CHESS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10060, 11 June 1898, Page 3

CHESS.

«. Weekly Press and Referee." TO CORRESPONDENTS. C.W., Masterton.—Glad to welcome you as a solver. Only the initial move is required for two mover 3. J. Mason. —Please address communications to Chess Editor, Weekly Pkess. Chess Editors Otago Witness, N.Z. Field, Weekly News, and Evening Star.—Slips rsceived with thanks. Problem No. 593.—Correct solation also received from C. W., Masterton. Problem No. 594.—Correct solutions have been received from C.W. Masterton, W.L.C., J. Mason, J. H. L. Havelock, J.H.8., and Sibyl. SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 594. WHITE. BLACK. 1 RK3 PROBLEM NO. 596. By Win. Clugston, Belfast. BLACK.

white. White to play and mate in two moves. Position of pieces.—White—X on X 7, Q on Q R 2, R on X Xt 2, Xt on X Xt 5, and K4,Pon Q4. Black—X on X R sq, BonK Xt sq, PonK 3. Mate in two. THE ANGLO-AMERTCAN CABLE MATCH. Game played at Board No. 2Qneeifd Gambit Declined. WHITE. BLACK. (A. Burn.) (J. W. Showalter.) IPQ4 IPQ4 '2PQB4 2PK3 3 Xt Q B3- ' ' 3 Xt X B 3 4BKtS 48K2 5 Xt B 3 5 Q Xt Q 2 6 P X 3 6 Castles 7BQ3(a) 7P83 8 Castles (b) 8 P x P 9 B x P 9 P Xt 4 (c) 10 X Xt 3 (d) 10 P Q R 3 11QK2 11 PB4 12 P x P 12 Xt x P 13 KRQsq V l3 QKt 3 14 B B 2 14 P Xt 5 15 Xt Q R 4 15 Xi x Xt 16 B x Q Xt 16 B Xt 2 17 B Xt 3 17 Q R 4 18BKB4 18QR4 19 Xt Q 4 19 Q x Q 20 Xt x Q 20KRQ sq 21 B B 7 21 R x R, eh 22 R x R 22 P Q R 4 23 B Q 6 23 X B sq 24 P B 3 24 P R 5 (c) 25 B B 2 25 Xt Q 4 26 B x B, eh 26 X x B 27 X B 2 27 P R 6 28 PK4 28 Ktß3 29RQ4(f)- 29PKt 6 (g) 30 B x P (h) 30 P x P 31 R Q sq 31 Xt P, eh (i) 32 P x Xt (j) 32 B x P 33 Xt B 3 33 B Xt 3 34 Xt Xt sq 34 R Q B sq 35 X X 3 35 R B 8 36 Xt R 3' 36 R x R 37BxR 37PKt8 = Q 38 Xt x Q 38 B x Xt 39PQR4 39KQ3 40 P R 5 40 X B 4 41 B X 2 41 B B 7 42 P R 4 42 B R 5 43 P R 6 43 X Xt 3 44 P Xt 4 44 B Q 2 45KK4 45885q 46 P R 7 46 X x P 47KK5 47KKt3 48 X Q 6 48 B R 3 49 B Q sq 49 B B 5 50 XX 7 50 PK 4 >. 51 X B 8 51 P Xt 3 52 X Xt 7 52 P B 4 53 P x P 53 P x P 54 X x P 54 P B 5 55 X Xt 6 55 P X 5 56 B Xt 4 56 P B 6 57 X Xt 5 57 P B 7 58 B R 3 58 P X 6 Resigns. (a) The Biphop should not be developed to Q 3, as White loses time by Black capturing the QBP, thus leaving the X B upon the useless diagonal in close games. That is the reason why Pillsbury moved in the game against Blackburne R B sq, followed by P x P, and then BQ 3, where the B remains undisturbed. (b) Or 8. PxP, Xt x P; 9. B x B, Q x B ; 10. PK 4, &c, and if 8. . . . X P x P, then 9. Castles, &c, thus keeping the B at Q 3. (c) The advisability of this advance is questionable. (d) 10. B Q 5 would have placed the Bishop upon a better diagonal. (c) Black has managed so far to clear off the dangerous pieces, and to force White to remain on the defensive all along. Mr Showalter also starts a very pretty final combination, including a subtle sacrifice in one of the variations; and the plan succeeds owing to White's carelessness. Position after White's 27th move. black. ■

WHITE. (f) A tempting move, which would win had Black not provided for thi3 emergency. He should have played 29 P x P, Px P, leaving Black the weak QR P; or 29. PKt 3, leaving Black a weak Q Xt P. (g) A beautiful move. (h) If 30 Px P, then obviously 30 ... P R7. (i) The sequel to the final advance of the pawns. (j) We find here what has escaped Mr Burn's and everybody else'a notice, that White could have still at least drawn with 32 X X 3, Xt B 4; .33 R Q Xt sq, &c. Other variations are equally favourable to White. After the text move Black has a winning end game, although there might be a better line of play for White; but it is doubtful whether he could have drawn even then.

