Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 40

Chess Items.

The Otago Chess Club has during the last few

years seen several of its strongest players depart to reside in other pjirts. It is now about to lose the assistance of Mr J. W. Mellor, a player of high piomise, who is going to take up his resideuce in Ohristchurch. Jlr Mellor joined the club about six yeais ago, being at the time a very young man, and he certainly then was a player of great promise. Daring the last few years he has been engaged in scientific studies at the Otagn University, of which he is now a graduate. He has taken part as a representative of his club iv three of the annual championship tourneys of the New Zealand Chess Aasojiation, and in each attained an excellent place, aud would undoubtedly have bsen in the foremost position had not his studies at the university so much engrossed his time that he could spare none for the practice and study of chess. He has for about four years past, on behalf of the Otago Chess Club, solely in the interests of the game s»nd without reward, conducted a chess column in a Dunedin evening paper. He ha", we understand, accepted an appointment as lecturer in Canteibury College. Ills late associates in the chess club view his riepirtnic with much 3 egret, and heartily agree iv wishing him success and happiness in bi-s future career. It is pleasant to note that many of our school teachers aie chess pliyprs, and some even take the trouble to instruct their pupils how to play. Some enthusiasts have thought that ohess should be taught iv all schools, but doing so would scaicely be likely to add to the popularity of the game. The number of compulsory school subjects of iusbructiou is alteady sufficiently large, and many experts are cf opinion that it should be lessened rather than increased. Chess is an amusement, and as an indoor amusement the beat of ii f s kind. If children could be taught the nioves they would soon begin to feel interested in the game and make progress without fuither assistance, and they woula rind it » bplendid resource at times when weather did not permit of outdo'ir amusements, particularly in country districts, where the means of amuseme- 1 are often scarce. Th-3 great point in its favour is that ie cannot be made an in-strunieat of gambling in any form— it is an amusement for the studious, and although I it is a very exciting game the excitement is noo of an unhf althv kind. The grand internation-1 chess touiniment to be held at Vienna is to be limited in number to 20 competitors, and to players wLo have won prizes in international tourneys. There is a considerable number of rnastsrs entitled to com. Pete— somewhat over 30 at least. It is to be a two-round contest, and will therefore occupy 38 playing rtiys, or about, six wteks. The player who has the best, " staying " power, will consequently, ceterii paribus, have tin best chance of winning a prize !Six weeks nf tourney pl^y, every player on the rack all the time, is hardly a, cheerful thing to look forward to. The province of "Winnipeg (Canada) had, according to latest advices, m?de arrangements for the second all-comeis' championship" of the North- ; west, open to lssljents o f Canada from Port j Arthur to the coast. A challenge cup which was ) played for last, year, and which has to be twice j won before b"coming "keeps," and six other | prizes will be offered for competition. ; It is to be hoped that those who are now shut in ! at Klnndyks know something of chess and are noi j unprovided with boaras and men. Chess would ! gieatly lessen the t?diou&ness of their long evenj ings on the ver^e of the polar circle. The headmaster of a school, writing to The Times Weekly Edition, says, :— " We send many of our boyc into the wo:ld at a comparatively early age. We have taught them to love learning for its own sake and to enjoy the n ading of im- ! proving books, but we have not taught them how to amuse themselves except in athietic exercises. ... I would stroDglv advise heads of schools to give more encouragement to the chess club, j which ought to exist iv every school.'