The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-03
Conn. Chess League Gossip
CONNECTICUT CHESS LEAGUE
 GOSSIP
By William H. Warner


 We have no reports so far from the A division of the league as to games played in the last round or nostponed matches from other rounds. Leon Cash, tournament d. rector of the league, has written to all the clubs requesting lntcr- nation regarding their plans for playing current matches and play ing off postponed ones. More mtor- nation is expected to be in some time in the next week or so.
 Eddie Romans New Britain Fall cons and the Hartford Cubs tangled in a drag out battle which so far is drawn 2-2, with one game ad- iourned. Bittner defeated Okonski while Koval polished of Gibson. Roman and Wosczyna lest to Baer- man ard Peta. The players on the adjourned fifth board are not re- ported. The score:
 New Britain Hartford $
 Rittner .1 OkOnSki .....O
 Roman .......O Baerman ....l
 WOScZyna 70 Peta ........ l
 KOvaI ......1 Gibson ......O
 Adjourned Adjourned
 Totals ....2 Totals .......2
 The Western Massachusetts and Connecticut Valley individual cham pionship held in Springfield at the YMCA every year on Washington's l. .,,Al !, Iav n nhhrPVIQTPn affair this year due to national de- fense. Among the missing was the defending champion, w. Gregorietf of Pittsheld. The only Connecticut entry was Rex Spiler of Enfield, formerly of the Enfield and Hart ford teams, also well known to Wa terbury players. The seml-flnallsts were Elliott Wolk and Herman Branconier of Springfield and. James Slattery and Leslie Graves of Flor ence, Mass. Wolk and Slattery sur vived the finals. In the playoff one game has been played, resulting in draw. The play was resumed Sun day, March 1st.
 The Deep River team is losing the best part of its players. George Hazuka was the guest at farewell party on February 21St. George joined the navy. John HaZuka, his brother, is serving in the army and Joe, the kid brother of the family, is to be called into the armed serv- ices shortly. If the HaZuka boys fight like they play chess, the Axis is in for a tough time.
 George Avery of the Hartford Courant gives two games this week, those of Kroffsik, first board player of the Bridgeport yearlings, who has lost but one game this season. The games given are those against Frank Nash of the Waterbury Y B's and Byron of the Travellers Juniors. In the first, Nash obtained a fairly good defense with the outmoded Philodor's defense, but unnecessar- fly weakened his position by moving one of his King-side pawns and then overlooked tricky mate by swiping 8 piece. Tn the second Kroffsik ob- tained fairly good game with the Scotch Opening but spoiled every thing by pawnsnatching, thus win ming rock. Byron very cleverly moved his King from the partially opened King file, captured Whites king pawn with check with his Queen and mated KroffSik within a few moves. This game was very good example of the player who pays too much attention to the at tack and not enough to the defense. Byron is to be congratulated on a beautifully played game.
 Sammy Reshevsky. United States champion, played 8 simultaneous thirty board exhibition at the Bos- ton City club recently. He won twenty five and drew five. Father George LaBonte of Rhode Island, we'll known to Connecvticut chess league players, was one of those ob- taining draw. Sammy must have been playing under somewhat of a strain as he received news of the death of his mother during the time of play.