CHESS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1612, 21 January 1903, Page 15

CHESS.

All communications for this department should be addressed to the Chess Editor, “New Zealand Mail,” Lambton. quay, Wellington. Wednesday, January 21, 1903. The Wellington Chess • Club meets every Tuesday and Friday evening at 7.30 at No 21b, Willis street. Visitors ure cordially welcomed. SOLUTION TO PROBLEM No. 2354. 1 Kt to R 8 1 K to K 3 2 P to B 5 (dis. ch.) mate 1 1 K to B 4 2 B takes R mate 1 1 Kt moves 2 P to B 5 mate 1 1 P to B 4 2 R takes P mate 1 1 P to B 7 2 Q to K 5 mate PROBLEM No. 2355. (By M. Lissner, Manhattan.) (From the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle.”) BJacJi.

Whit*. White to play and mate in two- moves. Position: —5 kt K 1; 2 Q p 4; 8; Kt 2 k 4; 4 p 3; 2 p 5; 4 kt B Kt 1; 8.

NEW ZEALAND CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP. The following game was played in the first round: “Zukertort's Opening.” White. Black. Mr J! Mason. Mr J. C. Grierson. ( W ellington). (Auckland). 1 Kt to Iv B 3 1 P to Q 4 2 P to Q 4 2 P to Iv 3 3 P to K 3 3 Kt to K B 3 4 P to Q B 4 4 B to It 2 5 Kt to Q B 3 5 Kt to Q B 3 6 P to Q Kt 3 6 Castles 7 B to Q 3 7 P to Q R 3 8 P to Q II 3 8 P to Q Kt 3 9 Q to B 2 9 P to K R 3 10 PtoK R 4 -10 Kt to Kt 5 * 11 B to Kt 2 11 P to K B 4 12 R to Q B sq 12 Q to Q 3 13 P takes P 13 P takes P 14 Kt takes P 14 Q takes Kt 15 B to B 4 15 B to K 3 IF B takes Q 16 B takes B 17 Q to Q -3 17 B to- Q 3 18 R takes Kt 18 B takes R 19 Q to B 4, ch 19 K to R sq 20 Q takes B 20 Q R to K sq 21 P to K 5 21 R to K 3 25 Q to B 3 22 R to K 3 23 Kt to- R 4 23 K to E 2 24 Kt to Kt 6 24 K B to K sq 25 Kt takes R 25 R takes Kt 26 Q to Q 3 26 P to Kt 3 27 Q takes R P 27 P takes P 2'-> R < akgs P 28 K to Kt 3 29 R to R sq 29 R to K sq 30 Q to Q 3 30 R to K's ‘3l R to E 4 31 Kt takes B P 32 R takes P, ch 32 K takes l R 33 K takes Kt 33 K to Kt 4 34 Q to B 4 34 Iv to Kt 5 35 Q to Kt 8, ch 35 K to R 4 36 Q to R 7, ch 36 K to Kt 4 37 Q to Kt 7, ok 37 R to R 4 38 K to B 3 38 R to Kt 5 39 Q to R 7, ch 39 K to Kt 4 40 P to Q 5 40 R to Kt 6, ch 41 K to B 2 41 P to B 5 42 P takes P, eh 42 Iv takes P s 43 B to B sq, ch 43 K' to Kt 5 44 Q to Kt 6, ch 44 Resigns 45 Ma.tes in two

The following interesting pen-sketches otplayers at the recent tourney*are taken from -the “Otago Witness": Mr Grierson, who won the championship this year, first appeared as a competitor for championship honours at Christchurch six years ago, when he won only o-ne game out of ten. The following year, at Auckland, he came out with a score of 2£; and last year, also at Auckland, he made the same score. This is his fourth try for the championship, and the first time he has secured a place. Mr Grierson was taught chess' when a boy of 14 or 15 years old o by his father, and played occasionally before coming to New Zealand when twenty years of age. He hails from, Cheshire, in the neighbourhood of Manchester. After coming to the colony he went farming in the Waikato, and for 13 years hardly played a game. He then moved to Auckland, and m a year or two joined the Ponsonby Club, going in then for reading up the book. Prior to this he had not studied: the book. In 1895 he won ■ le championship of the Ponsonby Clnb. The same year, lie also- won the championship initiated for Auckland and district, winning 15J games out of 19. The following year he captured the Auckland Club championship, and in 1897 was fourth in the same tourney. In 1898 he cam© out second at the Auckland Chess Club tournament, a-nd won in 1899, 1800, 1901 and 5902, in one of the£e years winning 18£ games out of 20. Mr O. Balk is a chess player of 14 years' standing. In 1888 he joined the Oxford City Chess Club (England), and played .n several matches against the University Club. In a contest at Birmingham Mr

