CHESS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10215, 10 December 1898, Page 2

CHESS.

Weekly Press and Referee."

" Weekly Press and Referee. The Canterbury. Chess Club meets in the Chamber of Commerce, A.M.P. Buildings, every Tuesday and Friday from 7 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Visitors are always welcome. TO CORRESPONDENTS. H£ET.— Many thanks for letter, &c. We reciprocate. Chess Editors N.Z. Field, Evening Star, Otago Witness, and Weekly News.—Slips received with thanks. A.W.C.— The position is a common one in actual pay, and is a win for White. Problem No. 620.—Correct solutions have been received from J.H.B , Sibyl, En Passant, and A.W.C. SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 680. WHITE. BLACK. 1 QR4 PROBLEM NO. 622. By H. Braun, Angsburg. BLACK.

WHITE. White to play and mate in two moves. Position of Pieces.—White—X on X Xt 3, Q on Q Xt 7, Ron X 6, Xt on- X 4 and QB,Pon QB 3 and QB 4. Black—X on X B 4, R o"n X R sq, and Q, R 6, Xt on X B sq, and X 4, P on X R 3, X Xt 2, and K6. Mate in two. THE VIENNA CONGRESS. Two more games played in the Vienna Tournament:—

Queen's Gambit Declined. WHITE. BLACK. {A. Burn.) (C. A. Walbrodt.) IPQ4 IPQ4 2PQB4 2PK3 3KtQB3 / 3 KtKB3 4BKt 5 >. 4B X 2 5PK35 Q Xt Q 2 6 Ktß3 6 Castles 78Q3 7PQKt3 -8 Castles 8 PxP 9BxP 9BKt210QK2 10 PB4 11 QRQsq 11 KtKS 12884 12QBsq(a) 13J8Q3 13 QKtB3 ,14 RBsq 14 Xt x Xt (b) 15 PxKt 15 QQs«|(c) 16 PK4 16 KtR4 178Q2 17J?Rt3 18 BR6 18 KtKt2 19 QRQsq 19 P x P 20 PxP 20 RBsq 21 882 21 QR2 22 B Xt 3 22 B X B 3 23PKt4(d) 23KRQsq 24 B Esq ", 24 QB 3 (c) 25PKt5 258K2 26PQ5 26QKsq 278Kt2 27 PxP 28 PxP 28 BQ3 29 QQ3 29 Ktß4 30 KRKsq ; 30 QB sq 31KtQ4 31 KtKt2 32QK83 32PQR3(f) 33 Ktß6 33 RKsq 34 QB6 34PKt4 35PKR4 35BRsq 36 P R 5 36 P x P 37882 '37 BxKt 38 CR 6(g) 38Kt84 39 QB 6(h) 39 KtKt2 40 Pxß 40 RxR, eh 41 RxR 41 RxP 42 R X 8 42 R x B 43 Q x Xt, mate (i).

(a) The text move has the double object of preventing a possible B Q R 6, and also to remove the queen from the file occupied by White's Q R. The move, however, does not turn out satisfactory, as it hinders the development of the Q R. (b) Compulsory, although it strengthens White's centre. (c) 15. . . . . Xt R 4, to get rid of the Q B, would have been better. He moves the Xt just .one move later, when White could preserve it. (d) A bold venture, the Black B occupying the diagonal. It shows a determination for vigorous action. (c) 24. . . ■ . . Xt X sq, followed by B Xt 2, was urgent. This was Black's best chance to meet the coming attack. (f) Apparently with the object of preventing Xt Xt 5. (g) Expecting Black to reply with P B 4. (h) White cannot play now 39 B x Xt, because 39. . . . . RxR, eh; 40 R x R, Q x Q; '41 P x Q, R X sfc_, saving the exchange. (i) Agood sound game, won by White by superior strategy. Mr Burn has the reputation amongst the masters at Vienna of being an expert in the treatment of the Queen's Pawn Opening. Ray Lopez. WHITE.. BLACK. (H. N. Pillsbury.) (A. Halprin.) IPK4 IPK4 | 2 KIKB3 2 KtQB3 ' 3 BKt5 3 Ktß3 4 Castle* 4 KtxP I 5 P Q 4 5 Xt Q 3 | 6 BR4(a) 6PKS 7RKsq(b) 78K2 8 KtK5 8 Castles 9 Xt Q B 3 9 B Xt 4 (c) 10 Xt x P 10 B x B 11 Rxß 11 KtxQKt 12 RxKt 12KtxKt(d) 13 P x Xt 13 Q Xt 4 14 P X B 4 14 Q Xt 3 15 QQ4(e) 15 PQB4(f) 16 Q X 3 (g) 16 P Q 4 17 PxP, c.p. 17QxP l8PB4(b) 18PQKt3 19RK5 19PKt3 20 B B 2 20 B Xt 2 21 R Q sq 21 Q X B 3 22 P B 5 22 Q R Q sq 23RKBsq 23PKKt4 24RK7 24883 25PQKt3 25KRK_q 26RxR, eh 26 RxR 27Q82 27Q86(i) 28P86(j) 28QK6 29 RQsq 29 QxQ.ch 30KxQ 30PKR3 31 885 31 KBsq 32KKt3 328K5(k) 338x8 33 Rxß 34RQ8,cb 34RK«q 35RxR.ch 36KxR 36KKt4 36KQ2 , 37KR5 37 KK3 38KxP 38KxP * ! 39 P X Xt 4 Resigns, {a) Showalter's variation. j

