CHESS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 100, 21 January 1918, Page 3

CHESS

THE WELLINGTON OLUB. Last week's play in the abore club's 1917 Petherick Tourney settled the custody of tho Petherick Trophy, No. 2, for _tho ensuing twelve months, the lending scores being now as follow:— To Class. Won. Lost, play Taylor, E. S. ... IV 11 2 -, Barnes, !{.. J. ... I 8} 3i 1 Purchas, D II 9 4 — Mackay, S IV 8 4 1 Glutton, G. H. V 6} 5{- 1 Faulkner, S. ... V 6 6 1 Hopkins, J. H. IV 4i 4* 4 E. S. Taylor, who only joined the club last Easter, is thus ono of the few players to win a Petherick Tourney at his first attempt. He played for two years in the Ludgato Circus Chess Club, London, in the early 'nineties, but afterwards had practically no chess for about 18 years owing to a lengthy stay in West Africa, far up tho River Niger. He then treked to Australia, getting a. little practice in the years 1912-1-1. Ho next moved to Dunedin, and left in 1915 with the Seventh Reinforcements, as a member of which he got some chess in Egypt. He was* invalided back to New Zealand aftor six months' service, and settled in this city, joining the Wellington Club early last year, as stated above. ' Later in the year he represented his club in tha" annual telegraphic match against the Otago Club, and scored his game. His success is popular and well deserved.

The winners of the l'etberick Tourneys are as follow: —1903, C. W. Tanner (now president of the club); J1904, R. J. Banjos; 1905, A. W. Gyles (win is now doing ambulance work in the Balkan area); 1906, R. J. Barnes; 1907, H. Jessup (now a very promisont member of the Wanganui Club); 190S, R. J. Barnes; 1909, W. E. Mason; 1910, R. J. Barnes; 1911, A. Gylos (father of the 1905 winner); 1912. R, J. Barnes; 1913, W. Cowper Hill (who was killed in France in September, 1916); 1914, W. C. White (of Potone); 1915, no contest; 1916, W. C. ■ White (Petone); and 1917, E. S. Tayfor. It will be noted that while Mr. Barnes, tho club's champion, can show 5 wins (all gained in the "even" years, by the way), no other competitor can snow more thnn one win. By his 1908 win, Mr. Barnes won the Petherick No. 1 trophy (a handsome shield) outright. Tke'No. 2 trophy (silver castle, surmounted by a silver knight), cannot be won outright. The only condition imposed by the Into Mr. E. W. Pothorick, for many years the club's president and a very liberal patron of the game, was that the annual tourney for his trophy was to be a handicap one.