CHESS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9817, 28 August 1897, Page 3

CHESS.

ENGLAND V. UNITED STATES.

"Weekly Press and Referee." The Canterbury Chess Club meets in the Chamber or Commerce, A.M.P. Buildings, every Tuesday and Friday from 7 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Visitors are alwaye welcomed.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Ttbo, Wellington.—MaDy thanks for prompt reply and invitation. SuiiscßißEß.—We are not aware that diagram forms can be bought in Cbristchurch. We can let you have two or three. Chkss Editors, "Otago Witness," "Weekly Newi," and "N.Z. Field."—Slips received with thanks. W.C. —Your last problem will probably appear next week. J.S., Christcburch. —In Problem No. 554. 1. ... P B 3, and no mate follows next move. Pkobmcm No. 554.—Correct solutions have been received from K.W.8., Sibyl "very pretty," J.H.8., Gambit, and S.H. SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 554. WRITS. BLACK. 1 Q B sq. PROBLEM NO. 556. By W. B. Muir. BLACK.

wiims. White to play and mate in two moves. Position of pieces—White—X on Q 8, Q on X R sq, R on Q 14 sq, 1$ on X R 7 and Q Reg, Xt on Q 3 and QB 8, PonKB3,QB 2, yXt 5, andQ R4. Black— KonQ4,Ron XXt 4, Bon X Xt sq. Mate in two.

A NEW ZEALANDER IN LONDON.

From a private letter received in Wellington ib is learned that Mr A. J. Litfclejohn, the champion of the Wellington Chess Club, who is on a visit to the Old Country, attended " Simpson's," and played several games. The following is the score of one he won against a professional named Fenton :— Centre Gambit, ■vrame. black.

LADIES' INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

The ladie3' international congress was played in June in the Masonic Temple of the Hotel Cecil. In spite of the all but inaccessible state of the thoroughfares, the twenty competitors responded to the rollcall.

The proceedings were opened with an address of welcome by Mr Horace Plunkett, M.P., and play commenced immediately afterwards.

The following were the competitors : Mrs Worrall (America), Mine. Fagan (Italy), Alnie. Bonnefin (Belgium), Miss Mailerhartung and Miss Hertzsch (Germany), Mme. de le Vingne (France), Mrs Stevenson (Canada), Mrs Berry and Misa Finn (Ireland), Miss Forbes-Sharp (Scotland), Lady Thomas, Mrs Sidney, Miss Rudge, Misa Field, Miss Fox, Miss Watson, Mies Gooding, Miss Tfaorold, Miss Eschwege and Miss Hooke (England). Th« conditions were: Two rounds to be played per day, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 p.m. toll p.m. ; twenty moves per hour.

The prizes were: First, £60, presented by Sir George Newnes, Bart.; second, £50, presented by American chess friends (Metropolitan Clab, Washington, Brooklyn Club, and others, through Mr H. N. Pillsbury); third, £40; fourth, £30, presented by members of the Ladies' Chess Club; fifth, £20; sixth, £15. Special prizes: Baron Albert de Rothschild presented a prize of £20 to the winner of the most brilliant game; and Mr H. Eschwege for consolation prizes—medals value two guineas each—to the best scores against the prize winners. The prize winnere were :— Won Lo3t let, £60 .. Mies Rudfe, of Bristol .. ..18* i 2nd, £50 .. Mrs Fagaa, o( London .. .. 15i 3* 3rd, £40 .. Miw Thorold, of Bridliogton Quay .. .. .... 14 5 4th. £30 .. Miss w-omJl, of New York ..13 6 sth, £20 .. Mr» Boonefln, of London ..124 6 i 6th, £15 .. Lady Thomas and Mm Berry.. Hi U JftMiss Field, Miss Gooding, Miss Watson, and Mrs Sydney received each a medal, given by Mr H. Eschwege ; Misa Hooke received a music case.

Miss Forbes-Sharpe received a prize (given by Mr Leith, of Glasgow) for the prettiest mate that occurred in the tournament; and Miss Hertzsch and Miss Mullerhartung a prize each for amiability, l'his prize was fully deserved. The following game was played between two of the prize winners, this being the only game that Miss Rudge did not win:— Buy Lopez. WHITR. BCiACC.

8 B Xt 3 (d) 8 P x Xt 9 R X sq, eh 9 Xt X 3 lOQxe IOPKBS 11 Xt B 3 11 l' B 3 12 OQsq 12 B Kts 13 U Q 2 13 X x Xt 14 X x B M Castles 15 Q X 2 15 X R <w 16PQR3 16PQ4 17 Q X Q sq 17 Xt B 5 18QQ2 18 Xt KtS 19 B tf 4 19 Q B 2 20 Q B 3 (c) 20 X R H (f) 21 B x q P 21 Q R B sq 22 B X 22 X x H 23 R x B 23 P n 4 24 B X 3 24 q B 3 25RQ84 25PKt3 26 P Q Xt 4 26 Xt X 4 27 RB4 27VKKt<* 23RR5 28QK3 29P1U4 MPxPfe) 30QxP 30KRQsq 31 11 Q 2 51 r. x H 32 Q x R (h) J2 Xt x P (i> 33RQ5 33KtxB 34 P x Xt 34 Q Xt 5, eh 35 X B sq 35 Q B 6. eh 36KKtsq 36 Q Xt 5, eh 37 Xt B sq 37 Q B 6

