NEW ZEALAND CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP CONGRESS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIV, Issue VI, 9 February 1895, Page 125

NEW ZEALAND CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP CONGRESS.

THE eighth Chess Congress to decide the championship of New Zealand for the ensuing twelve months was held at Wellington during the recent Christmas and Isew Year holidays. The following is the full score :—

It will be noticed that Messrs Edwards and Lelievre tied for third place, which, however, has been awarded to the former, who scored more points under the Sonneborne system. This complicated system of determining the value of the wins is the best known at present, but in the opinion of many chess enthusiasts is by no means perfect. To describe it briefly one is penalised more for losing to a weak player than to a strong one. Mr Wm, Mackay, who has carried off the first prize

(trophy value £2O) and the Championship, is thirty-one yean of age, and a member of the firm of S. and W. Mackay, booksellers, Wellington, which business he started at the early age of eighteen. He was born in Melbourne, and came to New Zealand at the age of fourteen, and learnt the game as a boy in Nelson. In 1884 he joined the Wellington Chess Club, and has ever since been very closely identified with its interests, having conducted the secretaryship for four years. As a player he has risen gradually and surely, each year seeing him take a more responsible board in the interprovincial contests with marked success, his form having also been very consistent in club tourneys. Messrs Bsnbow and Littlejohn, who are regarded as the strongest Wellington players, were unable to compete for the championship, and other former competitors not being available, it was necessary to fall back on untried men. Mr Mackay

was accordingly chosen one of the representatives, and has won championship honours at bis maiden attempt, having fully played up to the high standard looked for by bis club mates. As a fellow competitor put it. Mr Mackay deserved to win ’ being such a glutton for hard work.’ His good nature, however, in trying to get thiongh two stiff games in one day to oblige a player who was desirous of curtailing his visit nearly cost him dear, but as things have turned out, will greatly enhance bis win, which it should be added, is

an exceedingly popular one. In the annual bout between the smokers and non-smokers, Mr Mackay plays for the latter. Mr H. S. Cocks, the winner of the second prize (trophy value £10), is a son of the late Rev. H. B. Cocks, of Christchurch, and is twenty-nine years of age. He is a B.A. of the New Zealand University, and is a member of the Wellington College Staff. It is many years since he learnt the game, which, however, he only took up actively when joining the Wellington Chess Club some fifteen months ago. He has therefore come to the front very rapidly, so quickly, in fact, that bis merits have not hitherto been folly recognised. He was, consequently, not selected to do battle for his club, but exercised the right of private entry by paying an entrance fee. This, it may be mentioned, is provided for by the rules, so as to obviate an un-

due number of local entries, which would tend to prevent de. sirsblecompetitorsliving atadistance from attending t he Con-gre-a. Mr Cocks is a careful, painstaking player, good at the Stonewall opening, and generally manages to keep the draw in hand, so that he is a capital specimen of the Vienna School, the members of which have been playfully termed * drawing masters.' And here it may be mentioned that while Mr Cocks is credited with 7J wins, 3j losses, he in reality won 5 games, lost only 1, and drew no less than 5.

The weakest link in his chain at present is admittedly the end game, bnt, of course, he has not yet had time to arm himself at all points. Mr J. Edwards, who last year won the Championship as representative for Wellington, carried off the third prize (£5) as a nominee of the Otago Chess Club. He was born in Nelson, is 37 years of age, and learned to play chess in 1884 at the Timaru Chess Club, where he won a silver cup as first prize in a local tourney. He first competed for championship honours at Wellington four years ago, but was unplaced. He has little or no book knowledge, and relies mainly on his own eonception of the moves as the game proceeds. His strong feature is the end game, at which stage a pawn is very powerful in his hands. His solving capabilities are here of no mean assistance to him.

