CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1011, 29 December 1910, Page 6

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

FOURTH :ROUND' CONCLUDED. " W. E. MASON; IN THE LEAD. j (By . Teleeraph;—Press Association,) ' J . 'Tirharu, December.. 28/ ! .The New.Zealand.'Chess• Championship tourney was continued tu-dajvtiie third and fourth rounds of .'matches' being ished.. Detailis' of the. play ' are:' Third Bound. Pox v. Becl:- v (Ruy 'Lopez) .-'-The'. continuation o{ ; this-game, was not artistic- 1 ally conducted by. Fox, whose overwhelming force should have-prevailed long before tho sixtieth; move,' at • which he announced mate.- • Gytes v. '>Jara (Scotch Gambit).—Mara failed to make the most of his .position and;,a blunder' on' his part permitted I Gyles to queen; and win. .. • •••» • flicks V; Davies (Falkbeer Counter).— On resuming at; an' eved position Hicks was pushed'for;a time and in'a series of hurriedemoves played to win: a pawn, overlooking Davies's. counter , scheme. Davies queened and won on the sixtieth move.- •••". Ciriers'on v., W, -E. . Mason (Queen's Gambit;-declined).—As- indicated,- Mason secured another .pawn—an irresistible attack—to. which- the' Aucklauder .succumbed on the forty-fourth' move. . v. J. Mason (French Defence). — T° gam necessary- time, MaSon sivooped off'knights.'and rooks/'and theii offered a draw,' which-Barnes declined, probably for the that Mason's clock-was Hearing" the zenith' with .five moves to get ;iri. •'No'alteratibh in force "occurred" tip. ito 'the adjournment hour, - and the game staiids over • with a' queen and six pawns on .the board.. .• •

. Fourth Bound. J. Mason v. "Davies (Two . Knights De.fence).—Davies, appears to have dropped his penchant for risky sacrifices - and'llls treatment of this detehce led'to . one of tho: most ' interesting games played, so far. _ His opponent' avoided , risks, but sacrificed.a rook ;fbr the bishop and two pawns, ■ ■ which ■ - increased complication's, and both- being'pushed, for time -checks and counter-checks were repeated .to get level: with the"'clocks i aud a draw .'.'was agreed . upon,, though' 'neither claimed '■'. it under, the'-riiles. '" ' • ' ■' E. Mason v.: Barnes'(Queen's Gambit declined).—Barnes's reply. to this gambit was ; jVlbiri's "Counter, but 1 Mason soon got.' oil-, the .track,'.and an interesting, game, developed eveiily„'.until Mason obtained a.: strategicsposition which 'at once '.brought' all' his - inert .force ! into action, , and' Barnes's/ defence collapsed for want, of the necessary combination. Mason's 1 , play throughout the tourney has been" forceful and sound. Hicks .v. Grierson (Sicilian Defence).— A carefully-played.' game emerged' from ;fjhe;,'eSrly "stages' with a pawn advantage W : Hicks', who maintained a steady, though not fierce,. attack on the' King's side. Griers.on's .strategy was weakened; by " the.' '.defence adopted aud' he ' reached' the final stage minus two pawns,' the. remaining ones being isolated with only the bishop to support. , This advantage , prevailed in :Hicks's favour. on the 63rd move. .. • . Mara v. Dunloo fßuy Lopez).—Both players must have been studying the re T ceiit' Lasker-Schlechter match, as, for a dozen moves or so, one of these games was followed identically. Mara was the first to depart frorii. the precedent, and lost a pawn in consequence, but regained it." The game then proceeded evenly, and' •eiidcd in a draw. ...'Beck' -y, Gyles. (Scotch game).—Beck, 'nlayed. more., solidly,' and successfully '•fenced ;"an .'ugly-looking attack on . the, King's protecting oawns, emerging with-a ; ' good game fromtheencounter. To'stall off the threatened mate in one he had only to make one palpable defensive move and. gain, one '.of two isolated pawns en prise.: instead he took one and mate followed, his error. .Fox, a bye. ' ', : .. The adjourned'second: round game between Barnes and Davies was resumed "at a, late hour, and pursued to the. ninetyfifth move, when Barnes resigned. The- score-at'the .conclusion of -the, fourth round is as follows: — : . Won. .Lost., TTn- , . finished-. ... ,W,.E. Mason,-........ 4 .-' 0 0. . 3)svics .. 3t \ 0 "Gyles .'1 0 "Hnnlop 2 • 1-0 Mara 2 2 0 Rev. Fox -■ 11 H 0 ■T.. Mason . H H 1 - Hicks -H 2\ 0- . Barnes' . 1 ,2i': 1 . . Peck .- 0 :3 • 0 . Griersoiio 4 0 -