CHESS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 242, 1 July 1918, Page 11

CHESS

THE WELLINGTON CLUB. The Wellington Cheas Club is 42 years old to-day, lniyins benn founded on July 1, 187 G. Its ina>l g\iration was the outcome of a dinner that was held in the old Panama Hotel after a match, "Town T. Civil Service"—a fixture that in those days was popular in football as well as in chess circles. I'ho canvass for membership iuid the arranging of other preliminaries were very effectively carried out by Mr. W. F. Barnaul (who is still omi of the club's active member.*)), and the late Mr. Edward Reeves, who died at Island Bay a few years ago. Mr. George Hunter, M.F., was the firet president, and tho earliest meetings wore held in a room over his offices that he kindly placed nt the club's disposal. 'J'he club's first match, played in the month following the foundation, wns against a very strong Parliamentary team that inolnded the TT,ons. John Ballance nnd John Bryce (both of Wanganni), Dr. Greenwood (Nelson), and Messrs W. L. I?ees and H. H. Luek (both of Auckland). This hard fought contest occupied efeveral evenings and finally ended in a win for the Parliamentarians by a small margin. Tho club's first telegraphic match wns played against Canterbury in 187!), and ended in a tie, each side scoring six points. It proved as enjoyable and exciting as that played a fortnight ego, the- verdict of which <lenends.upon the adjudications 'of four unfinished ganies that aro now being mode in Dunedin, In the club's earliest years it'was customary to. open the seasmi with a simultaneous match, Itr. C. TV. Benbow, the club chnmpion, playing nll-comere, and scoring heavily from them. This contest was naturally a great draw, Mr. .Benbow having won etray games from such "giants" aa Messrs Blackburne nnd Rosenthal before loaving Birmingham, where he earned fame as an exceedingly strong exponent of "tho royal game." For years after his arrival from England he wns tho dominant personality of New Zealand chess. In October, 1887, he played two drawn games with Count Heydebrand nnd der Laea, a German ambassador, who was one of. the famous Berlin Pleiades and who only a few yeara Wore had been accounted "the first living authority on the theory of chess." Herr Vnnder Lnen, who was paying Wellington a flying visit, is easily the strongest chess visitor that New Zealaud has had. When Mr. Bonbow died in March, 1908, ho had been president of tho club for nearly thirty years. The club has received sixteen entries for its championship tourney, which commences on Wednesday as follows:— Barnes v. Jamas, CL'irk v. Purchas, Still v. Godschalk, Styles v. Tyesr, W. Mackay v. Lee, Want v.. Mason, Anderson v. Davics and Fouhy v.' Kelling. The first named has the move in eauh case. It is many years since the club last held a scratch "tourney, and more than ordinary interest consequently attaches to the present contest, which is .virtually an all-Wellington championship tourney. There are ten entvics to date for tlio club's annual handicap tourney, and it is expected that nioro 'nnnies will. be handed in. . ,