NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 72, 22 September 1930, Page 14

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION

QUARTERLY COUNCIL MEETING

A quarterly council meeting o£ the New Zealand Chess Association was held at 64, Gourtenay place on Friday evening, 10th September, when Mr. Brooker (Canterbury Chess Club) occupied the- chair. The following were also present:—'!. Fouhy (Auckland Chess Club), G. A. [Jones Masterton Chess Club), W. Kemble Welch (Palmerston North Chess Club), F. K. Selling (Rotorua Chess Club and Southland Chess Club), E. S. Taylor (Wellington Chess Club), W. J. Fan-burn (Wellington Working Men's Club), E. 13. Hicks (Ngaio Chess Club), J. C. M'Crea and H. Douglas (Otago Chess Club), and W. Toomath (hon. secretary). An -apology was received from Mr. A. W. Gyles (hon. treasurer), who was laid up with a bad cold. The correspondence received since the annual meeting was held in June last included a letter from Auckland, in which the hon. secretary of the Newton Chess Club asked what it would cost to t'.ke up membership, and generally for information regarding the association. Mr. Toomath reported having supplied the desired • information on the 3rd ultimo. The Auckland Chess Club's wish to have a copy of the draft of the revised rules for matches played by telegraph was noted for attention when the revising sub-com-mittee (Messrs. A. W. Gyles, G. A. Jones, and W. Toomath) have presented their report. The hon. secretary of the Rotorua Chess Club wrote stating that his club was prepared to undertake the holding of the next New Zealand championship congress provided the visual support was accorded through a one shilling list, the four larger centres each guaranteeing a minimum of £3, and each smaller affiliated club a minimum of £1. This was unanimously agreed to, and it was.decided to urge each club to put its one shilling list in the hands of an energetic honorary collector, instead of placing it on a notice board. Mr. F. K. Kelling was once more appointed- to take charge of the all-Wellington subscription list. Entries for the championship tournament should reach the hou. secretary, Mr. W. Toomath, not later than the Ist December, as they have to bo passed by the Elimination Board that was set up two years ago, owing to complaints being made that some of the entrants were not up to standard. Each ■ entry must therefore be accompanied by a statement of the entrant's playing record. Each private entry must be accompanied by a fee of £2 2s, half of which is refunded- if the competitor wins 50 per cent, or more lof his games. It is understood that play will, as usual, be commenced on Boxing Day, as some pf the competitors are only able to get limited leave of absence. The Rotorua club is asked to nominate the preisident of the New Zealand Chess AssoIciation for the current year, an office that I was left vacant when the annual meeting was held on 11th June last, as it was I not known then in which centre the an- ! nual championship tourney, would be held. The position of this year's matches for the club championship of the Dominion was reported to be as follows:—Otago Chess Club drew with, the Canterbury Chess Club (10-10), Wellington Chess Club won from Auckland Chess Club (10%-9%), Auckland Chess Club won from Otago Chess Club (10%-9%), and Wellington Chess Club won from Otago Chess Club (12-8). The results of the two remaining fixtures—Auckland' Chess Club v. Canterbury Chess Club, and Wellington Chess Club r.; Canterbury . Chess Club—should be available in the .''near future. The winner, of the"" 12-board match between tne Hamilton and Gisborne Chess Clubs will be the first holder'o£ the, cup donated by Mr. C. Blackburne, of Gisborne, for competition between North Island clubs situated outside;of (Greater Auckland and Greater Wellington; ; ■ : The association^ honorary recorder mentioned that two-former highly-esteemed presidents had passed away since the annual meeting's held,in ..June last, viz., Sir Josepli and' Sir' -Robert Stout. The former had given valued assistance to the playing of matches by telegraph, and had taken great interest in- the project of holding a match by cable between the Parliaments of Great Britain and New Zealand. His. magnificent trophy for the chess championship of Southland—a beaxitiful chess cabinet with a disappearing inlaid board and a set of chessmen-has been greatly admired. Sir Robert Stout formed the first Dunedin Chess Club m 1865 and showed much practical interest in "the royal game" in later years. Tributes of appreciation o£ these distinguished presidents, and votes of condolence with their relatives were passed, members standing in silence for1 one minute. I lie assembled delegates greatly appreciated a statement that appeared m the Unchurch Star's" chess column on 19th ultimo to the effect that "Much credit is due to many earnest clubmen of Wellington for the healthy state of our royal came throughout the Dominion. J-hc meeting closed with the usual compliment to the chair.