CHESS TOURNAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1328, 4 January 1912, Page 5

CHESS TOURNAMENT.

NINTH ROUND. (By Telegraph-Press AE.socia.tibn.> „., . , Napier, January 3. the ninth round of tho Dominion Chess Championship began this afternoon, and nnished shortly after 10 p.m. • bainsbury beat James,'" Mites boat Mason, Gyles beat Kelling, Connell beat Jones, Jourdain and Hicks a draw, fc'everno and Gricrson a draw. Samsbury (white) v. James (black).— James adopted the Sicilian defence. Both players followed the book for some moves, but on his ninth James left a. knight unsupported, which Sainsbury captured, oainshliry pressed his advantage,' and mated on tho eighteenth move. Gyles (white) v. Kelling (black).-G.rles played the, four knights game, and- sacrificed the exchango at move 15, leaving his opponent a choice of evils. Kelling chose an end gamo with a knight down, but an oversight at move 30 terminated his rearguard action, and he resigned foithwith.

Council (white) v. Jones (black).—The iaikbecr counter gambit was tried, and at move 9 black gave white a. chanco of winning a piece, but white continued on quiet lines. The struggle centred on black s pawn at king's sixth. This fell to white, who by a. threatened mate at king s rooks seventh won black's kind's bishop. Black's attempt to win back tho piece proved unsound, and after a series of exchanges white was two bishops to the good. A combination .of rooks and the. two bishops forced the black's king into a. mating position, a king's knight square mate following on tho forty-sixth move.

Miles (white) v. .Mason (black): Tho latter defended the queen's gambit with a couuter attack of pawn to bishop's four, and after the pawns were exchanged pushed on the pawn to queen's five, driving Miles's knight to king's four, resulting in exchan'go of knight for bishop. Interesting play followed, Miles advancing his pawns on the king's side, and Mason establishing a strong centre, with rooks and queen. At the twenty-first move, Mason captured a pawn with a knight, and this enabled Miles to attack the knight with queen and look. Tho knight having no escape, was captured, and this left Mason with an inferior game. Miles was able to establish a strong position on tho king's side, thereupon Mason counterattacked with rook and knight, but Miles played accurately, and was able to capture black's advanced .queen's pawn with his bishop. This led to a series of exchanges, and Mason was left with his king in an exposed position, with mate threatened. Thereupon ho resigned. Jourdain (white) v. Hicks (black): This was the first queen's gambit accepted in the tourney. In attempting to retain the gambit pawn Hicks was lauded in difficulties in the enrlics stages. As on previous occasions, he ';iia"dc"an ' excellent 1 - recovery, and JoWdain had to give up an exchange to get rid of a troublesome attack. After a, general exchange of pieces a desperato end-game between rook, three pawns, and a bishop and three pawns kept a roomful of spectators in excited surprise till late in the evening. After .much manoeuvring each player was left with a king and two pawns, and the gauio resulted in a draw on move CG.

Sevcruc (white) v. _Gricrson (black). — Sicilian defence, but, through departing from the usual modo of development by transposition moves, Grierson got an unsatisfactory position, from which Severne should have won a pawn. Not seeing all there was in it he gave Grierson an opportunity of emerging with an even game. The pieces were reduced two rooks and five pawns each, and positions were so equal that nothing could be dono but agree to draw on the thirtyseventh move. '" The positions at the close of the ninth round and the day's play are as follow:— Games played. Won. Lost. Drawn. Pts. Hicks 9 5 13 6J Grierson ... 0 4 1 46 Jourdaiu ... 9 i 2 3 51 Gyles ...... 9 5 3 1 5} Masou ... 9 4 2 3 5J Sainsbury ... 9 4 3 2 5 Kelling ... 9 3 3 3 i\ Miles 9 3 3 3 4 Severne ... 9 1 3 5 3j James 9 . 2 4 3 Sh Jones 91 6 2 s" Connell ... 9 2 7 0 2