CHESS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 63, 9 December 1918, Page 3

CHESS

WELLINGTON CLUB. The play-off between Messrs. A. W. 0. Davies and W. 15. Mason for the championship of the Wellington Chess Clnb was concluded last week. Mason won the fourth game, and Davies scored the fifth (in which Mason declined the King's gambit, and lost two pawns a weak move in the early stages). Davies thus won tho club championship, having scored three'wins to Mason's one. (The tiunl game was drawn, and' did not count.) By winning both the club's 1018 tourneys (handicap and chnmpionship), Davies 6coied the fame "double" that Mr. G. P. ArJorson recently scored in the South Wellington Chess Club, and Mr. J. C. Grierson scored in the Auckland Chess Club. Including two matches played by telegraph, Davies has this •year put up the line club record of 29 wins, 4 draws, and cne loss—the sole reverse being the fourth game in the playoff with Mason referred to above. He well deserved the round of applause accorded him by the twenty players present at the conclusion of the match on Saturday evening. In playing off outstanding games in the championship tourney, wins have been scored by Purchas (2) and Barnes, while the game Godtschalk v. James was drawn. The best tallies are now as follow:—Davies and Mason each 14-1, Kelling 10J-3}, Barnes lflHi. Qodtschalk SJ-3J, James 9-6, Purehas 7J-S}, Still' GJ-sj, and W. Mackay GJ-Gl. Only a dozen games are now outstanding, and it is hoped to dispose of these before the Christmas holidays. WORKING MEN'S CLUB. This club's annual handicnp chess tourney is now completed, the scores of those who have won 50 per ceut.'or more of their gamos being as follow;—

Thetie for third prize is to be played off this week. Mr. Barnes is to be congratulated on adding one more triumph to his formidable and ever-gTowing list of successes. By annexing the first prize two years in succession he wins the Staples Cup outright. The winners of this handsome trophy have been as follow :-B. J. Barnes, 1899, 1901, 1917, and 1918; P. K. Kelling, IS9B, 1900, and 1903; W. Brown, 1902; and H. Douglas, 1916. Mr. W. Brown, the 1902 winner, recently returned to New Zealand, having decided not to settle in Sydney, where he found the hot weather very trying. He. is now SO years of age, and is the only survivor of those who competed for the New Zealand championship at the congress of 1888-9. The wins,of Mr. Barnes are the most meritorious, being the only ones obtained from the scratch mark. . NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION. The question ot resuming championship congresses (which have not been held since Christmas, 1914, owing to .the war) was discussed at last Tuesday's' 1 meeting of the New Zealand Chess Association. It was generally considered that, as the war ie virtually at an end, theso" congresses should be resumed as soon as possible. As the next championship contest will generally be known or regarded as a "peace tourney," several delegates suggested Easter as the most appropriate time for holding the tourney (Easter Monday falls on April 21). In order to bring the matter before the affiliated clubs, Mr. J. A. Connell (Gisborne) moved that a championship congress be held next Easter, either at Wellington or at Masterton.- Such a contest would reestablish tho championship title, which first came into being on September 1, 1879 (when the late Mr. Henry Hookhain, of Christchureh, became New Zealand's first champion), and which has been vacant since January 1, 1916. A further meeting of tho association is to bo held on December 21 to finally consider and determine this matter.

Class. Won. Lost. Barnes I li White, W IV 10 2 Fftulknor, S V. 9-3 Long, H.Ji X 9 3 Larking VIII 7 5 Wild V 6 6 Costello XI 6.6