CHESS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20929, 7 January 1938, Page 5

CHESS

HINDEN WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP

BRILLIANT PLAY / By Telegraph—Press Association DUNEDIN, January 6. The New Zealand Chess Congress was brought to a conclusion to-night, S. Hindin 1 Canterbury) gaining a decisive victory with nine wins, one loss and two draws in 12 games. He finished up with a brilliant exhibition against W. Lang (Otago), and after sacrificing a rook, launched a slashing attack which forced his opponent’s resignation. His exhibition gained him the special prize for brilliincy. Second place went to J. B. Dunlop (Otago). I. H. Burry (Auckland) and J. A. Erskine (Southland) tying for third place. Other prize winners were F. K. Kelling (Wellington) and H. McNabb (Nelson). Burry won the second prize for brilliancy and the special prize for the best recovery. Following wire the results of today’s games:— “ Tenth Round McNabb beat Hindin. Eleventh Round McNabb beat Sevenic. Thirteenth Round Erskine beat Lynch. Burry beat Kelling. Hindin beat Lang. Hunter drew with Newick. Belton drew with McNabb. Sevcrne drew with McDermid.

The following table gives the final positions of the players:—

Newick .... 12 1 7 4 3 The Premie- Reserve competition was won by J. Lamb (Otago), who gained the impressive total of 12 w’ns and two losses In 14 games. D. Lang- ; ley (Otago) was second and K. S. Allen (Wellington) third. Following were the results of to-day’s play:— Thirteenth Round Langley beat Lang. Fourteenth Round Lang beat Christensen. Hewitt beat Sterry. Allen beat McMillan. Langley drew with Turner. The following table gives the final positions of the players:—

Championship Games Thirteenth Round Erskine v. Lynch—ln an English opening, with a King’s side fianchetto, Lynch had an isolated pawn on the Queen’s file and when he advanced it to the fifth rank Erskine secured simplifying exchanges enabling him to commence an attack on it. The pawn was finally won. In an ending with a knight Erskine forced home pawn to Queen, Lynch resigning at the seventieth move. Hunter v. Newick.—An English opening was met by Alekhine’s defence to a fianchetto variation. The end game found a symmetrical distribution of pawns, Newick having knight against bishop and each having two rooks. Newick gained possession of the only open file, but Hunter adequately guarded all possible points of entry and a draw was agreed to at the fortieth move.

Belton v. McNabb.—The dragon variation of the Sicilian defence was played, Belton centralising strongly but not finding means of forcing an early decision. In the ending each player had six pawns and McNabb had a bishop and a knight against two knights. A further simplification left an unambiguous draw. Severne v. McDermid.—The Paulsen variation of the Sicilian defence was played, Severne centralising minor pieces on the third rank with a promising position. Against McDermid’s careful play no middle game advantage was available, and when the game had been reduced to Queen and two minor pieces and pawns on each side a draw was agreed to. Burry v. Kelling.—Kelling played the centre counter. After an exchange he retired the Queen, as usual, to the original square, allowing Burry to complete his development with a considerable lead. Burry, with a mating threat, induced a weakening of Kelling’s King and by the momentary sacrifice of a piece won a pawn on the other wing. Tins allowed him to continue by winning two pawns in the centre and penetrating decisively into Kelling’s game, securing his resignation when mate could not be avoided. Spectacular Display Hindin v. Lang.—As the result of this game could not affect Hindin’s place in the tournament, the championship having already been decided in his favour, it was expected by some of the many onlookers that he might be content with an easy draw after 1 a few perfunctory moves. Instead, however, he provided the most spectacular display of virtuosity seen at the Congress. In reversed Sicilian he had hanging pawns on the royal files which were open at Lang’s end, and when Lang occupied the hole in front of the hinder one Hindin devised an ingenious series of moves which drove away the blockader, allowing the pawns to advance. The pressure exerted by them enabled him to offer the sacrifice of a knight to break up Lang’s position, and when the piece was declined he immediately sacrificed a rook. This Lang accepted depending on a clever counter-sacrfice of the bishop to arrest the attack by removing one of the central pawns in a highly intricate position. Hindin found time, nevertheless, to fathom three possible attempts at salvation by Lang and

to penetrate sufficiently deeply into a tourth to proceed with sacrificial complications. Lang rose to the occasion with a strong defence, ably threading his way through a maze of complications and in the late middle game had the material advantage of the exchange. A rook, however, was still undeveloped and Hindin had such control over the board that Lang’s position was highly precarious. His Queen finally was driven away from, its defence and Hindin produced a mating combination, using his Queen and bishop to attack the only pawn left to defend Lang’s King. There being no means of avoiding checkmate, Lang resigned a magnificent game. Adjourned Games McNabb v. Hindin.—The game adjourned from the tenth round in which McNabb had the advantage of a bishop against a pawn was quickly reduced to a simple end game, Hindin being unable to recuperate in material and resigning when his only defeat in the Congress was clearly inevitable. Severne v. McNabb.—The adjourned position left McNabb with the task of proving the superiority of a rook against a bishop and extra pawn. In a blocked end game he succeeded in forcing a break through and finally won.

P. W. L. D. Pts. S. Hindin .. 12 9 1 2 10 Dunlop .. .. 12 6 1 5 8i Burry .. 12 6 2 4 8 Erskine .. .. 12 6 2 4 8 Kelling .. .. 12 6 5 1 6* McNabb .. .. 12 4 3 5 Hunter .. .. 12 5 5 2 6 Lang .. 12 4 5 3 51 Lynch .. 12 3 4 5 Severne .. 12 0 4 8 4 McDermid .. 12 1 6 5 3i Belton .. 12 0 6 6 3

P. W. L. D. Pts. Lang 14 1 2 0 12 Langley .. .. 14 9 4 1 9i Allen 14 8 4 2 9 Turner .. .. 14 8 5 1 8i Sterry .. .. 14 4 8 2 5 Christensen . 14 4 8 2 5 McMillan 14 4 8 2 5 Hewitt .. .. 14 2 12 0 2