Mr A. A. Lelievre (Hastings) is, as his name implies, of French parentage. He was formerly secretary to the late French Consul at Wellington, bnt is now engaged in business in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay. He is twenty-nine years of age, but has not been resident in the colony for many years. For some time he lived in London, and there met some of the best players when a member of one of the metropolitan clubs. Mr Lelievre is one of the most brilliant players in the colony, is quick to grasp a position, and plays with a rapidity that often disconcerts his opponents and startles the onlookers. As an instance of the quickness with which he decides on his moves it may be mentioned that he won one of his games in five minutes’ play. There is no doubt that had he devoted a little more time to the consideration of the end positions of one or two of his lost games he would have carried off the second if not the first prize. Mr Henry Hookham (Canterbury Chess Club) was born on October 22nd, 1824, at 15, Old Bond-street, London, where was then carried on, and had been carried on for 60 years, the business known as Hookman’s Library. He was educated at a boarding school in a small town called Princes Risborough, in Buckinghamshire. When about 10 years of age he was taught chess, and defeated his schoolmaster in a game at the age of 12. After leaving school in 1839, he resided almost continuously in London until the year 1865. From 1840 to 1850 he was a frequent visitor to Starey’a Chess Rooms in Rathbone Place, Oxford street, then the favourite resort of those distinguished players of a past generation — Zytogorsky, Jansens, Harrwitz, Horwitz, Boden, and Barnes, with some of whom be otttimes engaged at play, receiving odds. He left England for New Zealand in 1865, and since his arrival in this colony has resided almost entirely in Canterbury. He won the championship of Canterbury as the representative of the Kaiapoi Club, in a match played at Christchurch in 1870 between the representatives of the clubs of Christchurch, Lyttelton, and Kaiapoi. He took the first prize (£5O) and championship of the colony at the first New Zealand Chess Congress held in Christchurch in 1879. This chess congress was the first held in Australasia. He lost the championship at the first annual congress tournament held at Christchurch in 1889 but recovered it at the second annual congress held in Dunedin the following year ; tied in won games with Mr Siedeberg for second place at the Wellington Congress of 1890 ; gained second prize in the fifth congress tournament held in Christchurch

in 1892 ; competed in the Adelaide Australian Congress of 1887, defeating Mr Gossip, and drawing with Messrs Charlick and Esling, bnt not being a prize-winner. He has been connected with the Canterbury Cheas Club (called prior to 1879 the Christchurch Chess Club) for upwardsof 20 years, and has been its president since the death of the Hon. John Tancred. Has been chesseditor of the Canterbury Times from 1883 upto the present date. Mr Hookham has a greater knowledge of the game than any other man in the colony. He is a modei tournament player—he takes full advantage of his time limit, and plays a careful, sound, and, when opportunities offer, a brilliant game. He makes fewer mistakes than most other players, and when such do occur on his part they are due to physical fatigue. Mr Hookham is exceedingly popular, not only in chess circles, but with all those with whom he comes in contact. Had he considered his own interests only, he would not have attended the last congress, as he bad just recovered from an illness, and at his advanced age the heavy play of a tournament is no joke. As however, nobody else could attend for Canterbury, Mr Hookham decided to compete, and so save the honours of his club.

Mr A. Gifford, of Bulls, who also exercised the right of private entry, is 33 years of age, and is an M A. of the New Zealand University, having taken first-class honours in Greek and Latin. He is a barrister by profession, but is at present engaged in teaching. He is favourably known in chess circles at Auckland, Napier, and Wanganui. In the last-named place Ms title of local champion was only shaken when he had Mr Ballance (our late lamented Premier) for an opponent. He plays blindfold chess, and a great future is predicted for him. Mr Richard James Barnes (Wellington Working Men’s Chess Club), is a Victorian by birth. Was educated in Dunedin ; commenced playing chess about twelve years ago, some time after removing to Wellington. Took part in the congress (five entries) held in Dunedin five years ago, and tied with Mr Hookham for first, but losing in the play off had to be content with second honours In the congress (10 entries) held next year ("90 91) in Wellington he represented the Wellington Chess Club, and secured the first prize and championship. In the Auckland Congress (’9l- - he tied for fourth place out of nine entries. Took part in the congress at Christchurch (’92-93, 10 entries) and won the third prize. In the first and second Dunedin Congress, and at Auckland and Christchurch, he represented, as on the present occasion, the Wellington Working Men’s Chess Club. In the congress there were 11 entries, and Mr Barnes just managed to pull off the second prize, which makes his congress record—one first, two seconds, and one third. Mr Barnes is also still a member of the Wellington Chess Club, and has been one of the club’s team in telegraph matches, losing his game the first time, drawing on the second occasion, winning the third, and losing on the fourth. Irrespective of congresses, Mr Barnes has in the ordinary tournaments of his club taken five first prizes, three seconds, and one third. Mr Barnes, as shown above, has had great experience in tournament play ; has a thorough knowledge of the game ; is exceedingly quick in grasping a complicated position ; plays a sound and masterly game, and, as the result of his play in the recent Congress shows, is a plucky up-hill player. He is a capital trap layer, and has the knack of quickly seeing through those of his opponent.

