Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 56

Chess Items.

The greatest matter of interest at present is tli3 just ended tournament at Monte Carlo. The result of the tournament is not yet recorded, the latest account to hand being that given m the Field of February 9 last. At the first meeting Mr Hoffer, the chess editor of the Field, who, although he does not often play in such tournaments, rarely fails to attend them, proposed to postpone the commencement of play from February 1 till the following Monday out of respect to the funeral of her late Majesty the Queen. The proposal was immediately adopted, the veteran Mons Arnous de Riviere alluding in feeling teims to the un-u'-ual sympathy of the French nation with Great Britain. Fourteen entries were finally accepted, the name 3of the playeis being as under — Alapin, Blackburno, Didier, Gunsberg, JsnowVki, Maico, Marshall, Mason, Mieses,. Resgio^ Scliav^ SchUgliUfi, Tch_jgo£u^

and Wmawer — a really splendid team, notwithstanding the regrettable absence of Lasker, Maroczy, and Pillsbury. Signer Reggio, the Italian representative, who modestly spoke of his own hopes in the tourney, had, up to that date, honourably vindicated his right and that of his country to take part in the contest. The number of compositions sent for competition to the La Strategic Problem Tourney was 332 m all. There are, however, six classes —A, B, C, D, E, and F. A is dual mate twomove problems. B is dual mate three-move problems, C is dual mate four-move problems, D is inverse three-move problems, E is inverse; F, chess studies and end games. It will thus be seen that, having legard to the number of classes, the number of compositions is not surprising. La Strategic (tourney number) says- "The commission of examination has set to work, and is goir>g to pros on its work in such a way as to prevent waiting too long for the result,'"' and that in Febiuary the publication of the problems a.id ccoks would be begun.