CHESS CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 23 April 1908, Page 9

CHESS CONGRESS.

WEDNESDAY'S PLAY. Tho''Chess Congress was continued yesterday, afternoon' and evening.- The third and the.-greater-portion ;of tho fourth rounds were completed, tho . game. remaining unfinished, being that between Barnes, and Kummer, which was very; stubbornly contested throughout. In tho morning a telegram'of greeting was; sent to the Draughts' Congress at; Dunedin', and a ; 'reply' 1 was | received reciprocating the good wishes. ■ TIIO fifth round will be starred to-day; the drawing .will ..be as . follows:—Davies v. Ruthernird, Barnos v. Kelling, J.ames; v. ICummer, Connell v. Rev. Pox, Freeman v. . Stewart, B. Mason a bye. The'fiftli round will complete the play amongst tho Wellington members,. and they will then be paired with tho, remainder of; tho competitors, which will give fresh impetus^to.the games.'Messrs. Mason ; an<l Davies are the most fancied players at presont. Tho umpires -for tho day; wero Messrs. A. I.;Littlejohn and, Burton. ..... THIRD ROUND. ' , '■! E. Rutherfurd- v. F. K. Kelling.—On resuming, the.latter,., who was a pawn to';, the guuu, iiuu.. iio make ton .moves m ,seventeen minutes to .square his clock. Ho won a further pawn at movo 46, 1 arid, finally, 'after a long : struggle,:; won in ;67 moves. The resourcefulness. of. the, Victoria College representative's defence was-greatly admired. Kumrner v. Davies; Zukertort opening.— Kummer ivas slightly at'a disadvantage when 'tlie'iOybning: sitting ended, by'giving away, an isolated -pawn.:,. At : the.-26th- movo a very smart attack was initiated by Davies, who brilliantly..' carried .. it/ through , forcing the 'resignation.of his opponent at the 29th movo. James v. .Barnes. —On the 27th movo Barnes :lost - a chanco ,of winning a clear pawn, and later on won a pawn temporarily. ■' James recovered. two pawns immediately afterwards, and a long-fought game resulted in,Barnes resigning at the 58th move: : ■y Connell. v. Freeman.—:Giuoco, ; Piano opening. "Conriell- lost 40 Minutes, .through' ~his, watch deceiyingihini,. and in- hurrying to get in thp.reqnisito number of moves in the timo he got. into an involved - position, ' through which ho, was not able'to emergo When the time.was up, and had to-forfeit,tho.'gamo by timo. ; ■ '■ rOURTH ROUND. B. Mason v. J. A. O'Coniiell.—Vienna opening—Book: play up to lltli movo. Black s 12th movo allowed' 'white to work' up a-strong auacK,, ultimately yielding him two pawns. This enabled Mason to scoro in '42 moves. ' \ <•. V'O. Davies ,v. ,F. K. . Kelling.—Tho latter's 19th move" was an oversight; allowing Davies; to win tho exchange (rook for bishop).; This advantage black' subsequently regained, ■ but. Davies cleverly shut Kelling'sbishop out, and ; queened i a ipassed, pawn, Kelling resigning, a /hopeless game at niove "50.' ,'W. S. Stewart v. Rov. B. G. Fox,—A Ruy Lopez opening, in .which; Mr. Fox niade att. indifforent reply to cwhitoY fifth move, giving white the opportunity of taking king's .-bishop's .'pawn "-with a knight,' - and thereby obtaining a advantage, and, notwithstanding a 'stubborn defence,oil the part of Mr.:vFoxJ Stewart '-'was 'enabled 'to force •mate, on his ■ 26th move. . ' / James v. Rutherfurd.—rßutherfurd . used tho Ruy'Lopez opening, and fell into tho well-known, trap, losing :a 'minor ;picc.e,. for two "' pawns.' This gave James' practical'cominand of . the game, which, he had no trouble oventiially in'winning-in'one sitting. Barnes v. Kummer.—This game is' unfinished. 'Barnes opened with the Riiy Lopez, and a stubborn contest resulted. At tho 60th move the forces' wero a bishop and three, pawns against a knight and .thrco, pawns..'!.',.- , ;' . ,