OHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1419, 1 February 1879, Page 31

OHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

The Chiistchurch Chea* Club has taken the initiative to bring about a meeting of the best players in this Colony to contest for the honour of champion. At the annual meeting of the above Club, which took place on Thuwday last, Mr Jaoobsen introduced the subject in a pithy spoech, which was warmly received, and an influential committee ha* been formed to mike tho necessary arangements. It is intended to offer three prizes for competition, the first prize to ba of the value ol at least fifty guineas. The competition is to take place at Chriatchurch, and those players who come from a distance will not be required to pay any entrance money, but those living in Christchurch and its neighbourhood will have to pay a pretty heavy entrance fee. The object of this iB to prevent players from entering who h ive really no chance of winning, and thus prolonging the match unnecessarily, to the great inconvenience of all ongajred. As the great object in view is to produce the best specimens of chess attainable in New Zealand, the competition Will not take place for aeveral months yet, bo as to allow ample t'me for practice and study. The mode of competition will be very eimibr to that whico w»s so successfully adopted a', the la c Paria International Congress. Two or three o£ the leading players of Wellington and Dunedin have already signifled their intention of entering the lists, and several other players from difEeieut centres of population are considered probable contestants. It is evan thought tlut this compet tion will bijng to lteht many good players not hitherto known to fame, who may pluck the lairds from better known men. There is no doub: it will give a stimulus to the study of the gaino all over the Oolouy, and we heartily hope the movement may be carried to a successful issue.