Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 70

Chess Items.

The Otago Chess Club has two tournaments in progress — one for the senior and the other for the jumoi championship of the club. The thiiteenth congress of the German Chess Association will be held at Hanover, under the auspices of the Hanover Chess Club, from July 19th to the middle of the following month. The programme includes an International Tournament open to players who have attained " master " rank, with prizes amounting in the aggregate to 4000 marks, ths first prize being 1200 marks. An American papei, the Literary Digest (JTew York), says that no international problem-tour-ney has been arranged in America since 1876-^-or "none of any importance." The editor is arranging one, and offers as prizes, for original and unpublished problems — for three-movers: Ist, a silve. cup (value 27 dollars)-; 2nd, standard dictionary (value 22 dollars); 3rd, a pocket set of 2hess; for two-movers: Ist, silver medal , 2nd, set of chess, 3rd, the Literary Digest for one year. The City of London Chess Club celebrated its jubilee on Apnl 30th by a dinner at the Xxoaadeio itcstauiank Piccjkblli-cirQUS; fill

George. Newnes, M.P., in the chair. Among 1 those present were Mr L. A. Atherley-Jones, K.C., M.P., Mr BCenniker Heaton, M.P., Mr E. J. Price, M.P., Mr H. Seton Karr, M.P., Mr J. Anderson Foote, K. C. (Recorder of Exeter), Mr Frank Nowbott, Mr H. Ward, L.C.C., Mr J. A. Symons, and many others. The distinguished legislators and legal gentlemen present indulged in a good deal of amusing speechmaking about the House of Commons, about each other, and about themselves. Sir George Newnes, who made a capital chairman, gave a sketch, of the history of the club. Started in 1852 by three brothers named Howard, the club, after lorg experience of city tnverns, at last, after 46 years of wanderings, moved into its own premises, 7 Grocer's Hall-court, Poultry. The annual subscription had increased, gradually, from 5s to £2 2s for town members, and the members had grown in number from the three founders to over three hundred. One of the earliest members was Sir Edward Clarke, (then Mr), K.C., who at that period was assisting 1 his father, in Ihe jewellery line, in a modest shop in King William street, City.

Mr R. J. Buckley, a. well-known chess writer of Birmingham, commenting on a multiplicity of keys in supposed sound problems (accidents will happen) arid referring to one in particular, replied to a correspondent who had written — "all the moves claimed for 787 do not solve it" : This is true ; still 787 can hardly be called poverty-stricken in the matter of keys. With three it may be expected to rub along. Steinitz printed a four-mover with eight keys, nnd a two-mover with nine, both in the International Chess Magazine. Further, the great worldchampion printed a four-mover that could bo solved in two, rather a feat in those old days. But even these little delights fads in comparison with the great prize-winner, two-move section of the Gazetta Literaria, which had no solution at all, and the Koptz and Kokelkorn three-mover, which was thrown out as unsound, when it was perfectly sound, by a committee of sixteen of the greatest experts in the world. Then there was the famous prize three-mover which eucctimbsd to 1 Q x Q eh and R mates, a horrible mate in two — one of those ghastly butchering mates that shock the- artistic soul. The examiners had never seen it, of course not. Some chuckleheaded tyro made the disgusting experiment, and it came off. Anyone who has a large experience of solvers knows that a brutal cook escapes the expert when it is sent as the solution by every woodshifter in the district. Three keys to a, four-mover is a very reasonable allowance ; four would be more symmetrical ; five is the exact record of a fourmover which was reprinted in a volume which stated that all the problems had undergone the test of publication.