Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 40

Chess Items.

Mr Thomas Sexton has been invited by the Wanginui Chess and Draughts Club to give an exhibition of his ability as an unseeing player by playing six games simultaneously without 6eeing boards and men. Mr Sexton ha? accepted the invitation.

A correspondent of The Times Weekly Edition, speaking of problem-solving, says :— " I enjey the selections from Loyd and the pro. blenis generally immensely. The sense of intellectual contact with other minds— l had almost said intellectual intercourse— is highly enjoyable." In one of the Glasgow chess clubs interference by onlookers is the invariable practice. No sooner do two players sit down to engage in a game than the of bystanders gather round and give their advice as to the conduct of the game in a mo3t free and disinterested manner. To such an extent is this praclice carried on that sometimes the original players find the game taken out of their band) entirely and conducted, amid" a confused babel of tongues, solely by the oslookers.* Not infrequently a dozen hands may be seenstretched out to mike' moves on the same board simultaneously. This peculiar feature is apt to stagger a straDger on bis first appearance at the club, out as 'harmony and good humour always prevail, he soon becomes accustomed to it, and by-and-bye comes to enjoy the pleasures of the "tipping game."— Glasgow Citizen. A match between Snowalter and Pillsbury is spoken of as likely to come Q&

It is pretty well known that only one game 1b allowed at Westminster (the Houses of Parliament). For some years chess has been practised in the smoking room, and recently a tournament was arranged, each of the following pairs having to play three games with each other before June 16. No clocks wore to be used, but^the rule, of " touch and move," waa to be strictly observed :— Government. Opposition. Mr Plunkett Mr Parnell Mr Bonsor Mr Atherly-Jonea Mr Seton-Karr Dr Clark Sir E. Ashmeatl Bartlett Mr F. W. Wilson Mr W. Sidebottom Mr C. Shaw Mr W. G. Whiteley 'Mr W. Allen Sir H. Maxwell Mr M'Kenna Mr Vicary Gibbs Mr Bryn Roberts As we anticipated, two of tne unfinished games in the New South Wales v. Victoria Birthday match have been awarded to the former, the other four being adjudicated draws. Victoria therefore won the match by 5} to 4J. •Mr R. J. Barnes, of Wellington, is at present engaged in a match with Mr Mackay for a trophy of the value of two guioeas. The Litest advices to hand give the score as Mackay, 2 ; Barnes, 1.