English International Tournaments.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 38

English International Tournaments.

The British Che3S Magazine for August gives a summary of the above, of which the following is an abridgment :—

In a paper on "Chess in Australasia " in the same periodical the recent Esling- Wallace match and oth<=r matters are dealt with in a way which clearly enough indicates that the writer, "Cluen." wears Vicfco ian spectacles. He considers Mr Chavlick"s adjudication on the unfiuidhed gamesof the Victoria v. New S ;uth Wales match " veiy uusati-f ictoi'y." aud evidently thinks that iv the Esling-Wallace imtch the former would have won but for hia blunders. There is no gainsaying either opinion. Unless a telegraphic matah cau be played out, or nearly so, it is little us; beginning. It would save tune, money, and ldbouv, and be eaually satisfactory to draw lots or toss for the result. It is not intended in this to question the correctness of Mr Charlirk's or any other adjudicator's decision, but the difference is between what the result ought to be with the best p.'iiy possible and what it actually would be were the match pi *yed out. It is not in the 8m illest decree likely that these would be identical, particularly with regard to garues which have to be adjudicated draws. In the majority of such cases the middle game only has been reached, and the battle has still to bo fought. Of the EsiingWallace match the writer siys :— " The lhst game (which ou^ht to have been "won by Mr Esling) ended ia a draw at the 7<ii.h move ; the second Kivme \yafe spoilt by a groih blunder on the part of Mr E^liup ; ho I'St the thir-l primarily because of hi* having faile.l to taks a'ivautage of one of the very few errors that have been recorded against Mr Wallace and his having been outplayed in the end game ; the fourth resulted iv yet another loss to the Victorian champion, who at oue stage had undoubtedly a win on the board ; and the issue of the lift.li game was thjj,t Mr Wal'ace drew an ending which he aftei wards ackniwleJged he should h*\M lo^t " The writer of the above looks suspiciously like the "thoiough che3= duffer" ile'-crib^d in the Witness a few weeks ago In only one case does he give Mr AVallaca credit for winning— namely, io the one end game in which Mr Ksling " was outplayed." But why did Mr Esling make such and si mnny blunders and fail to take advantage of those of his opponent, and thus 10.<,e higoamesi Tbe only answer that can be given ia, Bucau&c Mr Wallace was the stronger player. In speaking of New Z- aland ches3 the same writer says :— "The question of Bcoring in tournani"nts has bean rec iving Home attention in the New Zealand press, Honuebornism being much favoured in tome quarters, and loudly denounced in others as being hopelessly bad in principle. My own fo ling in the matter is that the time which the New Zealand playera have spent in such discus-sion.s his been almost wholly wasted, its only re-idiul value, so fur m I can hcc, being in the evidence affutded of super abundant energy in some of tb» New Zetland chcas circles." The nisrtter above «t%tcd as a fact will be news to New Zealand choSHJsts It is to be hoped they will benefit by the opinion given, and not waste time for the future New Zealand cheßHists do not play for money prizes, and ho lone m they do not do so the question of the beat method of ucoring is one of only secondary iinpoitanro. Speaking of the Ruy Luppz Mr Gunsberg Bays: — "Our ie.l leis will puidnn the digicssion if wt. here tell them a little btoiy. The Kite player Kulish was once introduced to a spiritualistic seance The following was the nuustion put by him to the spirit through the medium of a slate j What is the best defence to Morpby's 9th move in the Evans's Gambit (9 Xt"- B 3)? Needless to say, the spirit did not reply. If a spirit cannot decide such questions, I hope we shall not be expected to decide a similar question in this opening— viz., which is the beat defence? For not only are we not spiritual, but we have also too ereat experience, and, contrary to some fellow authors, we kuow that we do not know. We have seen Morphy and Andersen favour the 8 p<q r 3 defence, and w« have seen Zukert«rt

abandon that move for 3 kt-k b 8, and, again, we have seen Steinitz decry both and recommend the 3 p q 3 defence, wLich recommendation was based on a very elaborate, and from his point of view an able, ana'ysis in Part I of his Modern Chess Instructor. So great was his influence that the 3 pq 3 defence soon became genera), but, lo and behold ! Steinitz adopted thia defenc • against Lasker, and the result was a grievous and egicginus failure. So much so that iv the last liviy Lopez game played in the mitch Stetnita forsook his cherished defence in favour of 3 pq r 3 aud proved himself brilliantly successful with it." " The Chess Openings,"— by J. Gunsbero.

Advice to slow players :— " Dangers are no more light if they once seem light, and more dangers have deceived men than forced them ; and it were better to meet some dangers halfway, though they come nothing near, than to keep too long a watch upon their approaches ; for if a man watch too long it i» said h< will fall a*leap.' —Lord Bacon.

Aanount of Prize 51on«y Winner of Firsb Pfize Winner of Second Prize. 1831 18G2 m< IBSH 1888 10 14 II 12 17 10 22 £183 G« BJI Not stated £1000 ... £210 ... £•230 ... £'2<JO X'(JOO ...I IHei'r Anderson lierr An.Jerajn Heir Zukertort Mr Blackburne Mr 1 Guusberg Dr 'farrasch Ifllr TiUsbury Mr \Vj%m Hurr I'aulsen Horr Steinitz Mr Burn Mr Mackenzie Mi - Bluckbura Mr E Lasker