CHESS TOURNAMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 3487, 11 January 1921, Page 45

CHESS TOURNAMENT

SIXTH DAY’S PLAY. Fifth Round. SEYERNE v. MASON (Four Knights Game). —A very well-played game on both sides. Sevome got a passed pawn on queen's file, and played it to queen’s sixth before it could be stopped, Mason in the meantime advancing pawn on queen’s rook file. At this stage it seemed as if Severne had a chance to win, but Mason played well, and although many moves were played, a draw was agreed to at the 69th move. Sixth Round.

KELLING v. ‘ COOMBS (Philidor Defence). —Coombs lost a piece early in the game, but Kelling, by an oversight, allowed a check which lost him his queen. At move 18 there was a mate in three, but Coombs decided to take no risks, and Kelling resigned at the 19th move. MASON v. DUNLOP (Sicilian Defence). — Mason in the early stages appeared to get a good attack, but Dunlop always had a reply. At move 27 Dunlop had a strong attack, but did not make the best of it. Later rook and queens were exchanged, and Dunlop had a rook to a bishop, but even then it is a question if he could have won if Mason had played the best move. But he did not do so, and Dunlop had the advantage, although it took 65 moves before Mason resigned. FOLEY v. SEVERNE (Queen’s Gambit Declined). —A very solid game. Queens were exchanged at the 17th move, and each was left with two rooks, knight, and bishops of the same colour. A solid phalanx of pawns blocked the Way, and nothing could be done after making 36 moves. A draw was agreed to.

SEVENTH DAY’S PLAY. Great interest was shown in the Dominion Chess Tournament on the 4th, the games between Mason and Davies and Gyles and Dunlop being the important ones, and these were watched, both in the afternoon and evening with much pleasure. The result of the play between the North Island and South Island is interesting and surprising, the South having scored 115 points against the North’s points. Sixth Round. GYLES v. DAVIES. French Defence.—Black castled on the lving s side and Gyles pushed on his pawns until he seemed to have a great attack. Meanwhile Davies. was advancing his pawns on the Queen’s side, and had a pawn on rook six. Davies then retired for a time to defend himself, and Gyles’ attack did not eventuate. Davies again returned to the Queen’s side, changed Queens, and eventually each made a Queen on the 74th move, but Davies had the better position, and Gyles resigned on the 76th move. Seventh Round. KELLING v. SEVERNE. Ruy Lopez.—Correctly played in the early stages. The first pawn was exchanged at move 23. Thereafter, Severne isolated a pawn, but Kelling made a mistake and allowed Black to fork Queen and rook with his knigirt. Thereafter, Kelling resigned on the 34th move. MASON v. DAVIES. Queen's Gambit Declined.—Played very carefully to the 27th move, when Mason made a miscalculation, taking pawn with knight, to be retaken by the bishop. Mason probably thought he had removed the knight protecting the queen the previous move, in which case he would have come out with seven pawns against six, but against a player of Davies's standing, with a piece short, Mason resigned on the 29th move. GYLES v. DUNLOP. Sicilian Defence.—Diqilop played the defence almost the same as he did with Mason, allowing a pawn to reach king sixth. Gyles intended holding on to this, but unfortunately made a mistake, whereby Dunlop won a piece. After this it was only a matter of holding on, and Gyles resigned at the 47th move. Following is the score sheet: — DUNLOP WINS CHAMPIONSHIP. The final encounter between J. B. Dunlop (Oamaru) and A. W. O. Davies (Dunedin), which resulted in the Oamaru player winning the championship at the fiftieth move, brought the Chess Congress to a close on the sth. Mr Dunlop is 34 years of ago, was born in Scotland, and was brought to New Zealand when an infant. He learned chess in London when about 20 years of age, and returned to New Zealand in i 906. lie was a member ol the Otago Chess Club in. 1907, and he won the junior championship in 1909 and the senior championship in 1910. As a member of the Otago Chess. Club Mr Dunlop competed for the championship at Timaru in 1910-11, when he tied for fourth place. He joined the Oamaru Chess Club in 1912, and gets very little good practice. Out of quite a number of telegraph games played he has lost only one match. FINAL SCORES.

CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS. Following is the list of' championship winners. Mr Dunlop's win is the first occasion in 19 yeai-3 that a South Island player has carried off the championship: 1879—H. Hookham, Christchurch. 1888- A. 11. Ollivier, Christchurch. 1889- —IT. Hookham, Christ church. 1890- —lt. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1891- —F. V. Biedeberg, Dunedin. 1892- —F. V. Sirdeberg, Dunedin. 1893- —l. Edwards, Wellington. 1894- —W. M‘Kay, Wellington. 1895- —V. Iteldrum, Ttnngitikci. 1896- —B. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1897- —ll. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1898- - K. A. oleland, Dunedin. 1900 — W. E. Mason, Wellington. 1901- D. Forsyth, Dunedin. 1901- B. J. Barnes, Wellington. 1902- —J. C. Grierson, Auckland. 1903- —W. C. Mason, Wellington. 1904- —A. W. O. Davies, Wellington. 1905*06—8. J. Barnes, Wellington. 109/07—W. S. Vine*, Terth (W.A.). 190s—\. W. O. Davies, Wellington.

1908- —F. K. Kelling, Wellington. 1909- —J. Mason, Wellington. 1910- —W. O. Mason, Wellington. 1911- —W. C. Slason, Wellington. 1912- —J. C. Grierson, Auckland. 1913- —W. 0. Mason, Wellington. 1914- —F. K. Kelling, Wellington. 1916-17-18-19 —No congress. 1919- —W. C. Mason, Wellington. 1920- —J. B. Dunlop, Oamaru. SMOKE CONCERT. Tho smoke concert and presentation of prizes won at the chess congress was held at the Otago Chess Club’s Rooms on the sth. when the president of the New Zealand Ches 3 Asociation (Mr R. A. Clcland) presided over a large number of chess enthusiasts. The following prizes were duly presented : Champion, Mr F B. Dunlop; second prize, Mr A. W. A. Davies; third prize, Mr W. E. Mason ; fourth prize, MLr A. W. Severne. Special prize for most points won against prize-winners, Mr T. T. Foully. Tho brilliancy prize and tho best save prize havo yet to be adjudicated.

Coombes Wins. 1 Losses 6 Dunlop 6 1 Davies 6 1 Foully 2 5 Gyles 3 4 Kellingf 1 6 Mason 44 24 Severne 4 3