New Zealand Championship, continued

As promised in our previous entry, we now turn our attention to the newly-crowned Champion of New Zealand, John Cresswell Grierson.  The 56-year old Mr. Grierson, we are informed, resides in Auckland, and is an accountant by profession.  His style, to judge from the games we have perused, is quieter than that of Messrs. Gyles and Hicks, and demonstrates a high level of skill in maneuvering for position.  We present three representative games.

First, against Mr. Gyles, Mr. Grierson calmly goes about his business, collecting a pawn here and there and refusing to be drawn into the snare set by White at his 33rd move, which offered him no less than four different ways to fall into mate.

    

In the following game, Mr. Grierson as White outplays his opponent in masterly style in a French Defense.

  

And here the new Champion capitalizes on the tiniest of advantages in a Rook and Knight endgame.

Tomorrow we shall examine the play-off, along with one or two other items of interest from the tourney.