CHESS CONGRESS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 86, 5 January 1935, Page 4

CHESS CONGRESS

Four Games Yet to be Played WINNER STILL UNCERTAIN By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch. January 4. With only four games still to be played in the New Zealand chess championships, it is not yet possible to pick the winner. Those at present in the lead are K. Beyer, SJ points; J. A. Erskine. 8 points, and A". AV. Gyles, S points. Erskine has still two games to play and Gyles one, while Beyer has completed his series. The remaining matches are: Erskine v. E. 11. Severne in the sixth final roundj Gyles v. Erskine and Severne v. F. K. Kelling in the seventh final round, and Severne v. L. J. Darwin in the eighth final round. It is not possible for Severne to win the championship, but the result of his game against Erskine may very well vitallv affect the issue. Interest this evening centred in this game, which bad been adjourned previously and was again adjourned at the conclusion of the day’s play. The game throughout was most even, and the present position at the fifty-sixth move shows an equality of pieces. M ith Erskine on attack, the final result will depend upon this unfinished game, and the one between Gyles and Erskine. There were no surprises in to-day's play. Beyer gained an easy victory over Abbott, and Gyles won from Severne after an even and hard-fought game. Gyles also won against Kelling. Results are: —

Fourth final round : Gyles beat Severne. Seventh final round: Le Petit beat Abbott ; Watt drew with Scott. Eighth final round: Gyles beat Kelling; Erskine beat Hicks; Le Petit drew with Watt; Beyer beat Abbott. Following are the notes on the games (white names mentioned first): — Fourth Final Round. Gyles v. Severne. Gyles adopted the Ruy opening, allowing his queen’s bishop to be exchanged for a knight. On the thirteenth move Severne had an opportunity of sacrificing a pawn for a promising attack, but being short of time he did not venture. On move 32 Gyles won a pawn and maintained tho pressure. Severne threatened with the Joss of a piece, freed his game by a sacrifice of two pawns, enabling him to set up a good attack. Gyles, however, who was now playing up to his old form, defended carefully, and gradually made his extra pawns tell, and by a neat manoeuvre he threatened to queen a pawn. Severne resigned on the sixty-first move after a hard-fought battle. Seventh Final Round Abbot v. Le Petit (Queen’s Gambit Declined). The game developed on orthodox lines, but on the sixteenth move Abbott made a slip which cost him a piece. After a few more moves white resigned a hopeless game. Walt v. Scott (French Defence). — Watt played the exchange variation. Play was "even until tho sixteenth move, when Scott gave up a pawn for what proved to be an unsound attack. A draw was agreed to on the thirty-second move. Eight Final Round. Gyles v. Kelling (Ruy Lopez Opening, Steinitz Defence). —Gyles secured the better pawn formation in the opening stages, this enabling him to institute a us&'ul attack, which gained him the exchange at move 24. Keeping up the pressure in good style, he scored the game at move 37 when Kelling resigned, as he had to lose a knight.

Hicks w. Erskine (Sicilian Defence). — Hicks played an old-fashioned variation and a close game resulted. Both players showed excessive caution. On move 25 Erskine commenced an attack with the advance of his king-side pawns. He won a pawn and got his two bishops in action, winning the exchange on move 41. Hicks resigned on the next move. Le Petit v. Watt (Queen’s Pawn Opening).—The game opened on rather unusual lines, Watt castling early on the king’s side. Le Petit delayed castling for some time and then castled on the queen’s side. From this a series of exchanges resulted and Le Petit obtained command of the queen’s file, but owing to the "splendid defence of Watt, he could not break through. A draw was agreed to on move 37. . Beyer v. Abbott (Queen’s Gambit Declined). —The game advanced evenly until the twentv-second move, when Abbott won a pawn, but then lost a piece and resigned.