CHESS TOURNEY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11411, 6 January 1923, Page 3

CHESS TOURNEY

DOMINION CHAMPIONSIHP INTERESTING PLAY IN THE FINAL ROUND. STRUGGLE FOR MASTERY. * Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, January 5. The twelfth round- of the chess championship tournament was notable for the “defeat of tho mighty," no less than five top-scorers falling victims to lowerplaced men. McCrea continued his attack upon Gyles in a very sound manner. He threatened to win an exchange and a pawn from Gyles, and the latter resigned Helling fell a victim to Stevens, who gave up’ a rook, a bishop and a pawn in order to win the former’s queen. A hard end game should have been the result, but Helling, through an oversight, lost his rook and resigned. Hicks defeated Dunlop after having set up a very secure defence. He doubtled bis queen and rook on the open queen file, and launched an attack, threatening to win his opponent’s bishop. Dunlop saved the bishop, only to lose a rook, whereupon he resigned. Andersen made tha most of his attack upon Severne’s postition, and won a knight and four pawns. Sevome continued a hopeless game for a few moves and then resigned. FINAL ROUND The final round of tho chess championship resulted as follow: — ANDERSEN v. HELLING. The later adopted the Caro Ham Game, while Andersen, having castled on the king’s side, pnshed on the king side pawns and neglected to develop his queen side pieces. Helling opened his king-knight’s file and massed his rooks on the king side for attack. Andersen secured his position and pushed on kingbishop’s pawn to the 6th, supporting it with queen and rook. He forced an exchange of Kelling’s dangerous black bishop, and with a knight forked Selling’s two rooks and queen, winning the exchange. A most tricky ending was played most carefully by Andersen, who queened a pawn and forced Keliinips resignation at move 47. MILLER v. STEVENS. Miller played the Blaokmar Gambit, which Stevens accepted The latter got a very cramped position, which Stevens freed. His game and attack and coun-ter-attack were the order of the day. In none of this did Stevens win. material or become really dangerous. Miller was more fortunate with one of his attacks, he winning the exchange and later a piece. This advantage enabled Miller to force a win after a very lengthy gams. BUCHAN v. HICKS. This was a Queen's Pawn Game in the opening of which Hicks changed off both knights. Hicks delayed castling and pnshed on strongly -with his knig tide pawns. He forced open the king-rook’s file, and castling on the qneen side, commanded the open file with two rooks and qujen supporting the attack with the black bishop. Buohan defended securely, and Hicks changed his attack to the queen side. Breaking through at queenbishop’s square, he made no better headway here,’ so the two players agreed to a draw. MoCREA v. ROBERTS. This game was the Queen’s Gambit declined: Roberts early attacked at HeCrea’s queen-bishop’s third, threatening to win a piece; McCrea saved the position, losing only a pawn, Roberts having to retreat his qneen. McCrea arranged a fine long diagonal attack, but failed to press it, and for some reason changed his tactics. Roberts made good use of his knights and of the open king's file. In changing off McCrea’s pieces, dangerous in the attack, a very tenacious fight by McCrea with the exchange down ended in a draw on move 49. GYLES v. DUNLOP. This was an irregular defence to the Queen Pawn Opening. Gyles got a strong centre, establishing his knight at king’s fifth. With this knight he changed off Dunlop's white bishop, and with the other knight he occupied the point of v-afcitage. -Dunlop replied with the long black diagonal and refrained from changing off the knight. Knights -were exchanged, and both players had a queen, two rooks, and. a bishop, with six pawns towards the close of the middle game. Gyles to prevent Dunlop occupying Gyle's king-rook's third with his queen, placed his queen on his own knight’s second. This, in some measure, shut his qneen out of play, giving Dunlop the greater freedom for developing his rooks and establishing his centre pawns. A very stern fight is still in progress betweeen these two players. Dunlop having his pawns in an advanced position, and Gyles defending quite correctly. PTTTTi v. SEVERNH. iSeverne played the Benoni Counter to Pihls Qneen Pawn Opening. Pihl obtained a fine free game, and white bishops having been exchanged he brought his knights aoroas to support an attack, which he threatened with his qneen and bishop. Severne'e defenoe was sound, and Pihl was forced to change his plan 6. Severne attacked the pawn position on Pihl’s queen side, the latter guaintaining the position intact. This game is unfinished, and looks very much like a draw. POSITION OF CONTESTANTS The position of the players at the end of the second session of the final round

Gyles, Dunlop, Pihl, Severne, Hicks and MoCrea have each one game to complete.

is:— Won. Drawn. Lost. Pts. .Gylea 2 1 10 Dunlop 8 0 3 9 Anderson 7 1 5 71 Miller 1 5 7* Pihl 1 4 7* Kellingr 2 5 7 Seveme 2 4 7 Hicks 4 6 2 7 Buchan 3 6 Si Coombs 4 3 6 Si McCrea 3 5 5i 5i Roberts 3 6 Stevens S 1 9 3$