'FRISCO MAIL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2692, 18 October 1905, Page 70

'FRISCO MAIL ITEMS.

Speaking of the Masters' International Tournament at Ostend, a contemporary remarks: — "The tournament has produced some very fine games, and very many poor ones, and some even very silly games, creating the stispicion that the superiority of these rnuchexalted experts is very much over-rated." M. Marquet ,the principal donor of the fluids for the Masters' International Tournament at Ostend, has declared his willingness to subscribe 20,000 francs for another masters' tourney next year, and also 10,000 francs for a, minor tourney. This is the eia of the spring poet, andi in the eternal fitness of things the following lines from a Home contemporary aie published without apology: — Sing a song of Staunton, the chorus isn't

mmc, Four-ancil-twenty games of chess played along

the line ; When the Gambits open, the men begin to

niove, Their foes annex and foster checks in prob-

lematic groove. The king was in a corner, he'd idly wandered

there — But had to shunt to bear the brunt, and act

upon the square; The queen was in the open, attended by a

knight, The bishop closed; the castle, and put the

pawns- to flight, The mate was in the guarding, hanging out

the close, His progress thus retarding, made royalty

Mr H. E. Atkins has won the British amateur championship tourney with 8| wins to his credit. C. H. Sherrard, and W. Ward are bracketed for second place with seven wins each : G E H. Bellingham and J. H. Blackburne tied for third place, 6§ wins each ; G-. E. Wainwright came fourth, 6 wins ; and R. P. Miicnell, W. C. Palmer, and V. L. Wahltuch, scored 5J wins each.

The Morning Post says : — A most undesirable innovation that forms, it appears, a conspicuous feature of the congress of the German Chess Association is described by a correspondent at Barmen. The Barmen Congress, he remarks, is the first International meeting that has been adorned with a betting bureau, but such aai institution has been established! on an extensive scale in the hall of play, where day hy day the odds against the competitors are posted on a huge blackboard, and a brisk business is carried on by players and spectators-. On Thursday after the tenth round in the A tourney Marshall and Janowski were equal favourites, 2 to 1 against them being "taken and offered." There is also similar speculation on the other tourneys. It is difficult to imagine anything thai could have a, more disturbing influence on the competitors or ai more degrading effect on the game. We are- the more surprised) to hear that such a state of things should be tolerated, as the meetings of the German Chess Association have always been noted for their admirable arrangements, and in the present instance the congress is held with the co-operation of the municipality of Barmen, which has provided some of the prizes, and! we believe also the meeting place. Probably, therefore, the blackboard has been erected without official sanction, and will have only a brief existence. But its appearance at all must be an offence to those who recognise one of the strongest recommendations of chess in its dissociation from gambling.