Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 62

Chess Items.

A feature of the recent Otago v. Timnru chess match, was the extreme modesty displayed by several of tho Otago players when appioaohed with the- view of obtaining their scores for publication. Two of the contestants hastened to assure us that they did not claim to rank with Lasker, Tarrasch, Tchigorin, and co. In vain wo quoted Gray's beautiful lines : "Full many a flower is born to blushi unseen, And v.-aste its fragrance on the desert air." The playeis dcprecatingly but firmly refused. One astute gentleman gleefully announced that Ire had -fjukd to keop lhe score going. Others had used figures instead of the ordinary notation. At last we cornered a certain Ximaru player- who happened to be in Dunedin (he thill bo uanicles's), and with bustling alacrity he hsaded us the score of a game containing 70 moves. On Wednesday afternoon (Pnnce of Wale3's Birthday), in a quiet corner of the Otago Chess Clnb's rooms, this deponent wrestled "manfully with that game for nearly two hours, and with a burning headache endeavoured' to unravel the tangled skein. It was subsequently discovered that the joker had emitted to record two moves in the middle of the game! A special meeting of the Sydney Chess Club was belli lately to consider whether the club should be (a) disbanded, (b) continued in cheaper quarters, (c) varied in character. It was unanimously resolved, after a loug discussion to "enlarge the scope of tho club by incluJing whist.' Tho Melbourne Leadar asserts that tho decision arrived at moans the death knell of the club— ac a chess club. Mr J. J. Glynn haa awarded first and eecond prizes for tihe best two-move problems in the Sydney Morning Hera/ld Tourney to Mr A. P. Mackenzie, the blind compossr of Jamaica. Mr M. F. Lazard, of Paris, was placed third, and honourable mention wps secured by E. S. Campling, of Hertford, England; A. Charhck, of Rose Park, South Australia; and Max. F<H g ] > of Vienna. Ninety-seven pioblems from all parts of the world, were contributed. Mr Mackenzie's prize-winners arc as follows: — (a) "Footfalls of Fat 2"-1 B 1 Xt b 3; X 4 p H;p2R2pp; 4k3; lpPlßpQljrPlP 4; kt b 6; 8. (b) "Swinging upon Cobwebs"— q 2EI; 1 b b 3 B1 ; 3p 4; p B P3; Q 1 p; a- IKtP Xt 3; pP p k 3kt; 5 Rl X; 4r 1 kt 1. The brilliancy prizes in connection with tho Monte Carlo tourney donated by Prince Dadian, of Mingrelia, have been awarded by his Serene Highness to Mr Pillsbury for the game Pillsbury v. Wolf and to Hery MieEes for the game Reggio v. Mieses. Messrs Pillsbury and Mi«ses receive 250fr each. Mme. Loabet, wife of the French President, is said to bo one of ths best chess-playeTs in Paris. Dr S. Tarra=cb and S. Alapin have, been the guests of the Regenca Chess Club, Marseilles, where they played a match of seven games. The doctor wen by tlnee to two, two being dTawn. As a, souvenir of his visit, the Marseilles Club presented Dr Tarrasch with a set of ivory chessmen.