Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 58

Chess Items.

A cheßS and draughts (principally draughts) club has been formed at Milton. At the Otago Chess* Club to-night (Wednesday) a match will be played between a team selected from the Otago Chesa Club and one captained by Mt F. E. Hilliker, the well-known draughts plf.yer. The contest commences at 8 o'clock, and a cordial invitation is extended to all desirous of watching the progress of the games. Mr W. E. Mason has resigned his position of delegate to the New Zealand Chess Association for the Oamaru Chess Club, and tho vacancy has been filled by Mr B. Trathen, formerly of the Orange (N.S.W.) Chess Club. A select committee from the Auckland Chess Club is making an excursion around the northern city i" search of new club rooms, tho lease of the present rooms 'oeing near expiration. It is gravely announced that whea the new quarters have been secured, the Aucklamlers will hold an "At home. Presumably also, one of the main items in the programme will be that o!d, popular, and classical ditty yclept "Home, sweet home.' At the annual meeting of the Auckland Chess Club, held r2cently, the election of officebsaicis resulted as" follows:—President, Mr J. C. Grierson; vice-presidents, Messrs Tnit, Lelievre and Lennox; hon. secretary, Mr E. J. Miles- treasurer, Mr Jl'Kny; committee— Me^Ts C. Little. F. W. Smith, Priestley, S. White, ;uid F. Cousins; auditor, Mr Green; handicapper, Mr Aslitcn. At- the opening of the ches" season in the Wellington Working Men's Club, the President <Mr J. G. Stevens) extended a hearty weltome to visiting players from the Wellington Che?s Club, Post and Telegraph Chess Club, and Anglican Chess Society. He intimated that the Working Men's Club would continue its long-established policy cf doing its utmost to fo3ter and popularise the game. Thirty players then took part in a contest, sides being chosen by Messrs R. J. Barnes and J. A. Connell. The match resulted in a draw, each side scoring lh points. Messrs Council, Carmine, Janion, Barnard, Godden, Sexton, and Goodfellow won for Mr Council's team, while Messrs Davies, Brown, Morton, Oppler, Simmonds, Chesterton, and Baker wsre successful for Mr Barnes's side. The game bstween Messrs Jones and Easton-Taylor was drawn. It is announced that Mr Alain C. White, of New York, is about to sTgnify his appreciation of Mr A. F. Mackenzie's merits as a problem composer by editing and defraying the cost of publishing 1 a book containing Mi Mackenzie's more recent work. The positions nre to be printed in colours, and to be prefaced by an essay on the art of problem composition.

Tho following officers are gazetted as members of the Board of Military Examinations for Otago: —Officer commanding district, and officer commanding detachment Royal New Zealand Artillery (ex officio) ; Lieutenant-colonel E. P.. Smith, V.D., Lieutenant-cnlouel A. Headland, V.D., Lieutenant-colonel J. E. Hawkins, V.D., Lieutonant-colonol W. Henderson, Major St. L. M. Moore. Maior L. O. Beale, Major T. Chalmer, Major F. T. Stronach, Major E. R. Bowler, Captain J. M. Forrester, Captain J. S. Hislop, Cantain R. B. M'Kay, Captain J. S. Murphy, Captain A. G. Creairh.