CHESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18595, 4 January 1935, Page 10

CHESS

DOMINION CONGRESS

WINNER HARD TO PICK

EItrKLNL’A GOOD CHA NCI:

(i't-r rws Association.) i.'HRISTCII.UEC 1.1 , t Ilia flay. Wit'.i tlio approach of Mio last, round of tho finals oi Ilia. Now Zealand class chamnEnships, il would be ditfieull In pick \lio winner with any certainly, hut il would appear tluil-J. A. Erskine, with seven p lints and three names yet la be decided, is the most probable. I',. Dunlop, who won. the championship at tlm last congress, has completed all. his games, and lias the line total o! 7 2 points. I\. liyyer, who lias still one game to play, has also a total of Y^pts. It i:, impossible to make an accurate comparison ci the players’ positions at the present stage, owing to several games 'laving been played in advance. The outstanding game yesterday was that, between 11. 0. Scott and 11. RAbbotl, ill which Abbott suffered Ins second defeat. A. W. Gyles played very soundly to beat Royer, this being tho first game to be. lost by the latter player. In the fourth final round Erskine beat Watt.

In the fifth final round Erskine drew with Dunlop. Abbott drew with Darwin, Rolling beat Watt, (ivies heat Le Fort

'Rover beat Scott, and Scvcrnc beat Hicks. In the s'.r.th final round Dunlop beat lvelling, Darwin beat Watt, Le Petit beat Hicks, Gyles beat Beyer, Scott beat Abbott, and ‘the Eirskiue v. Sevenic game was unfinished. In the eighth final round, played in advance, Dunlop beat Scott. Following are the notes on the games, white names being given first:—Fourth Final Bound —

Wat ( t v. Erskine.—Sicilian defence. The opening was played on rather irregular lines, Wait having a cramped game. He managed to free his game, winning a pawn at about move 46. Later be was in trouble with his clock, and heavy exchanges left him a difficult end game, with a pawn down. Watt played on to 11 io second adjournment, but resigned without further play. —Fifth Final Round—

Erskine v. Dunlop.—Queen’s pawn game. Dunlop early won a, pawn, but lost it owing io an oversight. Heavy exchanges reduced the lorces to a rook, bishop, and pawn on eaeli side, and a draw was agreed Io at move M. Abbott v. Darwin. Darwin played tho Dutch di fence tv Abbott s queen s pawn, and tho game developed evenly. Abbott tried to build up an attack against Darwin’s.castled Ling, but Darwin caused a series of exchanges, after which no advantage remained tv either side, and a diaw was agreed to at move ,s':>

Rolling v. Watt. —Buy Dopes opening. Watt played a little-used defence. The attack which resulted from his sacrifice of a pawn -Id not provu adequate, and Rolling gradually accumulated a threepawn advantage. 'J Ins enabled him to win at move 51.

Gyles v. Do Petit.—Buy Lopez opening. k> which Lo Petit opposed Die classical defence. His eighth move was weak, allowing Gyles to win a, pawn. Gyles then developed his game quietly, gradually increasing tho pressure until Le Petit’s game became hopeless. Le Petit resigned at move 36. Scott v. River.—-French defence. The game proceeded on book lilies. At bis twenty-second move, Beyer started an attack which could have been repelled with even chances on both sides. Scot! under-estimated the danger, and in accepting an exchange of queens overlooked the loss cf a rook. lie resigned at move 25.

Scverne v. Hicks.—Four knights opening. This carefully-played game proceeded on book lines, and was very even for a long time. Late in the middle game, Hicks enterprisingly gave up a knight for two pawns in an endeavor to break through. Playing with great exactness, Reveille foiled li is opponent’s plans, and won with force inajcure at move 80. —-Sixth Final Round—

Dunlop v. Rolling.—French defence. Dunlop enterprisingly gave up a pawn for a lively attack, which quickly gained three pawns and dominated an ending Which was very instructive. Rolling resigned a hopeless game at move 22. Darwin v. Watt.—Reti’s opening. The game proceeded evenly, but Watt weakened bis position by advancing the pawns in front of his castled king. The position was close until Watt opened tho king’s file by advancing and exchanging a pawn. Tins suited Darwin, who had his bishops well placed. In a scries of exchanges, Watt took the wrong piece. In consequence, he lost a, piece and resigned at move 27.

Lb Petit v Hicks.—Queen’s gambit declined. The game opend on unusual lines. At the tenth and eleventh moves Hicks tried to sacrifice two pieces to bring off a mate, which Lc Petit countered successfully. At move 23 Hicks had to sacrifice his queen for a rook to save a male, and resigned shortly nfterwu rds.

Beyer v. Gyles. —Queen’s gambit declined. At move nine, Gyles played a knight to king’s five, cramping Beyer’s game. Gyles won a. pawn at move 20. Beyer then began a long combination, wliieli was not sound. Gyles played correctly, leaving Beyer a hopeless game, which ho lesigned at. move 2)3. Scott v. Abbott.—Queen’s gambit, declined. Scott soon set up a strong attack, tl jo outcome of which was that Abbott lost a pawn. Abbott tried a counter-attack, but Scott, with careful play, secured the advantage for the cud gai'uc. lie pressed this home bv exchanging the remaining pieces, and Abbott resigned at move 42, when Scott, was ready to queen a pawn. • —Eighth final Hound—'

Scott v. Dunlop.—'l’rend i defence. .Dunlop won a pawn early in the, game. Queens were exchanged also early, leaving Dunlop villi two passed pawns, which quickly decided the game, in Ins fa\ or.

MELBOURNE TOURNEY

PURDY IN THE LEAD (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United l’ress Assn.) MELBOURNE, Jan. 3.

In the chess championship at Melbourne, in the eighth round, Koshnitzky defeated Green ; Fillian defeated Hvnd ; Purdy defeated Coultas; Condon defeated 'Greenfield; Tliierjiuig defeated Growl ; Watson defeated Goldstein; Hastings defeated Lainparter. The leaders are: Purdy, 7J points; Koshnitzky, 7; Hastings, 6; Goldstein, 51, ; Crowl and Watson, 5.