CHESS MASTER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 61, 30 March 1937, Page 6

CHESS MASTER

Remarkable Displays In Hastings and Napier MR L. STEINER'S VISIT In continuance of his tour of New Zealand Mr Lajos Steiner, chess champion of Hungary and one of the leading chess masters of Europe, was in Napier and Hastings during the Easter holiday period, arriving in Napier on Saturday after having opened his sixweeks tour at Gisborne. He played 28 opponents simultaneously at Napier on Saturday night, and last evening at Hastings he met 30 players. Altogether he lost only one game and drew in three. Chess enthusiasts found Mr Steiner wonderfully interesting and instructive. His speed in making his moves at the various boards was most remarkable, and after the finish of the games h'e offered the players every oppdrtunity of discussing various points about the play with him and generally imparted a wealth of helpful information. Mr A. Stevenson, president of the Hastings club, welcomed Mr Steiner, and expressed the delight of iocal chess players at the opportunity of meeting him, and their hope that his visit to New Zealand would be a pleasant and happy one. Mr Steiner briefly replied, and said that up to the present he had enjoyed his visit to New Zealand very much indeed. He was grateful for the kind receptions accorded in Gisborne and Napier, and he was looking forward to his remaining engagements with pleasurable anticipation. He would, as in duty bound, try to win at every board, and it would give him pleasure heartHy to congratulate all who won from him. The announcement that he would autog/raph the score-sheets of opponents who scored wins or draws led to the facetious remark that "it would give him writer'e cramp." The visitor began his simultaneous demonstration at 8.5 o'clock and the first game was eompleted at 9-20. D. Lynch, Hastings ehampion, registered the first success of the evening, a draw being agreed on at 10.40 p.m., at which time Mr Steiner had scored 17 wins. The last to finish was Mr J. L. Hardy, a prominent Wellington player, who is acting as honorary secretary to Mr Steiner during the tour, and wlio secured his second consecutive draw, Mr Steiner remarking that he had a narrow escape, as Mr Hardy at one time had a winning| position. The final score was: Won 28, drawn two^ lost none. Mr Steiner 's Napier-Hastings season will conclude to-night when he will deliver a lecture on chess at the Napier 30,000 Club xooms at eight o'clock. Mr Steiner has established a firm reputation in America and Australia as an interesting and instruetive lecturer, and doubtless all who are interested in the game of games will mako a point of being present to-night. VISIT TO NAPIER Mr Steiner, visited Napier on Saturday night, when he played 28 players simultaneously, winning 26 games, losing one and drawing one. His opponent consisted of 11 players from Napier, nine from Hastings, three from Palmerston North, two from Auckland, two from Wellington and oue from Wairoa. The one win against the visitor was recorded by Mr John Mason, who was New Zealand ehampion in 19i0 but has had very little chess during the past few years, but there was every evidence of strong play on Saturday evening, and his "return to the ' fold" will be welcomed by chess enthusiasts. The drawn game was with Mr J. L. Hardy, of Wellington. Welcoming the visitor, Mr Mason, president of the Napier Chess Club, expressed pleasure at having a visit frou» Mr Steiner, whose fine match-recorti had caused him to be regarded as one of the ten strongest players in the world. (Applausa) He hoped that locaJ enthusiasts would learn a lot from their distinguished visitor, who had easily taken first prize at the xecenfr Australian congress. He trusted that Mr Steiner would carry away good impressions of New Zealand. Mr Mason referred to the faet that there was present Mr Fedor Kellijg, who was the most ardent worker for chess in New Zealand, and whose tireless enthusiasm was largely responsible for the intorest in the game which had made pos'sible Mr Steiner7s visit to this country.