RECENT CHESS CONGRESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 75

RECENT CHESS CONGRESS.

REVIEW OF THE TOURNEY. The thirty-eighth tournament to decide the chess championship of New Zealand was held during the recent Christmas holidays in Wellington. It was very happily opened on Boxing Day by Sir Robert Stout, a former president of the New Zealand Chess Association, and the first round was commenced at the afternoon session.

There were only nine competitors, the smallest number on record for a Wellington congress. When the first congress was held (in 1879) all the competitors belonged to the South Island, and in the 1909-10 tourney all the competitors were supplied by the North Island, but on each occasion two of New Zealand’s four main centres were represented. In the recent congress, however. Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago could not muster one competitor between them! This is a unique, but very unsatisfactory, experience, accounted for the 'prevalent jest that “ the association should have set up a Supplication Board instead of an Elimination Board! ” In recent years nominated players have frequently dropped out for trivial 'reasons, giving the imDression that the thoroughness and fixity that was characteristic of the Victorian era is deplorably lacking in the present age. Pessimists, however, assure us that there will be an even greater lack of fixity in the years to come. The championship was won by Mr John Angus Erskine, who was born in Invercargill in 1872. After gaining his M.A. degree with much distinction at Canterbury College be settled in Melbourne, and jo.ined the Melbourne Chess Club, as a member of which he has taken part in some of the annual fixtures Victoria v. New South Wales. At the Auckland Congress two years ago he took second prize, being runner-up to the late Mr A. W. O. Davies. Mr Erskine, -who is also an expert at composing and solving problems, was hard pushed in some of his games, but his play was very 7 resourceful. and he finished up by scoring the possible (8-0). This feat has been equalled on only one occasion, viz., at the 1898 congress, which the late Mr R. A. Cleland, of Dunedin, won with a tallv of 4.0.

Mr A. W. Gyles, of the Wellington Chess Club, now occupies second place for the eighth time. He also played fine chess, and renewed in his many friends the hope that he will “go one better ” at the next congress. In such event the soubriquet “ Hard-luck Gyles ” would, of course, no longer apply. Through the kindness of his Worship the Mayor (Mr G. A. Troup), the Kummer brothers, of Kummerstein, and Mr E. Gibbard,, of Dannevirke, two special prizes were available, viz., a brilliancy (or elegance) prize and a best recovery (or best save) prize. The games entered for these honours were submitted, under mottoes, to Mr W. E. Mason, of Wellington (New Zealand’s record champion). He awarded the brilliancy prize to Mr A. W. Gyles for the fine win that he scored from the Rev. A. Miller in round 7 on January 2. This further enhances Mr Gyles’s splendid record. He has taken part in 12 congresses and has won 12 prizes in these contests. As he is only 40 years of age his best performances are still to come.

_ Mr Edward H. Severne, six times champion of the Canterbury C.C., and many times champion of the Nelson C.C., won the third prize. This consistent player can show 10 prizes for his 15 congresses (including three “ seconds ”). It was unfortunate that he lost to the champion in round 4 by exceeding his time limit, the flag dropping while he was still considering his twentieth move. It is not part of the umpire’s duties to warn a player whose time is running short, but Mr Jones would have warned Mr Severne had he not seen the latter looking at his clock when there was less than a minute to go. It has been suggested that Mr Severne looked at his clock from an angle, and thus thought that he had more time in hand than was actually the case. In this connection it will be timely to make the following extract from the Che~= r»ote« appeared in the Australasian:—“The Continental practice, wliicli nas gru»u to be an established rule, is against giving any warning to a competitor who is in danger of exceeding his time limit. Whatever may be said for ‘ etiquette ’ in a game affecting only the two players concerned, there seems no doubt that in tournaments and match games the results of which concern all competitors, the Continental practice should be adopted.” The editor of this excellent column is Mr G. Gunderson. 11 times champion of Victoria. It is interesting to recall that at least seven games have been “ lost on the clock ” in these New Zealand championship tourneys. They may be briefly summarised as follows:—(a) three games lost through competitors playing too slowly; (b) three games lost through competitors arriving late; and (c) one loss w’as due to a timing clock having a defect that was not discovered till some days after the competitor had suffered from its vagaries. The Rev. A. Miller (Westport) started off strongly with four wins, and then met with an equal number of reverses. He played some really good chess, despite the handicap of being unable to get any practice in “ Coalopolis.” Mr F. K. Kelling (Wellington Working Men’s Club), who shared fourth place with the Rev. A. Miller, was not as consistent a performer on this occasion as his friends

