CHESS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11693, 4 December 1923, Page 2

CHESS

CHAMPIONSHIP OF NHW ZEALAND. The thirty-third tournament to decide the chees championship of New Zealand is scheduled to open on Boxing Day, in the Education Board room, in Mercer street. As there are 21 entries, it will presumably be necessary to resort to section play to shorten the tourney, as some of the competitors cannot spaa® the time for a full round contest. The entry of Mr Spencer Crakanthorp, the distinguished New South Wales champion, is causing more than ordinary interest to bo taken in the coming tourney. He and his wife are leaving Sydney on the 20tn instant, and he should therefore arrive hero in good time for the opening round. We hope to give a few notes concerning the competitors at an early date. THE WELLINGTON LEAGUE. Two matches, under the auspices of the Wellington Chess League, have just been contested by the Wellington and Working Men’s Clubs. The latter defeated the Wellington Club’s B team in the senior contest, the scores being as follow

When tho game Barnes v. Hicks ended in a draw on Thursday evening the championship became a certainty for Mr W. E. ilason, as will be seen from the above table of results. This win auto-

matically promotes him from rang 5 td rung 1 on the club’s ladder, in terms of tne rule passed in June, 1918. . The outstanding game, Barnes v. Wigham, will decide who is to be the runner-up. This annual championship tourney, which had been in abeyance for nine years, war revived in 1918, the winners from then onwards being as follow: —1918, A. W. O. Davies: 1919, R. J. Barnes; 1920, W. £. Mason; 1921, R. J. Barnes; 1922, W. Mackay; 1923, W. E. Mason. CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS. As a resit of his success, records* above, Mr W. E. Mason will represent the Wellington Club in the Wellington League’s champion of champions tourney. Mr Barnes, who won this all-Wellington championship last year, will represent the Working Men’s Club, of which he has been champion for more than three decades. The Wellington South and Ngaio Clubs are not yet in a position to an* nounce their respective champions, but hope to be able to do so at an early date. DRAUGHTS CHAMPIONSHIP OF WELLINGTON, Endeavours are being marie to hold a tournament at an early aate to decide the draughts championship of Wellington. A provisional committee has the preliminary arrangements in hand, and it is hoped to commence play in about a week’s time with a very gratifying number of competitors. This contest, which will be either on the full-round or the two-life knock-out system, should supply a long-felt want in Wellington draught circles, and should give our local enthusiasts some excellent practice for the Australiasian draughts championship tourney that is scheduled to *be held in the South Island during the Easter holidays.

W.M. CItib. Wellington B. R. ,T. Barnes ... 0 G, 'Wigh&m .• ... 1 F. If. Selling... 1 H. Jessup fi. Faalknor .... X H. Godtschalk ... o J. Runress 1 A. *1*. "Craven ... o H. M. Rosenberg 1 E. S. Taylor ... 0 T. Nolan 0 C. W. Tanner ... 1 Total 4 Total In the junior oontest the 'Wellington Club scored an. easy -win, as follows : — Wellington C.C. Workingmen’ c. Fairburn, W. J. 1 Edmunds, C. T. 0 Bock, W. R. ... * Costello, T. .. Jessup, A. E. ... 1 Simpson, J. . Grady, F 1 Ryan, 1. H. . .... 0 Barnes. J. A. C. 1 Bpsher, W. . .... 0 Crandle, H. E.... 1 Matcjka, F. . .... 0 Total to date— 5 Total to date... 0 •This game is outstanding. THE WELLINGTON CLUB. A number of games in this club's ebammonship tourney wore g’ot off last week. the positions of the leaders being now as follow To Won. Lost. play Mason, W. E 10J 1J 1 Barnes, R. J & 3 1 AViffhnra, G 9 3 1 Gyles, A. W 8i Si 1 Kellimg, F. K 'H 4i 1 TTaulknor, S '* k — Hicks, E. A 4$ 2 Fouhy, T Si 5i 2