CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3714, 27 December 1912, Page 9

CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

SAINSBURY PLAYS A DRAW. fPEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM} NELSON. Dee. 26. The twenty-sixth New Zealand Chess Championship congress opened here to-day. The following competitors are taking part:— Grierson (Auckland), Sainsbury (Gisborne), Hicks (Isapier), Maun sell (Carterton), Mason and James (Wellington), C C. Barnes and Kelling (Wellington Working Men s C.C.), Severne (Canterbury), Gyles (Westport), Dodds (Nelson), and Cole (Wakefield). , . , The first round commenced in the afternoon, the results of the finished games being as follows: Maunsell v. Gyles.—Maunsell opened with the Ruv Lopez, Gyles replying with the classical defence. It was an even game to the tenth move, when white won the kincs pawn and black, by a counter attack, brought about a very critical position. White, on his fifteenth move, threatened to win the exchange, and on the 16th move followed up his intention, quite overlooking the fact that black’s 15th move had brought about a mating position, which was effected by black ' placing his queen to bishop’s eighth. Barnes v. James. —The latter adopt-

ed the Caro Kann game and careful play on both sides produced a very even game up till the 23rd move, when black, through overlooking the position of bishop, gave away a knight. Queens were exchanged on 'the thirtysecond move, giving white a dangerous passed pawn. James, however, made a very strong fight with his pawns, one of which he threatened to queen on his forty-third move. This move also opened an attack on white’s bishop on the black line, but James had. overlooked that the _ attacked bishop took the opposing bishop with a check whereupon James resigned a hard fought game. Kel ling v. Mason. —Mason replied to Ivelling’s opening by the Petroff defence. A very close game ensued till move fourteen when black advanced a knight on the king’s side, _ bringing about a very critical position which extended both players as regards time. The resulting exchange left white’s king exposed and black forced further exchanges and left white’s pawns open to attack. Black, by a series of checks with queen and rook, ultimately forced white to _ lose his queen for a rook, Kelling resigning on the 49th move. . . Hicks v. Sainshury.—A variation of the Guioco Piano game was adopted, and an earlv series of exchanges left both sides with doubled pawns, the open knights’ file being occupied by white’s queen. "White won the exchange, hut as a result black got a good attacking position. Hicks accepted an offer to exchange queens on the thirty-third move. The end came proved most interesting and in a likely looking position foiyblack. A draw was decided'upon as In the resulting exchange black gave up two pawn s for a bishop. . The game Severn© v. Grierson is unfinished, but Severne just at closing time gave awav a knight for a paiv n; and Dodds and Cole at the adjournment were still at the end game.