hoped he would be. He, however, is lucky to “ get something out of the yyrcckage,” as the best recovery prize (referred to above) has bee.n awarded to him for the surprise draw that he scored on New Year’s Day at a stage when he W’as the exchange and three pawns down. A stalemate would have resulted had his opponent taken the rook that was continually giving check at close range. Mr Kelling has now attended 21 of these tourneys, and has won 17 prizes at them, including three brilliancy and three best recovery prizes.

Mr Ernest E. Hicks (Ngaio) Was distinctly unlucky in missing the prize list. His best years are, however, still ahead of him, so he should have many opportunities with good prospects of filling a high seat at future congresses. Five years ago, when making his first bid for the coveted championship, he qualified for the finals ahead of Messrs P. Kummer, the Rev. A. Miller, H. J. Armstrong, F. K. Kelling, Dirk Pihl. and W. J. Fairburn; so he can safely be classed as seasoned wood that is far stronger than green stuff.” Mr W. J. Fairburn (Wellington Working Men’s Club) is improving every year. His win from the Rev. A. Miller was a good effort, and the sacrifice of material when playing the champion was sound, though he did not follow it up correctly. Had he found the right continuation when prosecuting the attack that resulted from the g.’”ug up of material he would have had a dood chance for the brilliancy prize. Mr J. C. M'Crea (Wellington Chess Club) gallantly filled a gap on the opening day when a telegram from Wanganui announced that Mr L. Pleasants would have to withdraw his entry. It is safe to say that Mr M'Crae’s showing would have been better but for the serious handicap of insomnia. He has at different times helped the cause of chess in Palmerston North, Hamilton (for 16 years), Hastings, Napier, Dunedin, aud Wellington. Nowadays he is a tower of strength to the Wellington Chess Club in its telegraphic fixtures against other centres. In Mr R. O. Scott, who was the only competitor to make a first appearance, the Wanganui Chess Club has a very promising colt. Like many other players who are handicapped by deafness, he frequently surprises the spectators with very ingenious moves or with lines of play that } indicate great resourcefulness. At present his play lacks the note of evenness that is essential for the higher honours, but with more practice and further study of the game he can be relied on to become an exceedingly formidable competitor.

On this occasion all the drawings were published in advance—a practice that was followed for the first time in New Zealand at the congress held in Christchurch a year earlier. Only six of the 36 games were drawn, the percentage of drawn games (16.67) being thus markedly smaller than usual. Of the 16 openings used the Queen’s Gambit declined was the most in evidence, there being nine examples of it, Next in popularity came the Queen’s Pawn opening and the French Defence, each of which was used five times. There was only one Ruy Lopez, the opening that was such a great favourite in the days of our beloved Queen Victoria.

It may be added that the North Island has provided the champion 23 times, the South Island 10 times, and Australia (which only sends a competitor occasionally) five times. A few days after the conclusion of the Christchurch congress a year ago the then champion, Mr A. W. O. Davies, died suddenly in Auckland. Now it is once more our duty to conclude a congress review with a sad note. Within a month of the conclusion of the recent congress two of New Zealand’s prominent chess veterans passed away. Mr R. J. Barnes. of Wellington (five times champion of New Zealand, whose name is a household one in Australasian chess circles), died on January 7, and Air I<. W. H. Kummer, a prominent prize-winner at the big Christchurch Exhibition Congress, a tower of strength to Wairarapa chess for several decades, and a generous vice-president of the New Zealand Chess Association, died in Masterton on February 3. These reminders that

Time like an ever rolling stream Bears all its sons away naturally cause the New Zealand Chess Association to look more earnestly than ever to members of the younger brigade to carry on. Many who are serving the cause of chess in New Zealand to-day are veterans whose hands have been ai the helm for many years past. It has been a pleasure to them to further the work of the good men and true who laboured before them, but they would naturally like to see young men. come forward and make the future of New Zealand’s chess even better than its splendid past.—Evening Post.