Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 972, 5 September 1889, Page 29

Chess Items.

The Eiffel Tower.— The Western Portfolio for June contains a little novelty by Caralake W. Wood, Plymouth, entitled "The Biff el Tower." The composer introduces the position with the following remarks :— " For the convenience of all ohess players throughout the world who are unable to visit Paris this summer to see the Eiffel Tower, we have devised a means of their doing so in their own homes. We even go so far as to suggest their going up, for by solving it they will certainly go up in our estimation. Mahomet with all his tact, could not bring the mountain to hie followers ; we, on the contrary, bring the Eiffel Tower to our followers without even being asked." The position is as follows :—

White.— X on QKtsq; Qon X sq ; BonKßsq; Xt on K8 ; Ps ou K6, Q5, KB 5, QB 3. KKt 3, Q2,KB 2. Black.— X on K4; Ps on K2,5, 6. White mateß in two moves.

Captain Beaumont has promised a donation of £50 to the British Chess Association, on condition of its holding a national congress in which the prizes shall be allotted on the Sonneburn-Berger system of scoring. The Cheas Monthly belieyes that the offer will he accepted, and is confident that the experiment will be a success. The national congress will be held by the association soon after the Paris tournament. Captain Beaumont Is the president of the South Norwood Chess Club, where the Sonnebom-Berger has been tested in a club tourney. All the competitors are satisfied with its work ing, and hence Captain Beaumont is anxious to have the system tried on a larger scale. A match between Messrs A, M. Ollivier and J. H. Bauer is, we believe, in course of arrangement. The "perpetual tourney" of the Victorian Chess Club has been brought to a close. Messra Crewe and Mayston tied for first prize, and will probably divide the amount. The next event, a handicap tourney, for which 28 entries had been received, was to commence some time about the middle of August. The Wellington Working Men's Club play a correspondence match with the Canterbury Club.

Answers to Correspondents. Correct solution of Problem 721 received from COM, Queenstown ; G R, Kaitangata. Solution of Problem 721. White. Black. IKtto KB 4 Kto X 5 (a) 2KttoKKt6 KtoKB 4 3 Q to X 5, mate. (a) 1 — — — X tks P 2 Xt to KKt 6 KtoK R 5 3 Q to X S sq, mate.