CHESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17145, 30 December 1929, Page 3

CHESS

DOMINION CONGRESS FOURTH ROUND CONCLUDED (Per Pross Association.) WANG AN 111, this day. Results of the fourth round of the Dominion chess championship tournament are as follows: — Gundersen v. Topp: A quicklyplayed Buy Lopez game with rapid exchanges gave Gundcrson the better position, and a gradual wearing down of the pieces left Gundcrson with a greater proportional advantage. Topp was unable to prevent the loss of his isolated pawn, and resigned on the twenty -seven! h move. Erskine v. Rutherfurd: ( t >uitc an interesting queen'., pawn mid-game was reached without gain to cither player, but in the subsequent exchanges Erskine won a pawn. Unfortunately for Rutherfurd he left a piece to be taken for nothing, and lie immediately resigned. Severn c v. Fairburn: Fairburn played the centre counter game, gelting a satisfactory development. Sevorne managed to gain the better position in the infer middle game and won a pawn, forcing the game he won another two pawns, and pushing on to the 7th rank he forced Fairburn to resign. Pleasants v. Hicks: Pleasants played the Ruy Lopez and Hicks defended correctly and obtained quite a good position, except, for doubled pawns on the bishop's file. The, end of the game was a fight with pawns and knight against pawns and bishop, and Pleasants conducted the play of the knight in good, style and won his second game of the tourney. Anderson v. Beyer: This was a queen bishop's gambit in whieh there was a great, struggle for position. The advantage came to Anderson as the, outcome of a strong combination on the queen's open file. In providing a defence here Beyer left his castled king open to an attaek, which Anderson conducted with his usual skill. Beyer resigned when his last pawn fell. Jeffreys v. Scott: Jeffreys again opened with the Ziikertort game, the contest being very even up to the Jate middle game. Here Scott was able to win the exchange, and he looked like winning the game outright, but Jeffreys defended soundly. The end game of rook and four pawns against bishop and five pawns was a stubborn fight, ,and Scott made no mistake in sacrificing rook for bishop and pawn to obtain a winning position. Jeffreys was the first to congratulate Scott oil his lino win. Kelling v. Purely: Purdy once, more adopted the Sicilian defence. The opening was bright, and Kelling soon attacked with queen and bishop on Purdy's castled king. Purdy drove back the attack by advancing his pawns and thou through the open file set up a. determined assault, upon Kolling's queen knight's pawn. In defending this spot Kelling was obliged to get his pieces into rather a (•ramped position. Taking advantage of this, and of the fact that Kelling's king was rather exposed, Purdy suddenly changed his attack to the king's' side. Kelling was just able to save the .situation, but Purdy was not to be denied, and gave up knight for two pawns to get an open file. The immediate attack failed, but Purdy skilfully played his two passed centre pawns and won the most interesting game of the round. The positions of players at the end of the fourth round was as follows: Anderson 4* points, Severne 3£ points, Erskine 21, Gundcrson 2 i, Kelling 2*, Beyer 2, Jeffreys 2, Pleasants 2, Purdy 2, Scott 2, Rutherfurd I*, Hicks 1, Fairburn *, Topp i-