Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2056, 20 July 1893, Page 38

Chess Items.

A certain monarch, observing that his subjects had become so addicted to chess that they, were withdrawn from public and private duties, issued an edict prohibiting play, except under a scale graduated according to age. Children and youths were restricted to an hour's day daily -grown men and women were allowed a little longer, until in old age all limitation was Jfmoved. Then arose murmurs and lamentation throughout the land : a young man sighed, not for his mistress, but for his next birthday, when he might claim an extension of chess time ; a maidea studied her mirror, not to exult in the bloom of her cheeks or the lustre of her eyes, but craving for the advent of the first wrinkle, the first grey hair, harbingers of fuller surrender to the ruling passion. The hearts of men and women grew lighter as their eyes became dim and their tresses thin. Ah, happy old age! beautiful decrepitude! they prayed, " come to us quickly. Thou maye*t be toothless, hairless, bloodless, but thou art the sole deliverer from the uneasy bondage of youth, from the harsh restraints that hold us from the only noble exercise of the rmndW-Herbert Maxwell, $q Black^ood'B Magazine.

Games in the Telegraphic Chess Match.

Game played between Messrs Throp (Otago) and Wright (Wellington). White. Black. (Throp.) (Wright.) 1 PK4 P-Q Xt 3 2 P-Q 4 B-Kt 2 3 B-Q 3 P-K 3 4 Kt-K 2 Kt-K B 3 5 P-K B 3 P-Q 3 6 B-K 3 B-K 2 7 Kt-Q 2 P-Q B 4 8 P-Q B 3 X Kt-Q 2 9 Castles Castles 10 P-Q Xt 3 P-KR3 11 P-K B 4 Kt-K B 3 12 Kt-K Xt 3 KtQB3 13 P-B 5-a PxQP 14QB-PxP Kt-KR2 15 R-Q 8 1-6 B-Kt 4 16 B x B Xt x B irPxP-o PxP 18RxRch QxR 19 P-Q 5-d Q Xt-Xt 5 : « 208-Ktl PxP 21 P x P-/ Xt x P 22P-KR4 Q-B5 23PxKt-flr QxKKt 24 Q-B 2 Kt-B 3 25 Kt-B 4 PxP 26K-KBI B-K 5 27Q-KB2 QxQ 28KxQ Bxß 29RxB Kt-Ksch 30 K-K 3 Kt-Q B 6 31 R-Q R 1 R-Q 1 32 K-Q 3 Kt-Q 4 33 P-Kt 3 P-Kt 4 34 Kt-K 3 Wins, (a) We prefer P-K 5. (&) White's position is not satisfactory. Probably Q Kt-B 3, 15 Q Kt-B 3 would have been better.

(«) This makes matters worse, and PB 6 and if P x P, Kt-K 5 is more promising. (d) Far from good, but there seems to be nothing better available. Q-Kt 4 and if 19 Xt x Q P, 20 P-K 5 might possibly regain a pawn instead of the one lost, and would bring the White pieces into a better position. («i) The right move. (/) 21 P-Q R 3 should have been played before taking the pawn as although it does not save the pawn it forces the Xt out of play. (o) This loses another pawn and the game. Kt-K B 5 promises better, but it is doubtful if the game could now be saved.

Sicilian Defence. White. Black. (Mr Janion, (Mr Sim, Wellington.) Otago.) 1 P-K4 P-Q B 4 2 B-B 4-a P-K 3 3 Kt-Q B 3 P-Q R 3 4 P-Q R 3-6 Kt-Q B 3 5 Kt-B 3 KKt-K2 6 P-Q 4 P-Q 4-o 7PxQP KPxP 88-K2 PxP 9KKtxP KtxKt 10 Q x Xt B-K 3 11 Castles Kt-B 4 12 Q-Q 1 B-B 4 13 B-Q 3 Q-83-d 14 O-K 1-e Castles X R 15 Kt-K 2 B-Q 3 16P-QB3 QR-K1 17 Q-Q 2 P-R3 1 18 Xt-Xt 3-/ Q-R 5-flf 19BxKt Bxß 20 Q x Q P B-K 4/1 21 P-K B 4 B-K3 22 Q x B B-B 5 23 Q-Q 4-f B x R 24 B-K 3-i B-Kt 4 25 B-B 2 B-B 3 26 Q x Xt P eh X x Q 27 Kt-B sch K-R 2 28KtxQ R-KKtl 29 R-Q 1 R-Ql 30 B-Q 4 - QR-K1 31K-B2 R-K5 32P-Kt3 KR-K1 33 P-Q B 4-ft R-K 7ch 34K-Ktl - R-KBch 35RxR Rxßch 36K-B2 R-KRB 37 Kt-B 3 B x Xt 38KxB RxP 39K-K4-*

(a) Not considered so good as 2 Kt-Q B 3, or2Kt-KB3. (&) 4 P-Q R 4 is, we believe, the proper reply. (c) This results in a weak, isolated pawn, which is subsequently lost. (d) 13... Castles might have been played. If then 14 B x Xt, Bxß, 15KtxP. PxQBP, or if 15 Q x P, Q x Q, <fee. (r ) Of doubtful utility. 14 QB 3 was safe. ' (/) Well played. (g) Black has managed well hitherto, but this loses the Q P, to avoid which loss 18... Kt xKt was necessary, although it would have opened the King's bishop's file for White. (ft) Black now loses a piece. The disaster might have been averted by 20...8 x Xt, 21 B P x B, B-K 5 ! Now 22 QxP eh appear* to win another pawn, but after 22,,.R x Q, 23 P x Q, R x R eh, 24 X x R, B-Q 6 eh, Black has a gogd attack with his free pieces, while Black will have to lose a pawn before his can be brought into action. (0 In a note to the score Mr Janion says, that being called from the room, he, on his return, made this move hastily, and that he should have proceeded— 23 Q x Xt Qch, Xx Q, 24 Kt-B 5 eh, K-R 2, 25 Xt x Q, with » winning game. (?) Mr Janion hero remarks, that in refusing to capture the bishop, he sought to surprise his opponent's queen by his next two or three moves, and that the failure to do so cost him the game. After taking B, ho would have had B, Xt, and P, as against one rook.

(&) This seems weak, but 33 R-Q 2 was no better. (I) Play now ceased, and the position arrived at was referred for adjudication. Mr Hookham gave it as a win for Black. The battle was fought with much spirit, and some good play was shown on both sides.—Canterbury Times.