Chess Items.

Otago Witness, Issue 2691, 11 October 1905, Page 59

Chess Items.

Messrs A. W. O. Davies (present chess champion of New Zealand) and H. L. James are mentioned as likely lepresentatives from Wellington at the contest in Auckland for the chess championship of the colony. Mr Oscar Balk is organising a party of summer trippers to "cto" the colony from Dunedin to Wanganui next January or thereabouts. Chess and bowls are to bulk largely in the programme. The Marlborough Herald (Blenheim) has started' a. chess column, which is edited by an individual who has adopted the pictmesque sobriquet of "Herr voai Schnaparooki." Mr F. Pearson, a prominent member of the Wellington Working lien's Chess Club, has taken over the editorship of the chess column in the New Zealand Mail, vice Mr A. W. O. Davies, resigned. The competition for the junior championship of the Otago Chess Club is sufficiently far advanced to justify publication of the scores at the present stage. Mr S. S. Myers leads with 3 vms, 1 loss, while the others in order of merit are— J. Stone, 3—2;3 — 2; J. H. Hinton, 1—0 ; A. H. Crawford, 1—0 ; T. Johnstone, 1—1; R. H. Osten, I—3; J. C. Ponsmby, o—2; aucj J. Hale, o—3. The Rev. A. T. Chodowski and Messrs G. Kaukin and C. Hansen are also aspirants for junior championship honours, but have not yet found time to meet their opponents. The present position of the 21 competitors in the handicap tourney of the Otago Chess Club is as follows— D. Porsyth, 6 wins, 0 losses; A. Mellor, 3--0; G. JJ. Wright, 3—l; J. H. F. Hamel, 4—2; A. King, 2—o; J. Edwards, 1—0; A. Ellis, 2—o; F. W. Clayton, ]£—!; J. Sykes, It- U; R. H. Oslen. 3— o: .T. Stone, I—3; S. S. Myers, I—4; A. H. Crawford. 1—1: J. C. Ponsonby, I—4; G. Rankin 0—1 ; J- H. Hinton, 5—5 , S. Hawkes, o—2; and J. Hale I—7. The Rev. A. T. Chodowski, and Messrs F. J. Mouat and C. Hansen have not so far played any games. F. J. Marshall, the young American master, has added to his laurels by carrying off the first prize in the Scheeningen (Holland) tourney, a rising Dutch player, Leussen. coming in second. The final scores' were : — Marshall, 11& wins; Leussen, 9; Spielmann. 8J ; Swidbroki and Denas, 8 ; Loman, 7J ; fund Leonhardt, 7. The International Masters' Tournament at Barmen (Germany) has commenced. Most of thi3 players who competed at Ostend are there — Schlechter, Janowski, Wolf, Alapin, Marshall, Leonhardt, Maroczy, Burn, ajid Tchigorin; also Mieses, Suechting, Bernstein, Gottscha.ll, Berger, Bardeleben, and Lee, who did not compete at Ostend. The second annual tournament of the British Chess Federation has opened at Southport (England). Messrs Atkins, Blacklrurne, Bellingham, Shoosmith, Wainwnght, Michell, Palmer, Mackenzie, Gunston, Whittuck, ana Ward are contending for championship honours. The first-class tourney for amateurs is being played in two sections — Section A : Brooks, Sergeant, Mortimer, Price, Parry, Chambers, Fawcett, Flear, Holmes, Mack, and H. C. Cole ; Section B : Markwick, Hammond, Harwood, Redway, F. Brown, Wilson. West, Wallwork, Coates, Kelly. Crum. and Wcolard. There are 12 competitors for the ladies' championship, and 21 players in the second-class tourney, which is "being played la two sections.

ISTews has been received of the death of the JSev. J. Jespersen, the celebrated Danish problem composer. The deceased gentleman was bom in Copenhagen in 18-18, and acquired a knowledge of chess at the age of 10 years. He devoted himself to problem composition from the beginning of 1878. and has composed 2200 problems and earned off 151 tourney prizes. A certain originality which characterised his ideas earned, him the title of the "Scandirr ••"'in Loyd." Deceased will be much missed fi 'lie uxobleni world,