New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-01
Withdrawal from Metro
politan Tournament
Starts Gossip.
ORGANIZATION WILL
REMAIN IN LEAGUE
President Says Trouble Arou
from Errors Due to In.
efficient Rules.

from fDrtfef play III it' NHdHplOn4k /
tournament Of the Metropolitan Cl.,
League has been IN sole topic Of cons |
sation In local chess circles during
last few days. Tine general opinion Is d
the club has done more harm 70 ire
than TO the league
While there will be plenty OF action
tourney nights ia all the clubs who.
matches arc heing played. the Rice ctss
club will. as ii we're. build a china
wall around its headquarters. which ma
be unpleasant for the members and ~
At ali Of benefit to the club. az far az a.
growth Of such An organization is CO.
cerned
The team was crippled. most Of the h.
players Of the club being pressed int
service b. other clubs. and Il 50 hsppers
that four Of the strongest members of "A.
Rice club we're playing for the Piogra
slye CLUB against them. a cTcumstsEs
which in part explains inc defeat
When seen at the Ansonia Hotel 81
Thursday evening. III. Rice. the pre-
dent OF the Rice club. said that the clA
does not intend to withdraw from =.
lcague as member. but from this yea,
competition only He is IN hopes ,hs, "a.
PLAYING rules will be altered next yea
50 as 10 avoid the Gripping % one ciybi
team To- the advantage ~ other cigss
and that ihe league will be able 70 det.
a CODE OF rules which Will be equitable =
every way
During the negotiations Tor the esta>
lishment Of the league and during IA
first sttings Of the organization. he su
unable to take part IN any Of the prt
ceedings as he was IN ~ a local hosplu
Otherwise he might have Influenced tsI
directors Of the league TO provide a dis
tinct rule for the forming Of the clA|
teams. IN defence Of MS action and tAs
Of the other directors Of the club. vi
Rice sets forth the following
tine Metropolitan Chess League IL a.
experiment. ard the managers Of Il car
not be blamed for errors that are na,p
rally concomitants OF all experiments.
"A club that finds its position entlFey
changed in the eyes OF the public by rea,
son Of the rules Of a tournament WIKI
are not fully appreciated when made mas
q perfect right 10 retire from the tourrs-
ment. not only 50 as not 10 bring d.
credit on the club itself. but al.o 30 q
not to be prejudiced as TO future tourns
ments by its record.
1T is the inalienable right Of any oas
80, Inc, ant -. rtlf a
from II. and no opprobrium should atts,a
10 such course II done I'm good fGth
for a substantial reason. and this IS par
ticularly true when a tournament Is only
I'm its first stages.
The tournament is not. In my opInloa.
a merely friendly bout between the eluea
but one that establishes their relative -.
sitions in the league. The fact. Therefore.
that most of the first class players bel0ag
TO two or more of the leading clubs 70.
duces this first trial OF strength betwsef
the clubs to a mere farce. and Therefore
the result of the tournament should no,
be accounted in any event as making .
record.
"Of the eight Progressive players. fos
instance, that played against the Rice
Chess Club, five were members ~ the
Rice Chess Club. and two were actually
playing in the championship tournament
of the Rice Chess club. The result wa
that the Rice Chess Club was beatef
rather by its own members than by th'
Progressive. and therefore. as ! say. =,
test of strength the team match vu
farcical.
There was no way Of protesting agsinT
this under the rules except 10y withdraw
ing from the tournament. a. far As |
could see. and therefore as soon as !
learned of the state OF affairs called
a meeting OF the board 10 act upon the
question, and the unanimous opinion oi
the board was in accordance With my
own"
Professor Rice says that he Will no
withdraw the trophy which he has prom
Used for the second prize winner
The championship tourney OF the RS
Chess Club. which was postponed ~
week is scheduled TO be continued TO-DAY
This was done by order OF the board
directors. who did not at all approve 'h'
action OF the tourney committee "hss
ordered the postponenent without asAAs
the consent OF the board Of directors