CHESS NOTES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2800, 19 June 1916, Page 9

CHESS NOTES

■ 1 ?• ■ ■. , CANTERBURY V. WELLINGTON . MATCH, .. - . ; When play in the above 13-aside tele-J giaphic watch ceased on May 27, nine fames were completed, each side scoring •11 points. The result of the match consequently depended on the three unfinished games, which were sent to Auckland to Lo adjudicated on by Messrs. Davies, Grierson, and' Miles, ,the local members of the New Zealand Adjudication Board.' 'L'heir decisions are now to hand. They axe unanimous in. declaring $ draw boards il and 32, and by a tivo to one verdict " a draw is also announced at board 4. The result-of tho match is con-' sequently a tie, each side scoring foul! wins and 4 draws, this being, curiously enough, exactly the samo finish as j.n the first match (played in 1879). The play at the three"boards referred to above was as follows;— '

Board 4. Stil! (W.C.C.) v. Nightingale (C,C,C.)—Centre Opening.—An even garao' no far as material is concerncd, but the position is overwhelmingly in favour of still, it being thought locully that there is no satisfactory defonce for his opponent. Mr. Dimes minuted a win for whit® (Still), but his colleagues preferred to give black (Nightingale) the benefit of the doubt, and tEis game consequently pusses into history as a draw by a majority verdict, \ Board U. - ShilUto (C.-C.C.) v. H. A. Ward (W.C.C.). Three Knights* Ganib.— The latter emerged from the mid-game with practically equal forces, having a bishop and two pawns in exchange ft* his lost rook. There dill not appear to be (i win for either side, and the three adjudicators'wore unanimous iu ' deciding to call this game a draw: Board 12. 'i'yer (W.C.C.) v. Black (C.C.C.). Queen's Gambit Declined.Tlie former pressed , a lively attack, but only mado a pawn out of it,'his'opponent putting up a first-class defence. As both kings wore exposed and liable to attack, by queens, supported by bishops, of opposite colour, the local player's extra pawn was valueless, and the ariudicators had no difficulty in also making this game a draw. Tho full score of this match is tSerfr foro as .follows.(Canterbury first in each case) Severno 1, Barnes 0; Cumberworth 0. W. E. Mason lj H. Kennedy i, W. Maokay j; Nightingale }, Still >5; Lovell Smith o,'Kelling 1; Woodford 0, Foully 1; Joyce 1, Barraud U; Gourlay 0, S. Gyles 1; Hawkins 1, S. Mackay I); tisuit 1, Fell 1); Shillito J, H. A. Ward .}; Black J. Tjer i. Totals, (i each.

Of tho ten matches played between these clubs, five have been won by Wellington, two by Canterbury, and three hnve ended in u ; tie. The following shows tho results of tho various 1879—A tie, each side scoring 6 points. 1883—Wellington won by 6 games to 1: won by sJ.games to 4} 1887—Ca,nt3rbury won by 8| games to 3*. 1892—A tie, each sido scoring 7-J points. 1894—Wellington won by 8J to (it. 1913—Wellington, won by G.j to 31. 1914—Wellington.won by 7i to 2j. 1915—Canterbury won by 7 to '5. 1916—A tie, each side scoring (I points.

It is 50 years ago to-day since the first chess.match by telegraph was played in New Zealand, viz.", a two-game match be. tween Christchurch and ,Nelson. -The telegraph lino between these two. centres had just been completed, and tho idea of the match first occurred to the late Mr. Charles Jnnion, who was then on the staff of the Nelson "Examiner," a paper that, by the way, was oiio of tho finest in the colony in those days. Three players consulted in each centre, and both games wero ultimately won by Christchurch. It is proposed to mark the jubilee with' a similar match between the Canterbury and Nelson Chess Clubs, and negotiations have been in hand for some time past. Although the Canterbury Club is a very strong one, it is expected that a great fight will bo put up by the Nelson Club, whose trio includes Messrs. liodfls and Sa'insbury, two players who are well known through their fine showings in several New Zealand Championship Congresses. . •