■; ,■■'"■■. '.;;v White, 8. White to play and mate in three moves. NEW ZEALAND CHESS CONGRESS. ',' CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNEY". The above competition was brought to a. conclusion on January 2, with the honours again being,annexed by Mr. R. J. Barnes, representative of the Wellington Working Men's Club. This makes the fourth year in which Mr. Barnes has held the title of the champion of New Zealand. Last year he lost the position by a mere fluko, and the year previous tied with the winner, necessitating a supplementary match of three games, in which Mr. Mason came off victor by a very narrow margin. Altogether the present champion's chess.* career has been notable, as showing far'rind away a better record than any other player in the colony. He has been present at all the annual tourneys since 1883, being invariably a prize-winner. It was thought by several present at the re- , cent tourney that the score made by Mr. Barnes of 5 wins 1 draw constituted a < record. Such is not the case. At the contest held in Auckland in 1891 Mr. Siedeberg'did not lose a game, having 7 wins and 2 draws. At Christchurch in the following year the same gentleman ''came first with 8 wins and 1 draw. It will be seen on glancing at the table given below that the championship has gone to Wellington on six different occasions, Dunedin 5, Ghristchurch 3 times, and Bangitikei once, Auckland nil. , Wellington's pre-eminence is owing to being fortunate in having Mr. -Barnes as a. resident. In connection with the champion's two visits to Auckland—an interval of four years separating them— strange coincidence is related. Mr. Barnes was very uncertain whether he could take part in the former Auckland tourney, his departure being delayed till the last moment, owing to the advent of a little pawn, which, no doubt, treading in its progenitor's footsteps, will go forward and be promoted to i a high place in the chess realm at no distant date. The recent visit was also rendered extremely dubious by another little pawn on the board. The champion is,now concerned about the possibility of the congress at Auckland being an annual fixture. Mr. I). Forsyth, who divides second and third prizes with Mr. Miles, is chiefly known as,'* the author of the system of notation named after him. Ho arrived in New Zealand only three years ago, and last year won the championship of the colony. Previous to this Mr. Forsyth resided in Glasgow and assisted in editing the chess column. of the Glasgow Weekly Herald, and conducted the column in the Weekly Scotsman. He was also secretary and treasurer of the Scottish Chess Association from the time of its establishment until leaving for New Zealand. Mr. Miles, the other prize-winner, was the youngest competitor at the congress, and acquitted himself in a very creditable manner. At an early age he manifested the possession, of chess. qualities, which, with practice and experience, would enable him to take a place ' in the front rank of players. His performance at the tourney, i though meritorious, would have been still better were it not for the nervousness inseparable from a first appearance at an important contest. Better things were expected of Mr. Grierson, who, though always successful in local tourneys, for some reason does not show so favourably at congress meetings. On the present occasion the lion, secretary's many duties in connection with the congress would be certain to affect his play. The entertainment held on January 2, as the concluding portion of the proceedings, was enjoyable, and was marked by one funny incident. The president of the club (Mr. Hosking) was relating to bearers listening with bated breath the story of a celebrated game between- two chess gladiators, and at the most critical point the light went out— which it did promptly at the Strand Cafe, much to the amusement of those assembled at the coincidence. ' The full score-sheet of ; the championship tourney is appended:— ■ \ ' • 4 ~ a . . .'■ ■ . Name. • ..' 2 * & % g' » '<& ,/ i ? -fl h Ob i « ? ►! ; Barnes .. ~■'.■' .. —11111 i 5} -J Edwards '.. „ ... 0 —0 0 10 1 2 i Forsyth .. r. .. 0 1 — J I l J 4 2 Griorson '....' .. -. 0 1 . J — I 0 0 •>} :<£ Jowitfc.. .. ~ .. 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0G ; Jaquet .: 0 10 11-033 Miles .. .. ..