Rice Chess Club tournament: Two items of note

We report two items of note anent the Rice Chess Club Summer Masters' Tournament:

First, Jacques Grommer has won his adjourned 8th round game against Harold M. Phillips.  This victory gives Grommer his first point earned over the board, and vaults him in the standings over Phillips, who now assumes the bottommost  place in the tourney previously held by his victorious foe.  We have not yet received the score of the Grommer-Phillips encounter, but will of course share it with our readers should we do so.  The revised score chart below reflects the result of this game.

Second, and, we daresay, more important, the postponed first round game between Roy T. Black and Oldrich Duras was begun on the 5th inst. and adjourned in a position with the Czech Master holding two extra pawns in an endgame featuring Bishops that command squares of opposite color.  Duras is widely thought to possess excellent chances of victory upon resumption, a result that would substantially increase his chances of a second place finish in the tournament.  We expect to present the full score of this game when it concludes in a few days' time.

Current standings:

13 points: Capablanca (13)

7 1/2 points: Black (9), Kupchik (10)

7 points: Duras (8)

6 1/2 points: Marder (10)

6 points: Tenenwurzel (10), Chajes (10)

5 points: Adair (10)

4 1/2 points: Bernstein (11)

3 1/2 points: Beynon (10)

3 points: Grommer (10)
2 1/2 points: Phillips (9)

Withdrawn: Stapfer, Beihoff

The number in parentheses following a player's surname indicates the number of games he has played to date, including two forfeit victories over Stapfer and Beihoff. The adjourned games Phillips-Chajes, Black-Kupchik, and Black-Duras are not included in the above table.