THE CHESS CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1638, 3 January 1913, Page 6

THE CHESS CONGRESS.

NINTH ROUND CONCLUDED. GYLES LEADING. ' (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Nclsin, January 2. Tho eighth round of the; chess championship tourney was concluded with this morning's session. Following are the details "of'.play:— Keliing v. Maunsell.—lCelling opened with'[the Ruy Lopez, Maunsell at move i advancing the .king's bishop's pawn. Kelliiig took full'advantage of this weak movei and brought off a'mate on his eighth move. Mason v. .Cole.—ln this game the queeii's pawn .opening was played, and Mason won a pawn early, but Colo Was able']to prevent Mason from castling. Not longiiafter, Mason, by an; exchange of rooks; ; won a Second pawn, getting in a strori i attack. Cole sacrificed a knignt, hoping to get a mating position; The comhination was, not sound, arid he Was forcel to exchange queens, resigning on his thirty-fifth move. x Barnes v. Sainsbury.—The. opening was the (jue'en's ,Gambit declined. .The game developed .'.steadily,' every piece being .brouijht into play.. An exchange of ,pieces in ti.e middle game' left 'tgainsfinry's queeii pawn weak. This pawn was the centra of piny for 'sotoe time, , and-it at last fell to'Bafnes's attack. With a pawn!?up, Barnes skilfully conducted' the end';game, and won on the fifty-first move; ' i.

Janes y. Griersonl—James opened with the jFienna game,' Grierson . playing a variation, which led to the exchango of queens on. the sixth move. As the game proeiessed, the pieces on each:side were well j massed : for support. - James made a threatening move with a. bishop's' pawn,' but j'Qrierson: exchanged/pieces. 'On the thirtieth move: Grierson'6 rook at king's sixthjbecame troublesome.': Ho failed to win,it knight leftforhim, but modestly 'took I'a pav:n. In : the end game. Grierson was iible to make good his passed pawns, and ;James -resigned. ■ .: '. .. . Hiiks Gyles.—Hicks opened with the the. i i King's 'Bifchop's Gambit, :'• wbich Gyles 1 - did not accept. On the seventh . move, Gyles made a: strong attacking, .move, knight, to. knight's fifth, 1 ! Hicks making, a good reply. The lattei:._ offered a bishop to enable him to get liis pawn, to knight's seventh. The sacriiiee : proved - unsound, and although ho pjayed very skilfully lie could not do betfe: than come out of the ordeal with a rook | 'against Gyles's bishop, and' knight. GylefT was able to;, win' two' pawns,-' and thenii sacrifice his knight for . Hioks's remairiing 'pawns. ; Bein" left with a rook against a bishop and lour pawns," Hicks resigned after a memorable game. ' - Severne v.' Dodds.—Dodds replied ~ to Seveine'B opening with the centre-counter gam tit. _ Severne castled . early on the queeit's side, and Dodds quickly advanced pawris and <i knight to this 'flank. Severne made,' a counter-attack, .which, caused Dodds to alter- his' line of play.'- - In the middle game' Severne , threatened to win tho exchange, and Dodds sacrificed the rookj.for two pawns, and got a fierce attack. Severne' ,was- cnabled to conduct his ling to safety, and although Dodds kepthup some'-pressure'.the former was able |to build up an attack at the time- iof . the fidjournmcnt, looks., promising. j|The game will bo;finished later. : I: Ninth Round. Gyles v. Mason.—Mason adopted the Morjihy defence to Gyles's Etiy Lopez. .Mascn, with command of queen's tile, exchanged minor pieces, leaving - two. isolated, pawns opposed on the ;queen's 6ide.H" Mason won a- pawn, and .doubled Gyleii's ■ king's- pawns, -but • Gyles, with good!- knight ■ play,: ,won the exchange and ,j recaptured two panns. ■; He kept his pieces well-supported, and Mason, after keeping his opponent at bay, made a move which gave Gyles a great advantage still, Gyleii: winning a well-fought game. Grierson v. -Barnes.—Barnes replied with I the Sicilian, defence, and early exchanged' pieces, leaving Grierson with a. latei; exchange of pieces. Barnes- "won, back;his pawn, retaining a Knight against' Grieison's.bisMSp. T'he end game, a rook and jfour paivns apiece, >vas evenly' contested,: and ended in a draw. i , v. James.—James opposed Mauasell's opening with the; Petroff Defencn. James gave up.his,icing's'pawn randjlpiled up an attack, but could not . breal: 'down Mann sell's 'defence.'A gen-' eral j exchange 'of pieces left Maunsell still with;.a pawn to the good, but with a' bishiip -against a knight, his superior position enabled him to force a "win. ; Sainsbnry v; Dodds.—Sainsbiiry opened with|his favourite variation of the Guipco Piaiio,. and obtained a ,-good attack. Dodds . quickly , set up a counter-attack andljpressed it very, strongly. - In . the middle game Dodds captured a pawn,'but lost|;the' capturing - knight. From '.this poirij;. a great-fight took place, but as neither could force the. pqsitionthey, agruid upon a draw. So-.-erno v. Hicks.—Hicks again played the j Centre Counter Gambit. He - took command of the open queen's file with a rook; changing off -the queens and giving up a bishop for a knight. Severne played very cautiously, but Hicks on two occasions managed to win a pawn. _ Tho end i; game, which is still unfinished, is standing in favour of Hicks. Cole v. Kelling.—These riltfyers adopted the JZukertort game. Colo'quickly developed his pieces, Kel'ling being content to capture a "pawn witliout c-astling. Cole brought" a great jack to'- bear on lielling's king- wing.' Kelling had difficulty in replyiiig to this, but by ; gradual developmeni; wore ,his opponent'.into defence,*' and a peiiies of 'exohanges left Kelling. with a piecii to the good. Cole Mmld not'prevent defeiit,. nnd resigned onithe thirty-second movii. -' -- ■ '■ Thio position of the players at the end of tlie ninth round is as,follows ■' I- , . Won. Drawn.Lost.Points. Gyles G 12 61 Hicks' 5 ?. 1 6 Grierson ...5 ; 2, -.1. • B Barnes 6 ~1- 2 5J Kelling 5 1 2 5J ;Miison i 1. . i <s' Se'/eine"3 *"2: '24. ■ Cole ................ 3 1 5' '31 Didds .'... 3 ,1 iy: , 31 Salnsbnry 2' ,2 5 3 Mliunsell 2 0 7 , ,2 James 0 2 ' 7 1