CHESS TOURNAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 7

CHESS TOURNAMENT.

SATURDAY'S PLAV. EIGHTH AND NINTH HOUNDS. The eighth, round of the, chess .champion-" ship tournament, Satur-/ day,-and the ninth-,.was', well advanccdin the evening.' It 4ias; been lioticod through the ,tournament*: th&t/the beginning of a new round >is '4he; 'timoi';."whenv; most" spectators,gather, and, this again 'happened on; Saturday evening'. ■ • Among those presentwas the Presidont of- tho.'New-Zealand Chess Association, 1 Mr A. Justice" Deiiniston, who had arriyfcd ; that evening from the South. • The conclusion of the eighth round seemed i to .liave slightly iiiiproved the prospects of •, 'Davies fori'the final, Mason■ failing to ob-: tain moro than a draw from Barnes after a garno noted ' for its ".brevity; : Another feature of the eighth round was, that Council' won'froni'Rutherfurd in thirteen moves,, tho shortest, competition of tlicf tournament, llutherfurd placed ja '< piece t 01} tlio.; square adjoining that ■ on which ho ; had intended, placing it. After, tho ninth, found had,been comtnericed, Messrs.; MttßQn aud Freeman, who are suffering from''severe colds, 'were both too;{unwell .'to,;.contimto• their games, and by, arrangeiniht ■■ with .thpir- opponents -' were able to. adjourn at 9 o'clock—an hour I'oarliprj than 'nilo tiino. Somo of the. other- -. games in tho round were not' Completed at the adjournment-. , ''-/., -ivi-. It .is expected" the' tournament_ will con- . ■elude to-morrow'afternoon.. A sofcial. gathering will bo. held in the evening, , at which - the prizes will be presented. ' , ■■■■'• -■ ,- , Yesterday the visitors were the guests or ; the.' local iGhess, Club, in a .picnic outing at V Rona Bay, tho party Heaving town in-the i Duchess at 10.15. a.m. _■ EIGHTH ROUND. James v. Freeman.—A Caro-Kann openi iiig by Freeman, who very soon . became I cramped. In an endeavour to rush'the at- ~ I• tack James/camo 'to ' grief, v arid, Freeman mated. - ■ ■; ' /■'-.' i , Kumriier v.'Stewart.—Aii interesting game. Queeii's Garilbit', which Was : declined)-- hrid; Stewart dovelOped rather a , 'superior-,defence. ■ Later the latter ; wielded - a dangerous-looking attack, tho result of a fon r " earlier moves, but Kiiiniher,' Staved <it ! off arid brought his opponent ..back to tho original-position. //Thus the game stood-at .- .the. adjournment. - - .. t • Dilvieb V. Rev. Fox.—Ruy Lopes: opening.An \bpen game... Rev. Fox < got into trouble on or febout'tho'fifteenth move. About twor ■; mov«3" later / ho. lost' his"qiieen for a rook., Revi Fox.Svefitually- tekigijefl'.oji the twenty-, third move:. ' - ' . Rutlicrfurd. v. ; 5 ConnpU.— I Tins was the shortest fiaind of. the "tdiiViinrnGlit. 1 ( Connell - adopted the French defence to .Rutlicrfurd, -.. who relied oh the sahio attack in which , Kumme'r.,was successful against him. Council was not to ho caught agaiU) howpver,,. and twice tripped, his opporicht. On the; sixth move Connell secured a piece, followed by an exchange of queens, - and forced . Itutherfurd's rpsigriatioii on the 'thirteenth • unove in sixteen minutes.- , -. liarnos v. Mason.—Ruy Lopez opening. Barries gradually worked up a very strong attack, which- Mason' defended - accurately.! \ " chessy "/g&riio ensued, Mason cleverly' extricated lumstlf ,fron» his difficulties, and a draw was agreed to on the 42nd move. ; / „ NINTH ROUND. Barnes .vi.Conriell.—A Danish Gambit' opening.. Barnes sacrificed a bishop and knight . for, a robki' and maiiitaiiied a stout defence. The game Was ndj&urncd. /Kuihmter v.! Mason. —The-first PetrolT dc- . fence ofi! tho tournament. The. game, owing , to Mi;4Mason's indisnositioiii was adjourned when only some 1C or IS moves had beenmade.. llutherfilrd v. -' Stowart.-rStewart played a Potrpff defence ; .but Ru tlicrfurd had a strong / attack, and the game : at- the adjournment , stood fairly even. ... . . . , James v." Rev; Fox.—The Vienna opening, , and Mieso's variation. Rev. Fox played weak-"/ ,l,v and..lost, a niecc/ At .the adjournment" James had a knight and a pawn to the good. Selling v., Freeman.—Queen's pawn open- , ing and a somewhat unusual dcfeilco by Mr. 'Freoman. The latter being indisposed an early adjournment was made, the game at the time being -in an interesting stage: , THE POSITION. At tho end of tho eighth round the pod--tioii of the' players waS as follows:— ■'< Won. Lost. Davies ... ■«.. .... -7 -< I■/ Kelling ... ... . .... 6 1 . ..Mason . ... 5J 1} ' ' James •... 4 3 Stewart 2V , Freeman. ... ~,'|'3 . 3 ICummcr ... : 2i ■ "fi • Council 2i 4i liarnos 9 - . llutliorfurd ... 2 6 •Fox ... ... v .. 0 7 - Two . games, however, remained to be fin. ished, -.via.Barnes v. Frocmah. fend Stewart v. Kummor,