CHESS TOURNAMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18748, 29 December 1922, Page 6

CHESS TOURNAMENT

THE THIRD ROUND. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 28. The third round of the chess tournament was played to day, the results being as follows: Miller v. Roberts.—Roberts played Ihe Falkbeer Counter-Gambit in reply to Miller’s King Bishop’s Gambit, and changing off a knight at bishop’s third, left Miller s king very exposed. Roberts checked with the queen at rook’s fifth, and following up with a strong knight move won the exchange—a rook for a knight. Miller made his king . secure, and having won the advanced bishop's pawn, set up a strong ar tack on the queen’s side, seeming the advantage of two pawns. In the exchanges Roberts managed to double Miller’s pawns on tho queen rook’s file. Miller strove hard to force a win, but Roberts gave up the exchange to reduce Miller's pawn force, and he played so sound a defence that Miller had to be content with a draw. Pihl v. Stevens.—This game was the Queen’s Gambit Declined. Stevens played a pawn to- queen bishop’s fourth, and advanced the pawn another square. • Pihl threatened to dislodge this pawn, and Stevens made a weak move, offering an exchange of a knight for a bishop. Pihl, taking advantage ot this, gained a pawn, and obtained a strong passed pawn at queen's fifth. With queens and minor pieces ex changed, a great end ganic was fought, Pihl ultimately passing the queen's pawn on to a queening position, when Stevens resigned. Buchan v. Coombs—Buchan {flayed the Queen Bishop’s Gambit, which his opponent declined. The opening was a skirmish of queen side pawns, in which. Coombs advanced his queen knights and queen bishop’s pawns, the latter being well supported. At bishop’s sixth Buchan could not dislodge these without sacrifice, so he worked up an attack in the centre. Coombs endeavoured to win a rook for a knight.

but miscalculated the exchanges, and came out of it with a minor niece down. His good plan position should have helped him to victory, but he failed to keen back Buchan’s bishop attack, which nicked -off Coombs’s dangerous pawns. Buchan played the ending very well, and with two bishops supporting the advance of his bishop’s pawn, lie broke down Coombs’s defence and forced him to resign. Dunlop v. M'Crea.—This game also wap the Queen’s Gambit opening, in which M‘Orea prematurely advanced the queen bishop’s pawn, with the result that Dunlop won the pawn. This proved to be the winning factor, for Dunlop, after an exchange of queens and three minor pieces, pushed on the aueen side pawns to support his attack, with rooks doubled on his queen s file. M'Crea put nip a stubborn defence, but Dunlop’s superior position enabled him to win a piece, after which M'Crea resigned. Hicks v. Scvorne.—Hicks again played the Scotch gome, and changed off knights. Soverne, in retaking and opening up the knight’s file, had a chance of breaking up Hicks’s queen side pawn. He attacked, however,- on the king’s side, against which Hicks set up a counter-attack. In uiia Hioks was able to change off queens and double another set of Soverne’s pawns on the king knight’s file. Exchanges of rooks and minor pieces closed tho middle game,

leaving Hicks with much the better pawn position in the end game. Soverne failed to provide a reply to Hicks’s 37th move, which practically gave the victory to the latter. Having lost a pawn, and seeing no chance of blocking Hicks’s plan for queening, Severne decided to resign. The fourth round resulted as follows; Anderson and Coombs.—Anderson played the Vienna gambit, which Coombs accepted. Anderson obtained a good develop-

ment, dislodging Coombs’s king’s knight, end from the exchanges regained the gambit pawn. - Coombs castled on the queen’s side and Anderson immediately transferred his attack to that quarter. This proved formidable, and Coombs failed to see its strength. Anderson was able to push on the queen’s knight pawn, ultimately queening it at rook’s eighth. With two queens Anderson was able at move 46 to force Coombs’s' resignation. Stevens and Buchan.—Buchan declined the King’s gambit offered by Stevens. There was little development in the rapid opening, four minor pieces being exchanged up to the eighth move. Buchan at move 16 captured Stevens’s queen’s pawn and built up a promising attack. To save the situation Stevens was forced to give up a rook for a knight, and although he strove hard to make a counter-attack he failed to make it effective, and as a consequence Buchan was able further to harness Stevens’s pieces,

and he finally won his bishop and forced his resignation on move 33. 1 Miller and Hicks. —'Ibis was a Queen's gambit declined in which Hicks adopted the fiauchelto development for both his bishops. It was a lively opening, giving free movement to the pieces. In the struggle for position Miller changed off queens and won the king’s pawn which had been thereby left unsupported. Hicks re-

gained the pawn and a few moves later prettily forced Miller's rook and bishop, the rook having to be given for the knight as mate was threatened. Hicks captured another pawn and, gradually wearing down his opponent’s defence, won the game on move 50.

Pihl and Dunlop.—The opening was an irregular queen's pawn game, Pihl seeming to get the better of the development, although his two queen side pawns were isolated. An early exchange of queens by Pihl prevented Dunlop from castling, and by a further exchange of minor pieces Pihl opened up Dunlop's king side pawns. He later changed off a rook for a rook, threatening to win a pa-ivn. This Dunlop defended and by skilful play outmanoeuvred Pihl in the end game, winning two pawns and pushing on a pawn to queen. Pihl thereupon resigned. Following is the position at the end of tho fourth round:— UnWon. Brawn. Lost, finished. Points.

Dunlop ... 4 — — ~ 4 Anderson ... 3 — 1 —' 3 Uuohau ... 3 . 1 X — 24 Hicks ... 2 1 — i 24 Severn" ... 3 — 1 i 2 Pihl ... 2 — 3 — 2 Steven* ... 2 — 2 , — 0 M'On.'a. ... 1 1 2 — li Coomb d ... t — .i — i Miller ... 1 2 1 4 Ilolierts ... 1 I 2 4 Kc-lling Gyles ... 1 — 4 4- ... - 4