CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18292, 8 January 1923, Page 6

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

DUNLOP WINS 1923 TITLE. THE MATCH WITH GYLES. CHAMPION IN" FINE FORM. • [BY TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHUKCH, Saturday. Diuilop and Gyles tied in the chess congress, and, after dividing first and second cash prizes, commenced a tie match for the championship, which was won by Dunlop. Pihl is third - On resumption of play on the adjourned games, Pihl and Severne continued a few moves, and, having reached a? blocked postion which each feared to break, they agreed to draw. McCrea and Hicks, after consultation, agreed to draw their game, the positions j being fairly equal and play haphazard. , The game, Gyles v. Dunlop, was continued, and Dunlop was able to force an exchange of his rook for Gyles' white bishop. This gave him an opportunity of mating in two moves, and thus ended in favour of last year's champion a very strenuous and clever game. In the play-off to decide the chess championship of the Dominion for 1923, Gyles played the Vienna game, capturing the king's pawn to open the bishop's ; file. Dunlop "later exchanged bishop for knight, winning a pwan. Gyles main-1 tained his pawn at king's fifth, sup- ! ported by a strong diagonal of pawns, j and established his black bishop at j queen's sixth to prevent Dunlop's castling. The bishop threatened by the knight was retreated ,to knight's fourth, and Dunlop castled on the queen's side facing Gyles' open knight's file. Dunlop secured' his pawn position in front of the king, and pushed on his king s knight's pawn, supported by king's rook. This rook was posted at knight's third and supported by the queen's rook at knight's square. Gyles met the advance of the pawn with his pawns, supported by his king. This gave Dunlop a great opportunity, which he did not fail to make use of. At one stage Dunlop cleverly offered as a sacrifice a knight, . which Gyles had skilfully locked up at queen's bishop s fourth. Gvles dare not take with the queen for" Dunlop would have mated his king in two moves. Thus the knight was freed and added to the attack. Gyles saw a chance of exchange of rooks to improve his position, but an unexpected check by Dunlop saved his rook, and Gyles, in consequence, was the exchange down. • .• - , Dunlop from now. on never made a mistake. He won another pawn, exchanged queens and rooks, and threatened to push his pawns on to the queen when Gyles resigned. The position of the players at the close of tho championship tourney was:--Won. Drawn. Lost Points. Dunlop . ... 10-2 10 Gyles ... -922 10 Pihl 7 2 4 8 Severne 6 3 4 7£ Hicks ... ... 4 7 2 7* Anderson ... 7 1 5 7 S Miller -7 15 'i Kelling ... 6 2 5 7 McCrea ... 4 4 5 6_ Buchan ... 4 3 6 5£ Coombs - • ... 4 3 6 5£ Roberts ... °> 3 6 5^ Stevens ... 3 19 3£