CHESS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 69, 15 December 1919, Page 16

CHESS

CHAMPIONSHIP OF NEW ZEALAND The tournament lo decide the above title is scheduled to commence in Wellington on Boxing Day. Assuming that a nomination has keen posted by tho Napier Chess Club, the entry list is as follows: —F. C. Ewen (Auckland Working Men's Club), F. 11. Smilii 'Gisbornel, 11. A. Hicks (Napier), I. A. Council liUa--terton), W. E. Ma.-on and T. Fouhy (Wellington C.C.). K. .1. Barnes, F. K. .Felling, anil S. Fimlknor (Wellington Working .Men's Cliibj, G. P. Anderson (South Wellington Lindsay (Ngauj C.C.), 1). Wild 1 Wellington Watersideis C. and U. Club). E. 11. Severne (Canterbury C.C.I, and G. F. Itoddf (Nelson C.C.). I; wiil be. seen I hat 'here are fourisen competitors, of v."hem twelve belong lo the North Island and hv:> to Ihe South Island. The last four annual championship tournament." hnve been abandoned owing to the wrr, and contequcntlv more than ordinary it I ere.-' is lying 'taken in the forthcoming oontcsf. The winner of the first prize will, ol course, be the chess champion ol New Zealand—a title that became vacant tour vears ago owing to war conditions, ft Y> several years since :> South .Island competitor won (tiip championship, ami it may here l.". 1 added that (he title has been won twenty times by a. North I«iand representative, seven times by a South Islao! player, a.ml once by an Australian (W. S. Viner. 19(16-7*. This d\«proporlion bohveen Ihe North and South Island:: h the more remarkable because the fir;!, six tourneys only yuule.l one "North Island" win! A few r.o'c: on the presen'-day competitors will be of interest a( this tiinclure. F. C. I'wcn rrcenlly won the Auckland championship afi.:r a hard run with Grierson, Stewart, and IV.keii (previous winners), and >L Moir, the brilliant, vnmig University pla.ver. Auckland (bus has ;1 strcug eaiulidate. So hat Nnpicr, in the person of 12dw.ii A. Kicks, who tied for the Dominion championship at Nelson in 101:1, but lost the nlpy-off after a hard fight with Griersan (Auckland). Hicks has lately had gcod practce at Wairoa with C .Sainstiui'y. a former congress player c.i' note. I. <.. Smith (Waimata Valley) Com])ete<l twice in Ihe earlier nineties, when a resident: of Stanley Brook (Nelsnn). He has given the game considerable study during Ihe past, twenty years, and is look ng forward with much pleasure to the renewal of old association-. • ud the making cf now friendships. .T. A. Connell, ihe Wairarupa champion, learnt (he'game .ift years ago. when a lad. in Ireland. This is therefore his "jubilee year," and h's many friends .will wish him well n.n.l hope to see him at his bsst rigid, through the tourney. Ha has done much for the advancement of chfss in \arious N&w Zealand centres, and was for so;m: years a most energetic h.on wrctarv to the New Zealand Chess Association. ' Mr. Dodd.s recently again won tho Nelson championship, scar ng "the possible" in doing so, viz., S wins, no draws, and 110 losses. This dashing player has twice carried off the. prize in these congresses, beside 'igurin.g iu the orainarv prize list. His form ,11' the Auckland Flxh iiition Congress (IdH) was , especially geed, and. p'.cnscd the critics iminenseiy. K. II Si'verue, tho ('auti'fbury champion, is undoubtedly one of the strongp-t compel iter-. He has won many local and Dominion prizes, and since his return from tho war has lw?n ldav 11 g more strongly than ever, lie has captained the Canterbury team 111 fifteen telegtaphic .mulches, .mid iins only once lest his gi;me. A ' ery high place in the present, contest: teems to bo assured him. Of the Wellington competitors tho best known are Mess;rs. Harass and W. E.. Mason, who have each won the championship on five occasions, wh'cli is easily the New Zea'and record. Their present form is in keeiv ing with their splendid past. Rallies is leading in. the Wellington Club ■■; current chnmp'onship tourney with on'.v one game lo play (Barnes v. James). W. 15. Mason and G. P. Anderson are <«!>• half a point behind him. The latter, ■.vho is the South Wellington nominee, hold flint club's championship in J!)I7 and again iu 1916. IT.is form lias a'so been consistently good in telegraphic and sides matches. F. K. Kellinc, who has got into the Dominion prize list 011 sundrv occasions, is handicapped in lhat he" lacks book-knowledge. In pursuing th> beaut "-' of the i'tid-"a'"p ''as neglected tho more essential study cf the openings. He has only plii.ved in two local tourneys during (he past six vears, and his form this year has left, much to be desired. The Working Men's C'iul! has a very pvomising colt in S. F.'iiilknor, who has come to the front rank very rap illy, One of the many prizes won by iiim during the last few years wa? for gaining more rungs on the 'Weilington Club's ladder than any ether competitor. He lias a very useful knack of "rising to the occasion" when facing a tough opponent. T. Fouhy has a wide knowledge -:>f the theory of the game, and that he can successfully nvx theory with practice is borne out by his tine showing in the Wellington Club's curfonl. championship tourney—especially in the fine game which ho won from Mason, lie :V. an expert solver of difficult problem l ; and end games, and this helps to make him a foeniun to r-e reckoned with. .1. Lindsay (N.gaio) and D. Wild (Wntersiclers' C. and D. Club) are opniments who will t:\lcei a lot irf beating. They have an advanced knowledge of the game, and can be relied on to take prompt advantage of any slip. Wild won the Nga'u Club's 19)5 tourney, and Lindsay was the runner-up in this year's contest. It may 1)3 added thnr six of (be competitors are making their first bid for the champ'onship 011 this oci-i-;io;i, viz.. Messrs. Kwen, Fouhy. Anderson, Faulknor, L'ndsay, and Wild.