INTERESTING CHESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 858, 30 December 1929, Page 12

INTERESTING CHESS

COMPETITIONS AT WANGANUI FOURTH ROUND POSITIONS Press Association WANGANUI, Sunday. Further results of the thifd round in the chess championship were as follow: Beyer (Wellington) v. Scott (Wanganui). —This game was a development of the French defence, Scott getting much the better of the opening. In the end Beyer outplayed Scott and with some very pretty play won a hard fight. . Fairburn (Wellington) v. Hicks (Wellington).—Hicks declined the queen’s bishop gambit offered by Fairburn and built up a very sound defence. The middle of the game was a stern struggle for superior position, but with the exchange of queens and minor pieces there was little to choose between the forces. Hicks won a Pawn on the queen’s side, but could not see a way of pushing it on to make it a queen. He offered a draw, which Fairburn accepted. Erskine (Melbourne v. Gundersen (Melbourne).—This was a well-played queen's pawn game, in the first exchanges of which Erskine was left with an isolated pawn. When the end of the game was reached Gundersen had a pawn advantage. Fine play followed, in which Erskine threatened to fork a rook and knight, but Gundersen played without an error, and brought off a pretty mate. Jeffreys (Auckland) v. Kelling (Wellington).—Jeffreys opened with the Zukertort game and soon had a strong attack on Kelling’s castled king. Kelling played soundly and quietly built up a counter-attack with the advance of his king’s side pawns. Jeffreys looked like forcing the decision against Kelling, but the latter, playing fine chess, forced an exchange of queens, and won a bishop, whereupon Jeffreys resigned. The results of the fourth round were as follow:

Gundersen v. Topp.—A quicklyplayed Ruy Lopez game, with rapid exchanges, gave Gundersen the better position and a gradual wearing down of the pieces left Gundersen with greater proportional advantage. Topp was unable to prevent the loss of his isolated pawn and resigned on the 27th move. Erskine v. Rutherfurd.—This was a quite interesting queen's pawn game. The middle game was reached without gain to either player, but in the subsequent exchanges Erskine won a pawn. Unfortunately for Rutherfurd he left a piece to be taken for nothing and he immediately resigned. Severne v. Fairburn.—Fairburn

played the centre counter game, getting a satisfactory development. Severne managed to gain the better position in the later middle game and won a pawn. Forcing the game, he won two more pawns, and, pushing on to the seventh rank, he forced Fairburn to resign. Pleasants v. Hicks.—Pleasants played the Ruy Lopez opening and Hicks defended correctly and obtained quite a good position, except for doubled pawns on the bishop’s file. The end 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 s bishop gambit, in which 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 attack, which Anderson conducted with his usual skill Beyer resigned when his last pawn

Jeffreys v. Scott.—Jeffreys again opened with the Zukertort game. The contest was very even up to tile late middle game. Here Scott was able to win on the exchange and he looked V „ wunmng the game outright, but Jeffreys defended soundly. The end game of rook and four pawns against bishop and five pawns was a stubborn light and Scott made no mistake in sacrificing rook for bishop and pawn to obtain a winning position. -.fimwi'a P c- r<^' — Purdy orl ce more ,-dopted 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 then through tile open iile ® et „. U P a determined assault upon R.elhng s Queen’s knight’s pawn. In defending this spot Kelling was obliged to get his pieces into rather a cramped 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 a knight for two pawns to get an open Hie. The immediate attack failed, but Purdv skillfully played his two passed centre pawns, and won the most interesting game of the round.

