Chess Items.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 38

Chess Items.

We have received from Mr Tait, the hou. secretary of the New Zealand Chess Association, a copy of the laws aud rules of play. The booklet is well got up. The laws seem, considering the circumstances of the colony, of rather too conservative a tendency. Law 20, which provides for the payment of a tee of 2gs by players who are members but not nominees of affiliated club 3, is meant, no doubb, as a check to persons entering and competing who are not strong enough to justify taking up the time of btrong players in competing with them. The expense of a journey to attend the tournament should be sufficient to ensure the d;sirei object. The tourniment should also be open to players other than members of clubs, in case no club exists which they cm conveniently join. Oj the other hand, a residence qualification might be added with advantage. A mere sojourner or new arrival should not be admitted to compete.

The Otago Club Committee have virtually decided that M.esiT3 Borton and Gleland have tied for the club championship, and a match ha 3 been arrange i to come off ia January next to play off the tie, the first winner of three games to be declared champion.

Our problem this week is the composition of the distinguished mnemonic player Mr J. H. Blackburne. It is justly considered a line composition.

The retirement from the chess aVena of Mr H. Charlick, of Adelaide, will be learned with regret. At the annual meeting of the Adelaide Che3i Club he said that it had been his ambition to» establish a record in Australia in the value of prizes won. He had won prizes to the value of £100, and now thai his winnings had run into three figures he intended retiring from the arena and becoming in future simply a spectator.

The chess editor of the London Weekly Times says: — "It is taking something very much like an unfair advantage to consume a lot of tim-i, move after move in off-hand encounters. In nine case 3 out of ten— it may be 9J out of 10 J — fir3t impressions are best. You consid r a lon,} time, get lost in a maze of combinations, and than play the worst move on the board." We have known case i where a player after taking a lot of ti-ue would suddenly a=k : " Wnosa move is it ? "

So far the only nominations for the Congress tournament that we have heird of ii that of Mr Henry Hookham, of the Canterbury Club. It is doubtful if Mr Sextoa will be able to attend, and the names of the Wellington and Auckland players are not yet announced. Among the competitors will be Mrs Q. C. Pleasants, from the Manawatu district, and a gentleman from Nelson The Che3s editor of the Canterbury Tunes says :— " It is very gratifying to note thit the author itiej ot the Union S S. Company have cousented to extend to the worshippers of CaUsa the same privileges as have long been enioyed by the worshippers of other denominations."

None play che^s perfectly, and he who makes the fewest mistakes is the best player. The verdict of actual play is the true and only test of btrengih. The "I shjuld have played there ' victories aro of the same value as last year's almanac, and the' chess circle usually is not tolerant of exports (?) who can look on a knight stronger than they can play. A telegraphic match between Steinitz and the Liverpool Club is probable,