38 X Xt sq, and the game was drawn, the same position having occurred thrice. (a) A very indifferent move. (b) 7. Xt x P would have given White splendid chances. (c) If 7. . . P x Xt, then BRK sq wins a piece. (d) 8. R X sq wouM hive been better. (c) Although Mrs Bonnefin mijrht have made more of her opportunities, (especially if she had played 15. Q Q 6), her position is nevertheless preferable even now. (f) The queen had to be re-moved instead of th text-move, which loses a pawn. fe) Better would have been 29. . . . Xt xP; 30. R x Xt P, Xt x B ; 31. P x Xt, P x P, &«. (h) 32. B x X was compulsory. Position after White's.32nd move. BLACK.

WHITR. (i) Miss Rudge could have won the game here with 32 Q x R; 33. P x Q, Xt B 6, eh, &c Miss Rudge made her task ot winninj afterwards very doubtful, and the repetition of moves, with the object of paining- time, compelled her to consent to a draw under the rules.

Another game phtyed in the match between the House of Commons and the United States House of Representatives :—

Ruy Lopez. WHITB. BLACK. Mr Strauss. Mr Bodine. (England.) (America.) IPK4 I?K4 2 Xt X B 3 2 Xt Q B 3 3 B Xt 5 3 Xt B 3 4 Castles 4 Xt x P 5 R X sq (a) 5 Xt Q 3 6 B x Xt (b) 6 Q P x B 7KtxP 7 B X 2 8 P Q 4 8 Castles 9PQB3 98K3 10QK2 10 R X sq 11 « X 3 11 P X B 3 12 Xt Q 3 12 Xt B 5 13Kt<J2 13KtxB(c) 14 P x Xt 14 B Q 3 15PK4 158K84 16 Q B 3 16 B Xt 3 17 Xt X B 4 17 R B 2 18 Xt B sq 18 P Q B 4 19 P Q 5 (d) 19 P X B 4 20 Xt X 6 (c) 20 B x Xt 21 P x B 21 P x P 22RxP 22RKBsq 23QKt4 23Q83 24 Q R X sq (0 24 Q B 7, eh 25 X R sq 25 Q x Xt, eh

Resigns. (a) Leading to a drawn game. The 5. P Q 4 variation is more forcible. Steinitz tried the text move against Zukertort, in the match 1886, unsuccessfully. (b) 68R4, BX 2; 7KtxP, Xt x Xt; 8 R x Xt, Castles ;9P Q4, Xt B5; 10 R X sq, P <J 4, &c.;. is more favourable to Black. (c) This exchange, although leaving Black two bishops, pives White a strong centre. (d) The alternative would have been 19 Xt X 3, as he cannot prevent Black from undoublinjt his pawn eventually. From X 3 the Xt threatens to move to B sor either Xt Q5. White's game, however, is good enough as it was played. (c) We prefer 20 Px P. r s Xt; 21 Q x B, Q xP ; 22 P B 6, with a better than he actually ohtained. (f) A regrettable oversiehfc, as the game might otherwise have proved interesting with 24 Q X 2 instead of Remove in the text. Mr Strauss saw the mistake immediately and wanted to resign; but he took the chance that his ppponent might overlook the mate too.

NOTES.

A most interesting solving tourney tooK place at the rooms of the Wellington Chess Club on August 6th for a trophy presented by Mr J. G. Anderson, a member of the ciub and a most enthusiastic solver. There were about twelve entries, the players being handicapped as their merits as " nut crackers" were reckoned. The prize was carried off by Mr Kelling, one of the best Wellington solvers, whose handicap was 35niin and solving time 98min. At the end of the contest a most hearty vote of thanks was given to the donor who provided the trophy over which such a pleasant evening had been spent. — New Zealand Field. It is stated that a match between the Legislatiu-es of Great Britain and the United States is henceforward to be an annual fixture.— A ustralasia7i.

fr Littlejohn. 1 PK4 2 P<J4 3QxP 4 QK3 5BQ3 6 BQ2 7 Kt Q B 5 8PB4 9 Castles lOQKeq 11 PKB3 12 Kt B 3 13QK4 14 PK5 15 JUQ5 16 Kt x Kt ch 17 Q x P cU 18 P x P 19 B K Kt 5 20 RxKt Mr Fenton, 1 PK4 2 PxP 3 Kt Q B 3 4 KtB3 5 B Kt 5, ch 6 QK2 7 PQ3 8 PQR3 9BQB4 10 Ca-stles 11 P Q Kt 4 12 J! Kt 2 13 1C R K sq 14 I , x P 15 <l q sq 16 V x Kt 17 K Ii sq 18 Kt x P 19 Kt x B ch 20 Resigns I.

tin Bonuefin. 1 PK4 2 Kt K B 3 3 6 KtS 4 BR4 5 Cutlet 6PQ4 T BtxSlft) Kiss Rudge. 1 PK4 2 Kt Q B 3 3 PQR3 4 KtB3 5 KtxP 6&txQP(«)