Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 68

Chess Items.

The Rev. A. T. Chodowski, vice-president of the Otago Chess Club, has generously donated a beautiful 6et of chessmen to be competed for in a handicap tourney by both senior and junior players. A Palmerston North correspondent wxites that chess has been veiy dull up that way this year, gieat difficulty being experienced In obtaining a suitable room to meet in. Tho Auckland Chess Olub has secured commod.ous quaiters hi His Majesty's Arcade in the northern city, and takes possession early this month. Tho Hon. E. Mitchelson, Mayor of Auckland, has been recently elected a member and vice-president of the Auckland Chess Club. The Canterbury Chess Club have an odds tournament m full swing. Mr J. Houghton, of the" Otago Chess Club, called in at the Auckland Chess Club whilst en route far Australia, and played several games with the local chessists.

A correspondent, referring to a paragraph in this column last week, points out that a game played between Messrs J. C. Grierson and F. K. Kellmg in tho la&t Kcw Zealand ohampionbhip conte=t, appeals in the London Illustrated News of May 16.

An unfortunate occurrence, which somewhat marred the -enjoyment of the second night's play in the Oamaru v. Timaru match, happened in the course of the game Garland v. Mara. Through a clerical error in filling up his telegraph paper Mara quoted the wrong number of the square, and the Oamaru player obtained a rook for nothing. The Timaru adversary was nonplussed by the reply to his move, and several messages passed each way. The Oaniaru player insisted upon strict observance to the rule, and Mara resigned. The blunder, and still more the refusal of the Oamaru player to allow his young opponent to correct it. put an effectual damper on the spirits of the Timaru team. Despite the Tule, we are inclined to think that it would be more in accord with the prevalent idea of fair play and true sport to have every game won purely on the merits of the players.

Chess affords many points for discussion, ai.d one of the latest is the question of luck as connected with the game. There are those who maintain that the element of chance or luck is non-existent; that if a rn-an succeds or fai's it is all due 1o his own skill or the v/ant of it. The following lines from the talented chess editor of tbe Morning Poßt will no doubt carry much weight- — "It is, however, noteworthy that such lucky incidents generally arise in favour of tho best judges of position. One may play for a position because it seems promising without exactly seeing what it may lead to, and one may instinctively avoid another situation without precisely knowing why. Under pressure of time-limit, every possibility cannot be examined, and those experts who have the keenest sense of position are very likely to have their success attributed to good luck, when it is in reality due to a generalisation of possibilities resulting from experience and acute perception. We are far from say-

ing that hick is entirely absent from the game, but it is generally on the side of the better player/

Mt John Wotkinson, iounder of the British Chess Magazine, was entertained reoently by the Huddersfield Chess Club at a complimentary dinner and presented with a silver rose bowl as a mark of esteem from a large circle of chess players.