CHESS CONGRESS
J. A. Erskine Champion DRAW IN LAST ROUND Beyer and Gyles Tie For Second Place •By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, January 0. A drawn game in the last round of the New Zealand chess championship between J. A. Erskine, Southland, and A. W. Gyles, Wellington, made Erskine the Dominion champion for 1935. At the begininng of play en Saturday the tournament was in an interesting position, it being then impossible to forecast the winner with any certainty. A game had to be completed between .Severne and Erskine. Severne’s resignation from this game, which lasted for seven hours 35 minutes. and extended over three sittings, left Erskine with nine points and one further game to play against Gyles, who had scored eight points. Next in order were K. Beyer, Wellington, with 84 points, and J. B. Dunlop, Otago, with 74 points, both these players having no further games to play.
In the afternoon, in addition to the Erskine-Gyle's game, Severne and F. K. Kelling, Wellington, played their games in the seventh final round. Results are as follow: — Sixth final round: Erskine beat Severne. Seventh final round: Kelling beat Severne. Eighth final round: Erskine drew with Gyles. One game has still to be played in the last round, between Severne and L, J. Darwin, Canterbury champion, but this has no bearing on the final result The positions of the leading players, which will remain unaltered by the single game still to be played, are as follow: — Erskine, 94 points ; Beyer, Si points ; Gyles, Si points; Dunlop, 7-J points; Le Petit. 64 points; Abbott, 54 points. Following are notes on the games (white names mentioned first) : — Sixth Final Round. Severne v. Erskine (Sicilian defence: : This proceeded on the line favoured by Rubenstein and Tarkatover. Severne weakened his game by injudicious exchanges, and when the major force had been reduced to two rooks and a bishop against Erskine’s two rooks and a knight, and each player had four pawns, the bishop was completely shut out of play for the rest of the game. In the end game Erskine was able to make full use of his king in battling forward with the pawns, and he forced a win at move 76 with a rook and a queened pawn against rook and knight. Seventh, Final Round. Kelling v. Severne (Ruy Lopez opening) : After rescuing a threatened pawn, Kelling got his pawns well posted in a major oblique formation. In endeavouring to break up this position, Severne unfortunately allowed a knight to be captured, doubtless owing to fatigue from the-long and arduous day’s play. This enabled Kelling to force the ending and win at move 53. Erskine v. Gjles: This game between two former New Zealand champions was the decisive game of the tournament._ At the beginning of play Gyl.es had eight points and Erskine nine points, it being thus necessary for Erskine to win. or draw to make certain of the championship. Erskine played a queen’s pawn opening, to which Gyles opposed the K r lKB3 defence. From the tenth move both players attempted to force a better position. Erskine advanced his two knigh's well into the firing line, Gyles having tn adopt simple defensive tactics. By the twentieth move Erskine had established a promising position on attack, while Gyles was attempting .to counter op the queen's wing by. advancing the queen’s rook’s pawn. Erskine ignored the threat and advanced his queen wed forward. At this stage Gyles s more powerful pieces rather cramped on defence, but Erskine had a free game and scope for good tactical play. His main object appeared to be to mass his mobile pieces against Gyles’s queen s bishop's pawn, which at that time was the weak spot in Gyles’s game.' Gyles's defence, however, was sound, though cramped. At this point Gyles made his first attempt to drive back Erskine's more, forward knight by advancing his king's bishop’s pawn, threatening the knight. A most interesting and complicated game was being evolved, worthy o.f the occasion. Erskine retired his threatened knight to a safe square, and maintaining a free game attacked vigorously.. The retirement of Erskine's knight relieved the pressure on Gyles's queens bishops pawn, and strengthened his counter-at-tack.
tip to this stage the issue was quite uncertain, and both men were playing very line chess. Late in the middle game, however, Gyles attempted to force an opening, ami in doing so lost a pawn. Erskine, being thus a' pawn to' the goo I. decided not to risk playing for a win ami accepted Gyles's offer of a draw.
Championship Winners. Following is :i list of championship winners : — 1879 II Ilookliam Chrlstehureli la) 1888-80 A M. Ollivier Christchurch (b) 1880-00 H. Ilookliam Christchurch 180(1-01 It. J. Barnes Wellington 1801-02 F. V. Siedcbcrg Dunedin 1892- F. V. Sledeberg Dunedin 1893- J. Edwards Wellington (c) 1894- W. Mackay Wellington (li) 1895- IV. Meldrum . Itangltikei 1890-07 It. J. Barnes Wellington 1897- It. J. Barnes Wellington 1898- It. A. Cleland Dunedin (d) 1900* W E. Mason Wellington 1901* D. Forsvtli Dunedin (e) 19017 It. .1. Barnes Wellington 1902- .1. C. Grierson Auckland 1903- W. E Mason Wellington 1904- A. W. <>. Davies Wellington 1905- K. J. Barnes Wellington (g) 1900-07 W. 8. Viner I’erth (W.A.) (J) 1908* A. W. O. Davies Wellington 1908- F. K. Helling Wellington 1909- .1. Mason Wellington 1910- W. B. Mason Wellington 1911- W. B. Mason Wellington 1912- J. G. Grierson Auckland (k) 1913- W. B. Mason Wellington 1914- F. K. Belling Wellington 1910-17-18-19—Title vacant owing to war. 1919- W. B. Mason Wellington 1920- J. B. Dunlop Oaniaru 11121-22 .1. B. Dunlop Oaniaru 1922- .1. B. Dunlop Oaniaru 1923- S. Crakanth-'OP Sydney (N.SAV.) 1924- C. ,1. S. I’urdy Sydney (N.a.W.) lir’s-20 S Crakantliorp Sydney (N.5.W..) 1920-27 A. W. <>. Davies Auckland 1927- A W. O. Davies Auckland (f) 1928- J.' A. Erskine Melbourne (Vic.) 1929- G Gundersen Melbourne (vic.) 1930- A. W. Gyles Wellington *931-21 G. Gundersen Melbourne (vie.) li)3"-33 M. E. Goldstein London 1933- .1. B. Dunlop - Dunedin 1934- J. A. Erskine Southland ♦Easter. jChristnias. (a) Mr. Henry Ilookliam died in Christchurch on November 24. 1898: aged 74 years. (b) Mr. Arthur Morton Ollivier died in Christchurch on October 20. 1897: aged 47 years. (c) Mr Joseph Edwards died in Dunedin on July 25. 1922; aged 05 years. (d) Mr It A. Cleland died in Dunedin on July (1. 11123; aged GO years. (e) Mr. David Forsyth died in Dunedin on December 30, 1990: aged 55 years. (f) Mr. A. W. O. Davies died in Auckland on January 10. 1928; aged 52 years. The title was vacant tor the remainder of the year. This is the first occasion of a champion dying in possession of the New Zealand title. (g) Mr It. J. Barnes died in Wellington on‘January 7. 1929; aged (18 years. th) Mr. W. Mackay died in Wellington on April 9 1933: aged 69 years. til Mr W. S Viner died in Sydney, N.S.W.. on March 27, 1933, aged 51 years. (k) Mr. J. C. Grierson died in Auckland on. February, 5,1033; aged 76 years, ,
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19350107.2.71
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 87, 7 January 1935, Page 8
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,176CHESS CONGRESS Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 87, 7 January 1935, Page 8
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Dominion. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.