BIG CHESS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 10, 10 January 1913, Page 7

BIG CHESS.

CHAMPIONSHIP OF AUSTRALIA. ’ N.S'.W.v. QUEENSLAND. (Received 9.40 a.rn.) Melbourne, January 10. Dr. Lancaster, the challenge!* of the Chess Championship of Australia for £SO a-side, resigned at the ninth game, W. S. Viner, the holder, won seven games and Dr. Lancaster won two, CONCERNING THE PLAYERS. The game of chess is booming at the present time, and after a lapse of six years Mr W. S. Viner, chess champion of Australia, was called upon to defend his title. His lenger was Dr. Lancaster, of Kemp-, eey, a gentleman well known in metropolitan chess circles. He was particularly prominent some fifteen years ago. The match, in addition to carrying with it the title, was for a ' side wager of £SO. The match is creating a great deal of interest among local chess players (stated the Sydney Daily Telegraph), and it would be idle to prophesy what will be the reoult. Neither player has been seen in activo chess for some years. If past records could he taken as a reliable gauge of the result, public opinion would undoubtedly favour Mr Viner, who must be admitted to have the better* record. He received tuition when a youth of 10 from Mr J. L. Jacobsen, the great player who held the championship title for' many years prior to 1905, when he retired from big chess, handing over the title, which he had never once lost, to Mr Viner. Although Mr Viner did nothing remarkable in the chess way in Sydney, he, shortly after taking up his residence in West Australia, won the championship of the Perth Club. Following are some of his other performances:— 1900: First prize in the Boulder City Handicap. 1901 : Thiru prize in the Perth Handicap. 1902: First prize in the West Australian Cup Tourney. 1903: First prize in the Perth Handicap. 1905: First prize in the West Australian Championship.1906: First prize in the New Zealand Championship. In the last-mentioned tourney, he won 1 out of 19 games. He gave, four simultaneous exhibitions with wonderful success, twice meeting 17, and twice 30 opponents. He lost very few games. Dr. Lancaster has not achieved the same measure of chess prominence. His profession has interfered considerably with his study of the game. At the last tournament at which ho competed, about ten years ago, the New South Wales Championship,, and in which there was the strongest field ’ ever entered for this contest, he took a prominent part. His play was remarkable for his defeat of Mr E. N. Wallace, who was for a, long time champion of Australia. This game was an exceedingly brilliant one. It might be mentioned that the last contest for the championship was in 1907, Mr Viner defeating Mr C. C. Watson, the Victorian champion.