CHESS IN DUNEDIN,

Game played in a " Ladder Match" of the Otago Chess Club recently. Mr Cleland scored both games. Ruy Lopez. WHITE. BLACK. (Mr R. A. Cleland.) (Mr O. Balk.) IPK4 IPK4 2 Xt X B 3 2 Xt Q B 3 3BKtS 3PQ3 4PQ4 48Q2 5 Castles 5 P X Xt 3 6BKKtS 6 P X B 3 78K3 7BKt2 8 Xt B 3 8 Xt R 3 9QQ2 9KtB2 10 Q R Q sq 10PKR4 (?) 11 P x P 11 Q Xt x P 12 B x B eh 12 Q x B 13 Xt x Xt 13 Xt x Xt 14 P X B 4 14 Xt Q B 5 15 Q B sq 15 P Q Xt 3 (?) 16 B B 2 16 P R 5 (?) a 17 P Q Xt 3 17 Xt Q R 4 18QK3 18 P X Xt 4 19PK5(!) 19±»xBP 20 Q X 4 {!) 20 Castles (b) 21 P x Q P 21 P X B 4 (c) 22 Q Q 5, eh 22 X R 2 23 Xt X 2 23 P R 6 24 Xt x P 24 P x Xt P (d) 25KRKsq 25PxP 26RQ3 26QK82 27 R X R 3, eh 27 X Xt eg 28KtK6(!) 28QRKsq 29 R Xt 3 29 R x Xt 30 R x R 30 X R sq 31 B Q 4 Resigns (a) Too much time is lost in advancing the pawns. Black tries to force an attack without giving sufficient attention to defence. (b) Black is" now forced to castle in a bad position, and his position is really hopeless. (c) Perhaps to prevent Q X Xt 6. (d) We see no oetter move for Black than 24. . . . Q B 3, which by forcing exchange of queens would )save enabled him to prolong the defence aad have a chance of drawing the game.

NOTES.

The Times Weekly Edition thus comments on the Pillsbury«Showalter return match :— Generally the games are poor, but one or two are well contested, and though, of course, Mr Pillsbnry ha 3 played well and further established his position, we think the contests won by Showalter are the best in the match. Certainly there is nothing to make a fuss about, and to cable snch games across the Atlantic i 3 one of the most absurd pieces of business among the many stupidities connected with chess.

An old and necessarily anonymous poemis published in the American Chess Magazine. It is evidently the product of some crabbed, cantankerous, and confirmed bachelor :— AH you that lovers be, And love the amorous trade. Come learn of-me What women be, And yrhereof they are tna.de. Their heads are made of rash, Their tongues are made of say, Their love of silken changeable, i. That las'teth but a day. Their wit mocfcadn is, , Of durance is their hate, The food they feed on most is cup, Xhtir gaming is Ch*ck*Mate.

Steinitz, in years gone by, when issuing ! his Modern Chess Instructor, advised the • study of problems, considering, among other J thinge, that the exercise of the faculty of J precision and making the best possible use of a few piecee must be helpful in practical play. As a mental exercise, chess is " admirably adapted to evoke and strengthen in young minds the faculties of memory, accuracy, imagination, and proportion.'-' The answer of the Literary Digest to the question, "How am I to become a good chessplayer?" is as follows:—"You must have some genius for the game. Then your success will depend on your own diligence in study and in practice. Study the best games ; study them carefully and thoroughly. Familiarise yourself with the various openings and with the best defences. Then practise. Remember that a game of chess should be something more than skittles, and always play slowly and thoughtfully."

THE EVANS GAMBIT.

In the February number of the British Chess Magazine is an instructive article by "Hobart" (an Australian contributor) on the Evans Gambit. In his opening remarks he say 3 In the year 1830 one of Hie Majesty's ships was coasting along the shores of Africa. Early one morning (so the story goes) a certain middle-aged lieutenant on board lay awake in his bunk puzzling over the Giuoco Piano, and how it was that, though universally played, its placid dreariness was no less universally abused. Was there nothing to be done to brighten up the poor thing a little ? Suddenly a happy inspiration came into his mind. Why that indecisive dawdling with the QBP at the fourth move? Why not at once sacrifice the unimportant Q Xt P by pushing it up two squares against Black's bishop ? And thus, we are told, was created that most beautiful of all the chess openings —the Evans Gambit. The following year its inventor played it successfully against Alexander McDonnell himself. In 1834 De La Bourdonnais and McDonnell played it twenty-times in their matches, with the result that the attack won sixteen games, the defence only four, while two were drawn ; the fame of the new opening was forthwith established. Since then it has been ana'yscrl down hundreds of variations.