Ihe positions of the players at the end of the fourth round are:—Anderson, 3£ points; Severne, 3?,; Erskine 2i; Gundersen, 21; Kelling, 2J; Beyer’ 2; Jeffreys, 2; Pleasants, 2; Purdy' 2Scott, 2; Rutherfurd, 1J; Hicks, 1; I airburn, 1i; Topp,

MORE “WHOOPEE”

MERRY AND MUSICAL “Whoopee" continued its merry course at His Majesty’s Theatre oil Saturday evening, when the house was filled to capacity. Brilliant dressing and plenty of action give this musical play just that degree of zip required to meet the needs of holiday theatregoers. The comedy work of Don Nicol Hows on in an irrepressible stream, and calls forth instant and popular approval. Miss Lilian Crisp, as the eloping bride, whose course of true love runs anything but smoothly, carries the principal musical honours, and has a winsome manner. Witli William Perryman, she sings the haunting melody, “I Gave You a Red Rose.” Miss Laurel Streeter is a lively soubrette, who dances and sings with happy abandon. Magnificent cowboy outfits and gloriously feathered Indians provide some of the most striking spectacles. The dancing of the Kendalls is the finest feature of the production, The chorus and ballet are bright and attractive. The “Whoopee” season will continue until Friday evening next. On Saturday afternoon the comic opera, “Lilac Time,” will be revived. COLLEEN MOORE AT GRAND Colieen Moore’s first talking picture, Smiling Irish Eyes,” will commence a season at the Grand Theatre today Ihe production, a romance of Erin was filmed with an unusually strong 'cast including James Hall, Claude Uillingwater, Aggie Herring. Miss Moore his been provided with a congenial role in the part of Kathleen O’Connor, whose sweetheart, Rory O’Moore, a labourer in the peat bogs, displays considerable talent as a composer of love songs Roiy is asked to play before some Americans who are the guests of Sir Timothy Tyrone, his landlord, and thev are so impressed with his skill that he is advised to go to New York, where he would be certain of a brilliant career. Kathleen pays the passage money to America and the boy soon secures recognition of his ability Meanwhile, Kathleen, who has received no news and is unaware of liis good fortune, is heartbroken, and follows urn to New York. Misunderstandings lre?aid an<l rt Kirl fina,,y Ireland. The manner in which the theme of® , happily reunited forms the memo of an appealing storv. nn ort l tlle main Picture will be shorte J r°tau- e diverse Selection of snorter talking films.

THE STRAND

“BLACKMAIL’ The talking picture the whole worli has been waiting for —a British picture made entirely in England at the Entree Studios, London, by Britishers for British people, is now at the Strand Theatre. The picture is “Blackmail,” which has received acclaim throughout tlie whole world. Even in America critics eulogised the film, one reviewer saving: “The English players perform with grace and clarity.” Without a doubt “Blackmail” places itself at the head of the now lengthy list of outstanding films. It is the story of a little London girl, played by Anny Ondra, who, after a slight quarrel with her fiance, accepts the escort from a cabaret of a stranger, an artist. On his invitation she foolishly goes with him to tis studio in a notorious artists* apartment house in Chelsea. There the artist drops the mask and to defend herself from him, and in a. state of utter fright, she kills the artist. Oif glove belonging to the girl is found next day by the detective-lover wi" is put on the case—the other falls into the hands of a blackmailer. Anny Ondra, the loveliest and most exquisite blonde on the British screen, acts with her usual lightheartedness and grace the part of the little girl who finds herself in a pitiless trap. John Longden is seen as her lover, and proves that not only is he an excellent actor but possesss a fine speaking voice. Donald Calthrop is the blackmailer and Cyril Ritchard, an Australian stage player, is seen as the artist. London is shown in all its glowin? fascinating life. There is silence where silence is golden, and talkin? where talk belongs. Sound, vision and dialogue are so equally and expertly blended that neither one nor the other detracts from the story. Several supporting talkie items are also presented. The next picture to be shown at the Strand is the all-talking mysterv thriller, “The Greene Murder Case In the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murders in the home o. Tobias Greene in “The Greene MurdeCase,” nine suspects are introduced to complicate the mystery. William Powell, Jean Arthur, Ullrich Hapu'Florence Eldridgo and Eugene Pa-’ lette are in the cast of this grippir> melodrama which the Strand Theatre has booked for next Thursday.