N.Z. CHESS ASSOCIATION

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14390, 4 January 1911, Page 6

N.Z. CHESS ASSOCIATION

- CHAMPIONSHIP TOTJKN&S. . W. E. MASON THE WINNER. (Specially reported for the "Herald,") . There is an old saying "Never prophesy unless you know," but' the "Herald's" prophecy, of soverul days ago has been fulfilled, *n tho fact t&afc tho'AYeHingtoii champion has now become ; thc champion of Now Zealand, and the Auckland chainp'on has secured iot'bnd place. Mr \V. E. Mason, the winner, has for nine consecutive years played ior tno top rung of the Wellington Oneas club's ,lauuer/ and cuiy otiee has iio heoii dispossessed. X&it v:u± last jear, when iiarnes challenged h>*;i and won. Tins year Mason regained the coveted honour, and now ibt '.lie tinrd time he has won the champioiisiiip of Now Zealand. Air Mason was born in Wellington 34 years ago, and is a la-w student, engaged as confidential clerk to tho < well-uuown barrister, Air O. P. Skerrott, Hp learned, the game a& the age'of 18, and first contested the championship in 1396. His next try. was in 1900 s when he won at Wellington. In 1901 he, again, competed at Clir-istchurch, se-. curing third place. He did not coni-'pet-o again till 1904, at Well.n&ton, when lie won again in what was probably strongest team in the history, of these pontests, . except the Exhibition. year iii Cjiristchurclij which He Was not present. Oa -that Oi>ca-. sioii he did not lose a game -except one, against fifteen competitors-. The following year he defended liis titlo at OainaruJ but only-tied for third place, Daries, his present runner-up, being the winner. Since then he has not competed until the present congress, and this he got, through without the IOS 3 of ;a game, his fine score being *9 'wins 2 draws.

Davies, tlie second prize winner on this occasion, lias .twice previously won tlie championship. He is a Welshman wlici has studied tlie game in. liondon, and has twioe met Dr Lasker, ' tlie 'world's champ'on, in simultaneous play, and in one of those games scored a draw. He is now champion of the Auckland Chess Club, having wrested the honour from Grierson a few months ago. the first three games ending in n win and a draw each, Davies securing the fourth game and the championship of the Club. Davies is ari accountant, 35 years of age. LAST ROUND.

Dunlop v. W. E. Mils on (Centre Counter Gambit). The Dunediir and Weitngton champions fought an" even , game to the middle stage, when Maion r secured, a pawn, Dunlop' made a" I stubborn defence, but Mason's force ! majeur, flight though it was, limited j his freadojn, arid when Mason captured a knight on the forty-fifth move, the soudtsrn champion resigned. f Gyles V; * Grierson (Scotch Gambit). | Slight swaying advantages without alteration in forces advanced the game. };o tba thirty-third move sealed by Gyles >vho then had a semblanoe. of I attack. Gyka kept the attack going for a; white, threatening to score with ! passed rook's pawn. Queens and rooks were exchanged,' leaving a: minor p'oae ench with equal pawns in a practically position. Grieis 11. however, 'made better me of his kn gh* agaiusi bishopj and scored a win. ' ■ JFos v. Barnes (Alhin's Counter to , the Queen's G-ambit). In adooting vliis Barnnes essayed to follow a game played by the world's champion: Dr Lasker, in a smultnneous match at JXotcow in 1909, but Fox declined tJ» offered sacrifice of a bishop, so precedents were upset. Fox; however, goi a , bad development, Barnes com-

pjetely disintegrating what little combmaton tbsre . was, and Fox resigned on die •iJrirteshth move. A similar defence last year. Avon H. L. James the brilliancy prize. „ Dar'cs v. Beck (Falksbeer Counter), second ' move placed a W«handicap on Beck, / for Davies Las u > n "e study , of everv variation of this hazardous gambit. *.H& caught Becks queen on tbe eleventh move, Becli may as well-have resign eJ tit 1 this point, but he struggled on '£)!! mats was caited 011 the r:l move.i.., - 7

_3lara v. H.t-ks (Centre Couuter). ■ i S the coun or gamb't to avoid the- ltuy Lopez, which Mara.lins well studied. A free game resulted in Mara- gaining a pawn ad-' .vantage, wh eh Hicks soon recovered | Ins greatest anxie:j- being Mora's na=s' ed, pawn Hicks- uMwitlistaud'hg i hEtt a prefera.b.e xx)sifon at call' of tiqie... ,Hiok? soon secured tiro "pawns, hut Still ed difficulty in over- • 3l.ira.fs accuracy. iLcks c< * just in time to iirevent Mar i s pawn promotion and \ran .one of \',o best games <if the present contest. J„ Mason a bye. " - ■ ' • . Adjourned games—'Tenth EonnJ. J-.Mason and Dunlop (JJukortjrt).— •With - pawn up at tile adjourn Buulop .maintained, tile -adrantnire in force, . and after a- couple of ' .'lo-ir.s play, .failing to queen, a draw r;.-s ».t?6cd The result decided third, .place in Mason's favour. . Fox v, Grierson (Buy Lopez)'.- -On resuming Fox improved his position in an end gams requiring very close analysis and scored a meritorious win from Inst year's second prlze-winnsr. , Th-s following is the complete score ' of the tourney ('.V. win, U. draw, Tl, ] total) :—'

To-day all the players are to meet •at 2 p.m. at JMahan and Halford's studio .to be pho+ographed, and at 2 they. nnd members of the Timaru Chess Club and lady friends are .nvited to take afternoon tea with th« Mayor at the Arcade Cafe. A.til.is gartering the tourney prizes will be presented.

1 2 ■3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10" 11 w. D. Tl. 1 Barnes ...... 1 0 0 1 1 1 i I 0 0 4' 2 5 2 Boole ... „„ 0 - 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Dnvios ... 1 1 - 1 1 1 0 1 i i 1 ,7 2 8 4 Dunlop ... 1 1 0 - 1 1 i 0 i 0 i 4 3 51 C Rev. Fax ... 0 1 0 0 - 1 i I 0 0 i .3 3 4 6 Grieisou .. 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 y 7 Gylos 0 1 1 i i 0 - 0 0 0 1 3 2 4 8 Hiclcs i I 0 1 0 I 1 - 0 0 1 5 1 5i 9 Mnsnn, .T, ... i 1 } i 1 1 1 1 - 0 0 5 3 0} 10 Mason, W.E. 1 1 J 1 1 1 1 1 1 _ i 8 2 9 11 O'Marii ... ... 1 1 0 i i 1 0 0 I i 4 3 51 .