(b) 7. Xt X 5 at once is preferable, as the j Xt cannot be dislodged with P B 3 on account of QR 5, eh. , n . ! , (c) An inferior move.; "it develops White. (d) This must be the cause Of Black s trouble, more so than the Bishop's move. There is no reason why he should not have pay 12. .'-■". • y KtK 2, which would have simplified the position, and enabled him to move the Q P. (c) 15. R Q 4 would have been forcible. (0 An 'ingenious attempt to free his position, which is now very much hampered. (g) 16. Q Q 5 would have kept Back confined for a long time. , , . ~ / (h) White gets now, with this excellent move,'the superior game. (i) He ought not to have removed the Queen, Or, if at all, it should have moved to Q5. (j) The winning move. (k) This hastens the conclusion, but the ending cannot be saved, play as he may. NOTES. A match is on the tapis between Mr Burn winner of the Cologne tournament, and Herr Mieses, the latter intending to pay a visit to England. Herr Mieses has not taken part in any public event since he drew a match with Janowski in Paris shortly after the Hastings Tournament.

The American Champion.—Mr Pillsbury, after his return home, "says, in the Sun: — •x_.e Vienna tourney was of rather too long duration, 38 rounds being more th>an should be required. In the last eight rounds I weakened perceptibly, and that is where I lost my grip on the first prize. A two-round tourney with only 16 entries would be more within reason."

Amos Burn recently ventured to contest 24 games simultaneously against the ladies. He played cautiously, feeling the strength of his opponents, and running no risks, he finally won 2_i trames out of the 24 in four hours of play. The ladies are not to be despised as opponents, lor they played a second team of Hampstead players, twenty a side, a short time ago, and drew the match.

Mr G. A. L. Bull says in the Natal Advertiser that when you meet a stranger over the board for the first time ,and find after your second move that he meditates deeply, you may safely assume assume that he is not a second Zukertort. Mr Bull also gives this piece of advice. Whenever you happen to make the acquaintance of a man who tells you he has heard you are a good player, and that it is quite refreshing to him to meet someone who will give him a "game"—with with especial emphasis on the word "game" —take good care to have a train to catch.

Mr Steinitz did not* attend the Salisbury meeting, but an opportunity was given him on the 21st September of showing his skill at the Hastings and St. Leonard's Club, on the occasion of the annual meeting of that club. Notwithstanding the strength of play of the members of the active Southern Club, Mr Steinite engaged nineteen players simultaneously in a contest lasting three hours, and the result gave the excellent score to the old master of 16 wins, none lost, and 3 drawn games—with Messrs Dobeli,, Henry, and King.

There is some discussion already as to whether the proposed international tournament should be a two-round tournament, limited to sixteen players, or a one-round tournament open to iJhe world. The Glasgow Weekly Herald says:—"A two-round tournament with sixteen players will be simply a repetition- of the Vienna tournament, with the exception, perhaps, that Lasker, and possibly Charousek, will be amongst the competitors . . . . But apart from this, the practice which has come into vogue since the Hasting tournament of picking and choosing players, is extremely objectionable, and grossly unfair to many players. . Even assuming that a selection committee is actuated by the most impartial consideration only, it follows, as night follows day, that it is absolutely impossible to select sixteen or eighteen competitors from the list of strong players living throughout the world without doing an injustice to someone. . . If sufficient funds-can be raised to hold a tournament,-of six weeks' duration,-, why should it not be in one round, aid open to the world?:VilfV4V:large enough fee be exacted it will easily keep out players who have no. business in aj masters' tournament. The selection system I apart from its unfairness to some, has already • been found to be bad by experience. At Hastings, for instance, Pillsbury was admitted by the merest-fluke, for at two meetings of the Committee his name was rejected. Charousek was admitted at Nuremberg by the merest accident through Mr Burn staying out; and Herr Connwho came so near, winning the Cologne tour* nament, was rejected both at Hastings and Nuremberg. 'All this is manifestly ridiculous, and- should be ended.."•. : ,;