Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 40

Chess Items.

The result of the match between the Wellington and Rangitikei Chess Clubs was— Wellington 5 games, llacgltikei 3.

In the Berlin international tournament four games iv the "King's GambH Declined" were all won by White. Alapins was veiy successful with his opening 1 P-K 4, p-K 4; 2 X Kt-K 2, scoiing 4 wins out of 5, with 1 draw. He was also successful with his new defence to the " Rnv Lopez"— l P-K 4, p-K 4 : 2 Kt-K 83, kt-q b 3 3 B-Kt 5, b-kb s— wining every game in which be played it. The principal opening in which Black won the majority of games was the " Giuoco Piano," in which out of 10 games played White won only 2 and drew 2, and the "Evans's; Gambit Declined," in which out of 4 games Black won 1 and drew 3. The "French Defence " proved disastrous to Black on the whole, although Mr Burn defended with it successfully. Taken altogether the first players gained the greater percentage of wins iv the proportijn of 57 10.

A match between Messrs Janowski and Walbrodt has been arranged, and was begun on October 22 ; 7 games up ; stakes £40. Mr Blackburne is reported to say that if two more rounds bad been played in the Berlin tourney Mr Amos Burn would have won the ■a»»tJDrjae. He had j>layed himself into form, and

was fiesher at the end of the tourney than at the beginning.

Al though. Tchignrin won his match withSchiffers by 7 to 1, and 6 draws, yet at Berlin he was only half a game ahead of him in the score. Iv the ninth round Marco was leading with a score of 7 win*. In the 10 remaining rouuds he only made 4k points, including 1 game won by default from Bardeleben. Schiffera woa the prize (£5) for ths besb score against the prize winners.