Balk; the youngest member of the team, made the only win for his side. Mr Balk had five years'' study subsequent tO' this in Yokohama, and held the championship there when he left. Since coming to Dunedin he has won several tournaments in the Otago Chess "Club, but this was tho first congress he lias taken part in. Mr F. K. Felling is a New. Zealander of German parentage, and has resided in Wellington for the last twenty years. He lias won the only two problem-solving competitions held by the Wellington Chess Club during the past- decade. This is his first appearance in a championship tourney, and he is to be congratulated on being so close to the champion's heels, and as being the only competitor to score against the three Aucklanders. Mr David Forsyth was born in RossSxiire, Scotland, and come to Dunedin in 1889. He won a majority of games against some of the strongest and most experienced players in the first congress of the Scottish Chess Association at Glasgow. He possesses the power in a marked degj'ee of pjaying blindfold. After joining the Edinburgh. Chess Club he won the championship. Mr John Mason, who is the voungest of the competitors, was born in"the North Island Returning from a trip to England, h e joined the Timaru Chess Club, and rapidly made a name for himself. He was chosen as the club's tive_ at the congress in 1901, and the form, he displayed more than justified his selection, iiis game witii Mr It. *T. Barnes being e-soe daily well played. Mr Mason is now located at Palmerston North, and is one of the foe»«, players in that town. The following list shows the winng?® up to date fv? all the championship to©g»naments held in New Zealand, and the centre represented m each case: 1879.—H Hookk am, Christchurch. 1889. —A. M. Ollivier, Christchurch. 1889. —H. Hookham, Christchurch. 1890. —R. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1901.—F. V. Siedeberg, Dunedin. 1892. —F. V. Siedeberg, Dune-din.. 1893. —I. Edwards, Wellington. 1894. —W. Mackay, Wellington. 1895. —W. Meldium, Rangitikei. IS96.—R. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1897.—R. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1828.—R. A. Cleland, Dunedin. 1900. —W. E. Mason, Wellington. 1901. —D. Forsyth, Dunedin. 1901. —R. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1902. —J. C. Grierson, Auckland. NOTES.

In a contribution to the November number of “Checkmate,” Mr Alain C. White remarks that the composer of chess problems is completely under the sway of his imagination “'No sign-posts here that must be followed at the beck of someone else. Hero are ever neiv possibilities to choose between. Her© are opportucities to seize; surprises to fathom; obstacles to overcome. Moreover, the pleasurable/ excitement in composing increases with the decrease of distinctness in one's original conception.” The “Pittsburg Despatch” announce® that the arrangements for the seventh American Chess Congress (at St. Louis, Mo.) are progressing satisfactorily. The committee appointed is as follows:—B. R. Fester (St. Louis, Mo.); Max Judd (St. Louis, Mo.); Dr. J. L. Ormsbee (Springfield, Mo.); I)r. F. W\ Shrader (Moberley Mo.); G .A. L'Hommede 111.), L. W. Parke (Chicago, 111.), C. M. Earner (Cedar Rapids, la.), C. A. Buck (Toronto, Kan.), G. C. Coffet (San. Antonio l , Tex.), M. D. McGrath (Brookhaven, Miss.), Nelson Hald (Dannebrog, Neb.), T. C. Mclhvaine (Pattsburg, N.Y.), E. J. Napier (Pittsburg, Pa.), and S. L. Van Noorden (Toledo, O.). The referee is C. A. Buck, and the director and corresponding secretary is Dr. J. L. Ormsbee.