N.Z. CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12551, 3 January 1903, Page 3

N.Z. CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNEY.

Sixth Dai. The seventh round of the elie.ss championship contest began on Thursday afternoon in tho presence off an interested crowd of spectators. Play commenced promptly at 2.30 p.m., and the games; resulted as follows:— Forsyth v. Kelling.—ln reply to PtoK 4, Kelling played Kt to Q B 3. -More the tenth movo he overlooked a check, wliich cost him a bishop. Mr Kelling straggled on to the thirtythird move, but the game alter the. loss of the bishop proved hopeless, and ho resigned. Miles v. Edwards.—Mr Miles had the attack, and Mr Edwards replied with the Sicilian. Defence. On the fifteenth hiove Mr Miles advanced a pawn to king's bishop's' fifth, wliich led to tho brcaking-up of Mr Edward's pawns on the king's side. Later Mr Miles won Mr Edwards's queen for a rook, and following up this' advantage mated his opponent on the forty-fourth move, - Mason v.-Balk.—Mason adopted the Zukertort Opening, and developed an attack on Balk's cas-tled king (king's side) and' then castled himself on the queen's side. , His pawn position, however, being open on that side gave Balk an 'opportunity of developing a counter attack, which resulted iu his winning a piece and forcing Mason to resign on bis forty-fourth move. The game was undoubtedly one .of the best yet played in the congress, Mason laying many traps which Balk cleverly evaded. Barnes v. Grierson.—Mr -Grierson defended I'with his favourite Sicilian and got a Bafe defence. On. the sixteenth move Grierson won a pawn and succeeded in snapping up two more' Mater on, leaving Barnes, after sacrificing a. bishop, with a strong attack on the king's side. Grierson feuded the attack off successfully, and Mr Barnes succumbed on the sixtieth move after a hard-fought game.Cashen v. Warsaw.—Mr Cashen opened with tho Ruy Lopez and won a pawn on the fortieth move. Eventually Mr Warsaw gained by exchange. After a prolonged and interesting stiugglo Messrs Caslicu and Warsaw agreed to a draw. At this stage the competitors stood thus: Forsyth (Otago), 6 wiiis, 1-loss: Grierson (Auckland), 5£ wins, 1£ lasses; Balk (Otago), 5 wins, 2 losses; Mason (Palmerstcm North), 1i wins, 2-i losses; Kelling (Wellington), 4 wins, 3 losses; Barnes (Wellington)', 3-wins, 4 losses; Miles (Auckland), 2£ wins, 4i losses; Cashen' (Auckland), Warsaw (Otago), and Edwards (Otago) 1£ wins, 5i losses each. Sevexth Day. The eighth round in the .chess championship contest commenced at 10 a.m. yesterday. This, the second last round, attracted an increased 'crowd of visitors, tho Otago Chess Club's rooms being full throughout the day. Messrs W. S. Pascoe and H. Lyder-s were the stewards, The round resulted as under:— Cashen v. Balk.—Mr Cashen opened, and Mr Balk played the Sicilian Defence. A most interesting gamo followed. After a good deal of attack and counter attack, Cashen emerged with two rooks, knight, and time pawns as against Balk's queen and two pawns. Mr Balk eventually resigned on the fifty-eighth move. Barnes v. Edwards.—This.was another Buy Lopez, Mr Barnes having the opening. On his twenty-second Edwards made / a v weak pawn, move instead of playing' Q to Q' 2, which would have left him with a fairly even game, but a po.wn dbwn. The'anovc made resulted in Barnes getting such a strong attack, that his opponent resigned on the twenty-seventh move after an hour's play. Kelling v. Warsaw.—Mr Kelling opened with a weak variation of the Guioco Piano, by which Mr Warsaw shortly won a pawn, At a later stage in tho game Mr Warsaw overlooked a " pin," losing thereby a bishop for nothing, and at the thirty-seventh movo he resigned. There is little doubt that Mr Warsaw should have won this game. , - Mason v. Miles.—Mr Mason played Zukertort's Opening, the game proceeding very evenly till the twenty-eighth move, when Miles initiated a brilliant attack on the adverse king, giving up a bishop on the thirty-fourth move. Mr Miles should have won immediately, but failed to carry out the attack in tho most advantageous manner. On the fifty-third movo Mr Miles won a pawn, and again the game , appeared to have a successful issue iii his favour, but through wasting a movo with his king Mr Miles allowed his opponent to force a position by wliich he could secure a stalemate. The game was accordingly a draw. Grierson'v. Forsyth.—Mr Grierson played a well-known variation of the Rny Lopez and got a strong centre with his pawns, isolating two of Forsvth's pawns and winning tlieni eventually after queens and most of the minor pieces had been exchanged. The advance of Grierson's centre pawns got Forsyth into difficulties and led'to his resignation- at the fiftysixth move, after a stubborn defence with rook, bishop, and tnrce pawns, against Grierson's rook, bishop, and five pawns. It may be mentioned that Messrs Forsylfi and Grierson aro champions of the Otago and Auckland Chess Clubs respectively. • rThe following table shows the relative sucmm oFthe competitors as pitted against each other up to tho close of the eigth round:—

Grierson, of Auckland, is leading with 6| ivins and li losses, Tho positions of the other competitors are as follows:—Forsyth (Otago), 6 wins, 2 losses; Balk (Otago), Mason (Palmerston North), and Kelling (Wellington) equal with S wins, 3 losses each; Barnes (Wellington), \ wins, 4 losses; Miles (Auckland), 3 wins,-5 losses; Cashen (Auckland), % wins, 5£ losses; Edwards (Otago), and Warsaw (Otago), J£ wins and 6} losses each, " Although the issue of the championship depends upon the results of tho games of Grierson v. Kelling and Forsyth v. Mason, to be played at 10 a.m'. to-day, it cannot ha gainsaid that the fate of the £20 prize will have largely depended upon the -contest between < Messrs Forsyth and Grierson finished last evening. This evening tho visiting players will be ontnrtained at a smoke concert at Mr C. B. M. Branson's Harp of Erin Hotel, where the North Islomd representatives have been comfortably housed during their short stay. To-morrow (Sunday) morning the Otago Chess Club have arranged • a harbour excursion for the players and their friends.

co * ic (Of! h H COlOU) ,•... W *W Ci »-i « (O *5 10 « rt Warsaw, L. JH , •* ,H rt " ri . HO J Miles, E. J. h-h o'o *h *'|.d: Mason, J.. rt ®,° rt: ' ° rt I-'" 0 Selling, P. K. H - H ° ° H i| °"'° ° Grieison, J, C. o ° ° o « I rt *" ° Forsyta.D. oooojHo rt o Edwards, J. hh | h h h h.i h o Cashcn, T. o h i n h h h o >u Barnes, B. J. h-ioohHoho Balk, 0. | o H o H H ' ° ° o' • ; ■ • -o. M • • • b - h . : h>" . . w n »' _ s .!-» H .- . • » S * " ,S " •' ctf d cs *w o .£ ■ j Jj iTj nb o h faJMSa^ From this it will bo seen that Mr .T. C.