-; ; .. jo J1 I Jl -4 1 The following shows the winners of all the championship tournaments held in New Zealand, and the towns represented by : them:-- • 1879—11. Hookham, Christchurch. 1883— "if. Ollivier, Christchurch.' SMBB9— H.".Hookham, Christchurch. 1890—11. J. Barnes, Wellington. ~ 1891— F. V. Siedeberg, Dunedin. > 1892— V: Siecleberg, Dunedin. 1893— J. Edwards, Dunedin. 1894— Mackay, Wellington. . 1895— W. Meldrum. Kangitikei. - i 1895— J. Barnes, Wellington. 1897—8. J. Barnes, Wellington. - 1898— R. A. Cleland, Dunedin. 1900— Mason, Wellington (held* at! Easter, . ■: • instead of commencing as before on Boxing Da>, 1899). 1901— Forsyth, Dunedin (held at Easter). : 1902—11. J. Barnes, Wellington (commencing -Boxing Day, 1901). The ■ following / is another : of the- games ; played in the tourney:— ' BUY LOPEZ.. , White, Mr. J. C. Grierson; Black, Mr. E. J. ' ■ "■' : Miles. ■' v ! 1 P-K 4-P-K 4 37 B-K2-B-B 2 Kt-KB Kt-QB 3 38 R-R— 3 , ' 3 B-Kt Kt-B 3 39 QxP—R-Kt 3 ' 4 P-Q P-Q 3 40 Q-K B-K 2 I SP-QB3-B-K2 41 K-Q-B-Kt4 .< 6 B-R Castles 42 Q-B Q-B 5 , 7 Kt-Q B-Kt 5 43 K-K—Kt-B 7 ch , 8 Kt-B 4—P-QR3 44 K-B-Q-B 8 ch 9 Kt-K 3-Q-Q 45 K-Kt 2-Kt-K 6 ch ' 10 P-KR 3—B-K 3 46 K-Kt B-B 5 ch ' 11 P-KKt4-P-QK£,4 '47 K-B 4-Qxß > 12 B-B Kt-K 48 B-B—BxKt J 13 Kt-B 5—P-B 3 49 Rxß—KtxP < 14 Q-K 2—P-Kt 3 . 50 PxKt— ch ] 15 R-KKt— 3 : 51 K-R 5—R-Kt 4 ch i 16 6—R-B 2 52 K-R Q-Kt 17 KtxKt— 53 QxQ-RxQ ' 18 Bxß— - 54 R-B 2—R-Kt 5 ch ,' 19 Q-K 3—R-KB 65 K-R 5—R-Kt 4 ch V 20 Kt-R2—Q-B '56 K-R 4—K-Kt 2 l 21 P-Kt 3-P-QR 4 57 R-Kt 2—K-Kt ? ] 22 P-KR P-Kt 4 58 RxR ch—Pxß ch ; , 23 K-Q 2-P-R 3 59 K-Kt 3-K-R 4 -'/ 24 PxP—BPxP 60 B-K 2 eta—K-R 3' i 25 R-Kt 2—R-B 5 61 B-B 3—B-K ' 26P-83-P-Kts 628-Q-B-E4 ! 27 P-B 4-Kt-Q 5 . 63 B-B 2-B-K-7 < 28 B-Q—Q-B 64 K-B B-Kt 5 f 29 B-K 2-F-QB 4 65 K-Kt 3— K-R 4 . t R-Kt 3— 2, 66K-Kt2—K-R5 51 B-Q—Q-QB ■■■'■. 67 K-RB-B 6 • 32 K-B-P-R 5 .68 K-Kt— 6 S3 K-Kt 2— P-R 6 ch 69 P-Q 4—KPxP , !4 K-B-Q-KB 70 B-Q 3-B-Q.B ! 55 2-K-R 71 B-Ktl-P-Kts * ;6R-R3-Q-B2 72 B-Q 3-BsP ' 1 White resigns. J ■ Notes bj Mr. Grierson. - j. White played a slow variation of the at- \ ack,- a favourite (-of Steinitz, . and got an <■ excellent opening, cramping his opponent's ,i fame, which led to his winning tho exchange >n the 18th move. From this point a careful c rame ; should have ended in a victory . for ' Vhite, but on the 39th move v he attempted r o hurry matters by taking tempting t lawn with his queen. This capture proved d tad ; for him, as it enabled Black . to get his v lishop into a dangerous position, which led <■ o r a very harassing inroad into White's -erritory with his queen, Black emerging s rom it with a piece to the good. But on the s 9th move, Black made an ill-advised sajori-. a '' : '■ :■■'. ; , ■■•/;v•.:■^i;.''^V• , '^i- ; J/^J ; ; .-"..■■'.. ■ I ;■■■

J flee of his knight, under the impressioi I that he;: would ? mate his adversary, -but l * draw.;: by perpetual* check was; the ;;best ihi could get by: pursuing that line :. of- play Having a; passed pawn ;he changed his tac . '| tics. v Exchange :of rooks followed, ■?£ 'i t very '■■■■'■ interesting -" end - game '. resulted; tcbott 'y.; having H white -: bishops and; Black the 'extra )e pawn. i '■ '■ , 38 i ;At the 60th move, B to E 6 would-have * fc j forced a win for Black, but the line ol play " i he adopted led to the same result \on the 72nd move, when White resigned. i' It's a far cry from New Zealand 'to "Ice--7 land, ■'■: but it only : serves to exemplify ~UK universality of * the game: when it .is •: stated that a communication is to hand from that distant region notifying the conclusion oi • Vol. I of I. Uppnami, the Icelandic chess journal.: and , that the; final number will con- ,' tain " The Truth about. Grimsev," a remarkV; able chess-playing islet of the : Northern Seas, 'Part 11. of the Saga of Chess bems ■■■<: the conclusion of a compendious history; 01 the game,;, and other interesting .matter. r A list of chess works: is given, the proceeds of !1 the sale of which are applied to the increase ! of the endowment: fund of the Reykjavik 'Chess ; Club, the principal ■ association ol •tilavers in Iceland. ■ ■' : ;V., : ■:.'■' ■',:•:£;• j The adjudication of Mr. Forsyth in the I ; i Canterbury-Oamaru telegraphic match leaves Oamaru victors by .74 to 6*. .-.•-..