Mr W. F. Barraud (Wellington) is 44 years of age, and was born in the colony. He was one of the original promoters of the Wellington Chess Club, which was founded in 1875. Chess was not played much in Wellington in those days, but some enthusiasts got up a match, Town v. Civil Service, which was won by the former. A dinner followed the match as a matter of course, and it was there that it was resolved to form a club, and Messrs Barraud and Edward Reeves were deputed to canvass the town for subscriptions. They did so with marked success, the club was formed, and has flourished ever since. Mr Barraud takes a deep interest in chess, and has always had a responsible board at telegraphic and club matches. He is also an amateur painter of no mean order, and is the President of the Camera Club. Mr Owen. C. Pleasants (Colyton) is twenty-four years of age, and is engaged in farming pursuits in the Rangitikei district. He is a very steady and rising player, has an excellent idea of the game, and will undoubtedly be heard more of in the near future. This is his second attempt for Championship honours, and considering the small chances he has of obtaining sound practice, his score is not to be despised. He has devoted considerable time to the solving of problems, which has been of good service to him in the end games. Mr Pleasants sticks tenaciously to an advantage when

gained, and plays a plucky uphill game. His style might be copied with advantage by those of our young players who are given to what is poetically called * skittles ’ and * timber shifting.’ Dr. Henry Reginald Hatherly, of Wanganni, learnt chess when he was a child, but took no special interest in the game nntil he commenced practice in Nottingham, when he joined the Nottingham Chess Club, of which he soon became a prominent member. He was President of Nottingham Chess Club four years consecutively, and played in most of the inter county matches. In 1888 he undertook the editorship of the chess column of the Nottinghamshire Guardian, which position he retained until he left England in June, 1893, for New Zealand. He was a frequent, and is still an occasional contributor to the British Ghess Magazine. He is the composer of numerous chess problems which have appeared in various English chess columns, and is able to solve most two and three movers readily from the diagram. Dr. Hatherly is a rapid player, and has played as many as seventeen games simultaneously. He has a great dislike to close games, and especially to the Stonewall opening, and in his anxiety to secure an open game often risks too much. He lacks the steadiness which is essential to success in tournament play. He is at present editor of the Chess column which is appearing weekly in Al, and takes an enthusiastic interest in all that concerns his favourite game. Mr Gilbert Pearce (Manaia) is engaged in pastoral pursuits in Taranaki, and is thirty-five years of age. He was born in England, and it was in that country that he learnt at the age of fourteen, to play chess. He has studied the books a good deal, and though he has not played much across the board, has held his own in correspondence games against the Hon. Mr Bryce, the two Sextons, Judge Rawson, and others of no mean ability. Being the strongest player in his district, he has always to give odds in the local tournaments, but notwithstanding, he has a fair record of wins. The Congress just closed was the first Mr Pearce had competed in, and, it may therefore be attributed to his lack of opportunity for engaging in serious play that he has not shown a better score. He may console himself, however, with the knowledge that he is one of the two players who beat the champion. Mr Joseph Wood, who represented the Wellington Working Men’s Club, learnt the game in Canterbury twenty-three years ago, having at different times been a member of the Canterbury, Auckland, Napier, Melbourne, and Wellington Clubs. He has won three prizes in Canterbury, one in Auckland, and two in Napier, besides taking first and second places in Status Tonrneys. He is well posted in the various openings, being exceptionally strong in the King’s Bishop’s gambit. Like his Club mate, Mr Barnes, he was handicapped by severe illness, having in fact to allow some of the games to be scored against him by default. Mr Wood’s love of chess did not cause him to neglect athletics, he having been an interprovincial cricketer for some fifteen years. Mr H. C. Skeet, the energetic hon. sec. of the New Zealand Chess Association, is, as might be expected, a warm chess enthusiast. In his brief chess career he has won 2 first and 1 third prize in club tourneys, and with many others we hope to find him competing for championship honours at no distant date. It is to him and to Mr F. K. Kelling, the first secretary of the Association, that we are mainly indebted for the foregoing biographical sketches of the competitors.

Points Competitor Wins IjOsaes (Sonneborne system) Mackay. W. 8 3 8-71 Cocks. H. d. 74 34 8*40 Edwards, J. 7 4 7 76 Lelievre, A. A. 7 4 7’66 Hook ham, H. 64 4< 719 Gifford. A. 64 44 7 12 Barnes. R. J. 6 5 6-28 Barraud. W. F. 5 6 4*73 Pleasants. O. C. 5 6 469 Haiherly. H. R. 34 74 2 31 Pearce, G. 2 9 1 32 Wood, J. 2 9 103