CHESS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20309, 7 January 1936, Page 11

CHESS

GYLES WINS CHAMPIONSHIP By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, January 6. At the chess congress to-day the reSU Thirteenth Round.—Gyles v. Rutherford: Rutherford played the Nlmcovitsch defence to Gyles’s Queen’s pawn opening, Gyles winning the exchange. Gyles’s attack on the King side proved so overwhelming that Rtuherford stood to be checkmated in a few moves whereupon the latter resigned. Erskine v. Purdy: The Reti opening was played, and Purdy again established a pawn strongly at Queen's fifth. In manoeuvres for position in the middle game, Erskine’s Queen and Bishop combination was countered by Purdy’s Knights, well forward on the Kings side. Erskine captured a pawn with a Queen of a Knight seventh, which capture opened the file for Purdy’s Rook. Erskine then thought to win a knight, overlooking the fact that Purdy could afterwards mate him in two moves.

These two games settled down the first and second positions in the tournament, Purdy being the winner, with 12 points, and Gyles gaining second place with 11 points. The third and other prize positions are still in doubt, as several of the games are unfinished. Mr Purdy, although winning the first prize in the tournament, does not win the championship, which can be won only by a New Zealander. The honour of the next 12 months’ custody of “The Silver Rook” and the title of champion falls therefore upon Mr A. W. Gyles, who won first place among the competing New Zealanders.

Mr A. W. Gyles, a Wellington accountant in the Government service, thus wins his second championship in New Zealand chess. The first occasion was in 1920-21, at Rotorua, when he beat J. A. Erskine in the play off for a tie. The minor tournament result is:— R. Watt (Dunedin) 1, H. L. Hardy (Wellington) 2, W. J. Fairburn (Gisborne) 3.

Ladies tourney:—Mrs Abbott (Christchurch) 1, Mrs Short (Auckland) 2.