CHESS ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 67

CHESS ITEMS.

The extent to which s;ms players becomeabsorbed in chess is exceedingly "well hit off in a post-card which Mr F. A. L. Kuskop, of Wellington, received a few days ago ficm Mr A. C. White, of New Ycik. 'i'wo cats, one light and one df.rk representing white and black), are depicted as being so absorbed in a game of chess that they quite fail to notice a few rats on the floor making off with a string of sausages! The scores of the first four games in theLasker r. Tarrss-ch match for the championship of the wcrld, on reaching Wellington (writes a correspondent) were intently played over at the room's of the Wellington Chess Club. The games, the moves of which were cab'ed from Germany to both England and America, are annotated by Mr Hoffer, the well-known Anglo-Germar chess editor and author. In each of the four game 3 referred to the Ruy Lopez opening was used, a-nd it is almost superfluous to add that the very fijie play of the two famous German " Groszmei'.ters" has been greaiiy admired by local enthusiasts:. Players competing for the New Zealand championship in the congress -which commences at Dunedin on Boxing Day will clear'y require to bs -well posted in the Ruy Lopez opening. Section play in the Wellington Chess Club's annual handicap tourney, the chief XJrize for which is the Petherick Shield, terminated on Tuesday v last, the final stages having produced some stubborn fights. In the penultimate round, which was played a fortnight ago, Collins lost to Fell in an intricate ending where the latter's four strongly-posted Pawns prevailed against the former's Rook The contest was thus narrowed down to Messrs Barnes and Still, the two undefeated players. These two were opposed ,to each other the same evening, a well-contested garae ending in favour of Barnes, who thereby secured the lead. Mr Still, however, regained the lost ground in the final round last Tuesday by defeating , Selling, while- Barnes lost to ColUns (who received the odds of Pawn and two moves)- Messrs Bames and Sti'l therefore tie with a tally of four wins and one loss. The p'ay-cfl takes place to-morrow evening, and as both nlayers are in great form a game worthy oi the occasion is looked forward to. It has been playfully suggested that the leer should look for his revenee on the bowling green, both players baing very keen bowlers. Dr Emanuel Lasker, who has just recently beaten Dr Tarrasch in a contest for the chess championship of the world, was born on December 24, 1868, at Berlinchen, Prussia. His chess dates from his boyhood, and was first Jearnt from his brother, Dr B. Lasker. The impression one gets of him (says an exchange) is that of a modest and intelligent gentleman, with evident culture, but frail and delicate in health. At simultaneous chess he is very rapid and successful, beating down his opponents • with relentless accuracy. Lasker, unlike many experts, has first-class business qualities. He first won the championship of the wor'.d in May, 1894, by defeating Steinitz by ten games to five (four drawn). In 1896 lis defeated Steinitz in a return match by ten games to two (five drawr>). and in 1907 he. in a match for the championship, defeated Marshall by eight games to none (seven drawn). In nuiche? other than for the championship he has bciten Bardeleben. lfie?es. Bird, Miniati, Eng'isch, Blackburn and Showalier, only losing four K»Hieß in the se'ie=, two of them being to Bird. In J6 matches he won 75 gomes, drew 35 and lest 12 A wonderful performance, indeed. His chief successes in tournaments are' — 1883 first prize in a smaller tournament. Berlin, without losing a game, at the age of 20; 1883, first prize at Breslau and niaslerphip; 1889, second prize st Amsterdam; 1892. first prize at London; 1891, first prize j at New York, with an absolutely clean score I of 13; 1895. third at Hastings; 1896, first :at Nuremburg; 1899. first at London; 1900, j first at Paris; 1904, tied for second at Cam- • bridge Springs?. Besides these, he won the Quintangulaj- tourney, 1892. at London, and in 1896 the Quadrangular tourney at St. Petersburg. Sieg-bert Tairasch. M.D., Lssker's opponent, was born on March 5. 3862, at Breslau, in Prussian Silesia. He is a. man of the highest educational attainments. He has not been able to devote so much time to the game as devotees would like to see him do. and at times he has completely disappeared from the chess world. He is a favourite with onlookers; his board i« generally well patronised. Journalistic work has occupied a considerable amount of his time, and his annotations arc very far above tho average. His chief succesees in tournaments are: — 1884. first prize and title of Master at Nuremburg; 1885, tied for second at Hamburg; 1889, first at Breslau; 1890, first at Manchester; 1892. first at Dresden; 1894. fiipt at Leipsic; 1898, first at Vienna; 1908, first at Monte Carlo; 1905, tied for second at Ostend; 1907, first at Ostend. In matches: — 1833, drew with Tchigorih; and in 1905 he beat Marshal' by eight games to one (eight drawn). Falkirk Herald telli a funny story ot Signor E. Veneri, of the Scottish orchestra. a man of many gifts, and known for Ins sleight-of-hand tricks. Playing agaii.st an opponent recently, a "mate ip two" was announced against him, but Veneri objects to ftich announcemsnts, and. looking angry, remarked. " I don't think so." The enemy rejoined (with a chess playei's caution, beiting on a certainty'): "I'll bet jon a cv» ' of coffee I give mate in two. Well I take your bet," said Mr V. calmly, bin with further assumed annoyance. "it is r.ot po. The opponent chuckled, and pi aye J a move, -houtmg "check'" The humourist pretended to study the position very seriously, bend'tig all the powers of bi- intellect over the subtle problem. Final v he picked up the King as if to play it: but to the oppo-i-Mifa amazement and rapidly growing alarm, Mr Veneri was immediately teen to put the King slowly but deteiminedly right into his mouth and to proceed to swallow it amids. the most fughtful facial contortions ami throat disteiiMon' ISo thought of the ioU dawned upon the a.itaconi^t. who had just seen a full-sized King <u*appear into the digestxve apparatus of the man opposue l..Ki, with e\ery evidence of extreme pain {•om ihe hun»iy one Pi.ttir.g on the back was obviously Ufdeps against such a contingency—the" King was utterly gone over, and as "Mr V. recovered from his tremendous new move, he gasped—" You cannot give the mate, for the King is quite out oi check —<=afe here, you see " (rubbing his stomach), " and I have won the bet; I fhall now need the proposed drink!" How the dangerous trick was done (says Falkirk Herald) has not yet been divulged; but it was a splendid drawn game, magnificently played. '