Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-02

The next event Of more than usual i'm
portance at the Washington Chess Club
will be an exhibition given by Mr.. A. b.
Hodges the latter part of the present
month. Mr. Hodges is in business at New
Brighton, Staten Island, n. Y, and plays
chess for pleasure. Nevertheless, he is one
OF the best players in this country. In the
two cable matches played against the Brit
ishers for the Sir George Newnes trophy
he has played on the American team, and
at the late summer meeting of the new
York Chess Association, in which New
York played against Pennsylvania, he won
second prize, finishing with q score of six
games won and one lost, but half game
behind Pillsbury. He defeated Kemeny,
Shipley, McCutcleon, hampton. Stuart
Robinson and Young, and lost to Newman.
Mr.. Hodges has held the state champion
ship of New York and has reputation
as biindfold player. He will play here
simultaneously against a number of play
ers across the hoard.
Shortly after that exhibition the Wash
1ngton club will commence it's annual club
championship tournament, which will. as
District of Columbia. There is considera-
Bile rivalry at present among local players,
and an exciting tournament is expected.
One of the most ambitious local players
is Mr.. l.. Tharp. He is very thoughtful
player and has been steadily improving
Last winter he finished second in the
washington club championship tourna-
ment, standing above Messrs. Hanna
O'Farrell, Harris, Tibbetts Durham, Gwyer
and others. He is DESTROYS of playing a
match for the championship of the Dis
trict, and~would undoubtedly make his op-
ponent work hard to win.
Another strong player in this city is
Mr.. a. Braid. He does not participate in
tournaments, and has not taken place in
any OF the late matches. Just now he is
playing number of off-hand games with
F. b. Walker the local champion, and has
nearly equaled the latter's score He plays
nrlf1I ,I@ =
essary time to study the positions, would
push any player in the city.
In the correspondence match between the
P1llsbury National Correspondence Chess
Association of the United States and the
Oriliia Chess Association of Orillia, Ontario
twelve on a side, the United States team
has Won one game, drawn another and lost
none, and has prospects of winning an ex-
cellent victory, according to reports from
the American players. In this match F.
- Walker of this city is paired with H.
NJ. Christie of Orillia. The local PLAYER has
an excellent attack, with good reason to
expect an early victory.
The Pillsbury Association has nearly COM
pleted its preliminary tournament and will
shortly commence it's final tournament for
divisional championships. The District of
Columbia is in the eastern division, which
includes New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland and the District. The
only local player who participated in the
tournament is F. B. Walker. The present
indications are that he will qualify for the
final tournament. Among his competitors
in the finals will be w. E. Napier, cham
pion of the Brooklyn Chess Club; H. Hilms
of the same club
At the end Of sixteen rounds the masters
tournament at Berlin presents most inter-
esting race. Blackburne, the English cham
pion, is ahead, with Janowski the French
man, and Charousek, the Austrian but half
a game behind. Walbrodt, the German
has won the most games, by reason of the
forfeitures to him by Bardeleben and En-
glisch, who retired from the tourney
Burn, the Englishman is also well up, and
following closely are Marco, the Austrian,
Tschigorin. the Russian and Schlechter,
the Austrian, who has maintained his repu-
tation as the drawing master by drawing
more games than any other player.
1t is difficult to pick the winner. Black
burne has still to play Burn, Janowski and
Walbrodt. all hard games; Janowski has
TO meet Blackburne, Cohn and Schlechter
Cbarousek's opponents will be Caro-, Tschi-
germ and Zinkl, and Walbrodt has to play
Albin and Blackburne. The first two or
three prizes undoubtedly lay between
Blackhurne, Janowski Charousek and Wal
brodt, and it would not be surprising to
see Charousek come in first.
Following is the standing of the PLAYERS
at the end of sixteen rounds: