CHESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11282, 9 January 1915, Page 16

CHESS.

(By W. S. KING.) BARXES'S !-\\VOUTUTTC. The nccr-nipav.yinir end-.s-n.rno position is on© ennnwed bv the r-.-lr-lii :itcd Rinck. It is con-fj-cli'rctl liy Mr R. ■]. Bam pi, ; an; u-eil-knov.-n »v.' XoyliTicl clio.-i- exnr-rt, ;i mtijriiiiieeni piri'o (■;' worl;, fii'.d is his favourite anions? Cild-;:;nnK) positions : Black (four men).

'White (three men). White to play and draw. White. Black." 1 T?, -- K 7 1 Ki. K 3 2 R x Q P 2 P - K 7 3 [-1 O Kt 7 •" I' queens 4 R Q Kt sq! i Q x R And the game is drawn by stalemate. SHORT AND SHARP. The .accompanying Bin a in. little game was ple.ycd at a New Zealand championship tournumsnt: White. Black. • IP K i 1 P K 4 2 Ki K B S 2 Kt Q B 3 3 B B 1 3 Kt, Q 5 a iT' x p 4 Q Kt 4 ;. Ki x B P 5 Q x Kt P G R B-sr) CQjP ch 7 B K 2 7 Kt, B 6 mate. The young chess player should, in this rame, ""' rest'!, mark and learn." There are pitfalls into which we drop When the sight's not clear and we see them not. CAISSA'S CALL. In a letter which Mr H. L. James, the well-known "Wellington chess player, sent to the Rev O. B. Fox. congratulating him upon jounievina- from the Solomon Islands to take pari in The New Zealand chess championship. Mr .Tame?, who.is a ready wit, included the following linos: Prom Otaao's icy mountains, Fr.vai Auckland's rocky strand, Where fcridrt. Mataitai's fountains P'r.y o'er the natives' land; TVcm Raniiiikci''} river, From Ma'picr's sunny plains, She calls us to deliver Our kings from mating chains. From fairy isles of ocean,. • Beheld a Cuisr-ic Fox doth come— From black witch-doctor's potion, Frc.-i the arrow and the drum; For ihoueh with helpful kindness The Church is there to bless The heathen in his blindness Is iyr.oraiit of chess. NE'vV ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIP. THE LAST DAY'S PLAY. KELLING WINS THE CHAMPION"-' SHIP. At tho Chess Championship yesterday morning the last round was commenced. Mr .(veiling, with most of his work completed, and standing at 9£ wins out of a possible 10, had to meet Mr Mara. Mr Kelling replied to his opponent's opening move with Philidor's defence, P-Q3. At the sixth move Mr Kelling won a pawn, but Mr Mara had compensation in attack. A capital fighting game followed, and much interest was taken in the bout. At one stage in the mid-game Mr Kelling appeared to have winning prospects by a hot attack, _ which he developed on the opposing king. He sacrificed a. bishop for position, and a queen move threatened to terminate the game in his favour. There was just one. littlo flaw in the combination, however, and Mr Mara, playing splendid clefenee in the critical position, found the right move, which, at the adjournment-, threatened to turn the game against Mr Kelling. The Wellingtonian had a hidden more which was not apparent to the onlookers, and this kept 'the pressure on Mr Mara, and eventually brought about his downfall. THE SCOBE SHEET. The following is the score sheet, showing l the position of the players at the end cf the tournament, with the exception of 311 incompleted gmra between Messrs Barnes' and Severn? : Game?. Win-:-. Losses. Drs. Tl. Mr K?-llin;r . 12 11 0 I 1U Mr Barnes .11 9 1 1 9i Eov 0. E. Fox . 12 7 S 2 8 Air Hicks . . 12 7 3 2 8 Mr Scveme .11 5 .1 fi G| Mr Buckett . 12 r, 4, 8 (H Mr Orierson . 12 5 6 1 6'i Mr Padds . . 1.2 1 6 2 5 Mr Hill . . 12 4 fi 2 S Mr Mara, . . 12 -! 7 1 4i Mr Moore. . 12 3 6 3 4£ Mr Pleasant? .12 2 0 1 Q-J Eev B. G. Fox . 12 0 12 0 0 The, "Rev B. H. Fox withdrew after two rounds had bc-en ;dayed. owiup to ill-health. n:-.d his remaining- frames were scored wins to his opponent. THE LEADING PRIZE-WINNERS. Mr F. K. Kelling, the champion for lOlfj, is a native of New Zealand, and was horn near Nelson. Ho was taught chess by his father, who came to the Dominion in the year 1844 and remained till his (loath in IMS, at the advanced age of ninety yean-. Mr Kelling is irTthe head office of the Government Life Insurance Department, which he entered when he left, Nelson College. His name is a household word in New Zealand chess circles, and he has done much to further the intero ts of the royal pastime in this countryHe has. gained many local successes in v. i-liiti.f n. and at his first attempt ['.! v. in the Dominion championship, at iln- tournament hold in Dunedin in 1;'.;:?, tied for second place, with three ..i-h'-:' competitors, Messrs .]. Mason, 0. 3blk :>nd D- Forsyth, only half a point behind the champion. It was at the Christmas tournament of 1908, held in I);!i:o;!r\ that Mr Kelling won his first chainoioushlp. lie was second in the preview--, r-oranetition. He is not a master of the openings, hut, is of the end game, to which he has given much study. He is ;» member of three Wellington Chi'--', but represents the Workin<'; Men's Club at the annual tournaments, ft- was at the eleventh hour only that he was certain of attending tile tournament which he has won so honourably. His style of play is of the 1.-r'ilia.iit order, and hi-, inhibitions cf chess skill have delighted competitors at the congress just concluded. Mr !C J Barnes, the runner-up, has attended t.wonty-kmr congresses, scoring five iir~ts. seven seconds, six minor prizes, ami only six failures to reach the -a record that, is mi--1 i-aion in New Zealand. He was particular],- effective from ISflfi to 1001 (inclusive.), his aggregate for these six crmseeutive congresses being 34 wins, 8 draws and only -1 losses. At the last concre«s ho tied for second prize, finishing up one point behind the champion (Mr W. E." Mason, of Wellington). Mr E. Hicks, who has tied with the Rev C. E. Fox for third place, hails from Napier. He is a fine type of New Zealand's voting manhood, but suffers the sad affliction of being deaf and dumb. Nature has, however, given him compen-etions, including a clear and active brain. He tied for the championship two years ago, but lost in

pluying off with his opponent, Mr frrieroon. Tin' Suinnnr Institute for Do.-if and Dumb is with Mr Ilicks's .success, and he intends to sorsevnro and win the cove tod title. Th? C. E. Vm is a the Rev B. G. Fox, of Little River. Mr C. E. Fox lias been residing in the Solomon It-lands for four yoarr, and ho has no one with whom to practice. Under the circumstances, ho plays with remarkable skill. Givon opportunities he would, without doubt, become a New Zealand champion. This is his ser.nrid Dominion championship, the first occasion on which ho took part lining the tourney of four years a&o, when ho won the Brilliancy Prize for an admirable game against Mr Barnes.