CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18446, 6 January 1922, Page 5

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS

YESTERDAY’S PLAY. I \ ■■ _ i ifhm Vvfrjsb R*wa Awooutioim '■ AUCKLAND, January 5. - TWELFTH ROUND. , The t twelfth round in the chess , championship' was played to-day: — Railing v. Miller.—Miller played Dutch defence to queen’s pawn. Opening with an apparently even game, both players set up attack; Miller, with the advantage ot pawn#-on-the king’s side, supported by a rook and by bishops, got to work first, but Selling had a saving move in the counter-attack which Eellingtdn brought on. Miller’s game went completely to pieces, mate being threatened on the thirty-eevonth move. Dunlop v. Evans.— Dunlop played the Vienna game, and , the king’s file was opened early. Evans checked this with his queeh in a compromising position. Dunlop moved the king to bishop’s second, and then set up such an attack that Evans had to suffer the Joss of a queen for a rook. Evans put up, A fight, - hqt it waa only a matter pf time when he was forced to resign. . . Gyles v. Howard .—This avaa the Vienna game. Howard built up Tin attack, jvhich Gyles manoeuvred, to, make ,the. heist of. In exchanges from thoto Gyles won a piece, which -by an oversight ho lost a few moves later. With Gyles a pawn up Howard got a/beautiful mating position, but the former had one saving move, forcing, an exchange of queens arid rooks. later Howard failed to, provide against checkmate, which Gyles brought off on\the thirty-sixth I Grierson v. Stevens.—Grierson played Ruy Lopez, Stevens seeming to develop a better position. Each player built up an attack, /which was broken by the first exchange of .pieces. Towards the pnd of the middle game Grierson concentrated upon Stevens’king’s pawn, in pursuing his attack Grierson got his queen in danger, and/ lost her for the capture of a rook. A few moves later he resigned. Connell v. Roberts.—Roberts played a centre counter against Conpell. In the opening the latter allowing a bishop to go for nothing. Cdnnell built up an attack upon the centre.- but Roberts, with on extra piece waa able to retain his position. Connell played an uphill fight for come time, and then resigned. Hides v, Sevorne.—Hicks opened with the Scotch game, but Sevm'no steered clear of many pitfalls, and got, an even position. He' worked up a combination by which to break up Hicks’ sV king position, but Hicks provided a safe defence. In- the middle game exchanges Hicks got the better of the pawn position,, though Severne .retained a rook and two bishops to a rook, bishop, and knight. At .the fiftieth move it waa decided .to draw.

Pickett v. Davies.—Pickett again adopted his favourite opening, Davies gaining time by not castling. Davies pushed on his king’s side pawns, supported by a rook, but Pickett set up a pawn block against their advance.; Later Davies gave up a rook for a bishop to get a passed, pawn on the queen's bishop. In the late middle game Davies worked up several beautiful combinations, and at last won a rook and a bishop for the sacrifice of a knight and a pawn. Queens were immediately exchanged, and on the fifty-third move Pickett resigned. In the eighth round in an adjourned game Gyles drew with Sloverne. SUMMARY OF POSITION. Following is a,-summary' of the twelfth round:—Stevens beat Grierson, Davies beatPickett, Hicks drew with Sovcme, Roberts beat Connell. The position of the players at the end of the twelfth round is (all games to date are finished) i Wins, Soveme ... ... ... 10 . Dunlop ... ... ... ... ... 10 ' Gyles - 10 Davies „ 9J Hides ... ... ... 8 Kelling Grierson ... 6i Miller s Pickett ... ... .„ ... ... 5 Roberts ... 4£ Stevens 4 Howard „. ... ... 5 Evans ' ... ... 2£ Connell ... 2