OVER THE CHESS BOARD.

Evening Star, Volume 11221, Issue 11221, 21 April 1900, Page 2

OVER THE CHESS BOARD.

[Conducted by R. M. Baird.] The Otago Ohess Club meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Satmday evening, at 7.30 ? in theirrooms, Liverpool street. . SOLUTIONS; , . > . - - No. 552: R-Q £.'-Nd; 553: R-Q 8. f . PROBLEM No. 555. : ’Second Prize Canadian Chops Association Problem Tourney.) - - , TBy'p. F. Stubbs, St. John, N.B.] Black. ■

White 3 pieces. White to play and win. White. Black. - White. Black. 1 K-B (i K-R4 9 Kt-B 2 K-R 4 2 Kt-Kt 5 P-B 5 10 Kt-Kt 4 P-B 7 3 Kt-83.. K-R 3 UKtxP K-R3 4 K-B 7 K-R 4 12 Kt-Q 4 , P-Kt 4 SK-QB K-R 3 13 Kt-B 2 K-H4 G K-B f! K-R 4 14 Kt-Kt 4 P-R 3 7 Kt-Q 5 K-R 3 15' Kt-Q 5 P-Kt 4 8 Kt-K 3 P-B 6 IB P x P mate. The student will notice that the main idea to be observed in solving the position is to keep the black king confined while exhausting the movements of the free pawns. The knight cannot gain or lose a move as a bishop can, therefore the opposition of the kings must be attended to. He will notice the manner iu which this opposition is taken from Black by moves 4. 5, and 6. When the rook’s pawn and the knight’s pawn are forced onward, Black soon drifts into mate from the Kt, or from P x P. —Leeds ‘ Mercury.' NEW ZEALAND CHESS CONGRESS AT WELLINGTON. The following game was played in the first round between the two Otago .Chess Club representatives, Messrs R A. Cleland (white) and,J..Edwards (black) IRREGULAR OPENING. White. Black. . White. Black. Cleland. Edwards. Cleland. Edwards. IP-K4 P-K 4 17 P x P B-Kt4 2 Kt-K B 3 Kt-Q B 3 18Q-K2 Q-B 3 3 B-B 4 P-K R 3 19 Q-Kt 4 Q-Kt3 4 P-B3 Kt-B3 20 Q-B3 Ml 5 P-Q 3 B-K2 - 21 Kt-Kt 4 PxP 6 Castles Castles 2! PxP Bx Kt 7 B-K 3 P-Q 3 , 23 Px B Q-Kt 2 8 Q-B 3. Kt-Q R 4 24 P-B 6 Q-Kt 3 9 Q Kt-Q 2Kt x B 25 Q R-K 1 P-B 3 10 Kt xKt Kt-JO 5 2H R-K 2 K-B 1 . 11 P-K R. 3 Kt x B 27 K R-K 1 Rx R 12 Kt x Kt' P-KR4 28 P, xR 0-Ktßch 13P-Q4 P-K Kt 4 29 K-R 2 Q'x P 14 Kt-B 5 P-Kt 5 30 Q-Q3 Q-Q 4 15 PxP PxP 31 R-K I K-Kl 16 Kt-R 2 P-Kt 6 32 R-K R 1 Resigns. * SOCIAL CHESS.’ The following games are extracted from Mr Mason’s latest work, ‘ Social Chess ’ PONZIANI ATTACK. (Won by Rev. 0. E. Rankin.) White. Black. White. Black. 1 P-K 4 ' P-K 4 8Q x P-c Kt xKt 2 Kt-K B 3 Kt-Q B 4-<i 9Qx Kt P-d Kt-B (i 3 P-B 3 Kt-B 3 10 K-B sq-c Kt-Kt 6 4 P-Q 4 P-Q 4-6 ch/ 5 B-Q Kt 5 KtxKP 11 Px Kt Q-K8 GKt x P , B-Q 2 mate 7 Q-Kt 3 , , Q-K 2 ' a ...Or 3...P-Q 5; 4Q-R4, P-B3; 5 B-Kt‘s, Kt-K 2;GPx P,Q x P-7 P-Q 4, P x P, etc, a mere laborious line of defence. White's third move distinguishes the opening, which is also known as Staunton's attack,-both Ponziani and Staunton Having accorded it much prominence in their works. . The idea, seems to be to form a centre perchance, meanwhile giving an important outlet to the queen. b A likely continuation: 4...Kt x P; 5 P-Q 5 Kt-K sq ; 6 B-Q 3. Kt-K B 3; 7 Kt x P, B-B 4. Notice in this how White recovers his pawn, for if 7...Kt x P (instead of 7...8-B 4) then 8 K-Q B 4, and Black may easily get into trouble. Again, if 7.. 2, then 8 castles; of course, and Black's queen is badly placed, while he can take the pawn with no more success than before. e Dangerous to leave his king in line with black queen. 8 castles or 8 B-K 3 would be safer, or he might play 8 Kt x Kt. followed by 9 castles or 9 B-K 2 (protecting hrs King) according to the reply. d Another risky capture; 9Qx QKt would be all right. For then if 9...Q xQ;loßxßch, K x B ; 11 Px Q etc.; or if 9...8 x B ; 10 Q x B cb, P-B 3 ; 11 Q-K 2, there would be no occasion for alarm. e If he'here takes the checking knight, naturally 10...Kt-Q 3 (or B 4) ch, and his queen is lost. / The king should have gone to Q sq. Then if 10.. x B P ch; 11 K B 2 he would be pretty safe whatever complications might ensue, or however numerous the variations. KING’S bishop’s GAME. (Won by Chas. Platt.) White. Black. White. Black. 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 10 P-K R 3-e P-K R 4 2 B-B 4 Kt-K B 3 HPxB PxP 3 P-Q 3 P-B 3-a 12 Kt x P Kt-Q 5! 4 Kt-K B 3-6 P-Q 4 13 Q-K-/ Kt-KSI-g 5 P x P PxP 14 B x Q Kt-Kt 6! G B-Kt 3 Kt-B 3 15 Kt-KtCch-/iKt-K 7 ch 7 Q-K 2 B-K Kt 5 16 Qx Kt Kt x Q 8 Caatles-c B-Q B 4-d mate 9 B-Kt 5? P-K R 3 ! a Black wants to " establish a centre," a proceeding of questionable value. On the whole either 3...Kt-B 3 or 3...8-B 4, as iu the ordinary Giuoro, is preferable. 6 For 4 Q-K 3 would give Black pause in his 4 . P-Q 4. As it goes, if White checks at G (instead of retreating bishop) the reply would be G...8-Q 2; and the advanced centre pawns would be perfectly safe. c Or better, 8 P-K R 3, which is not so good after castling. rfH 8...P-K S;9PxP, PxP; 10 Q-K 3, the white knight would be in no danger. Black would gain nothing by 10...8 x Kt, and his king pawn might be easily lost. c The bishop should retreat or take the knight, which, by the way, he should have attacked, in view of these most necessary alternatives. As the V* stinds. Black may win a piece by 10.. .B x Kt, but he plays a nobler game. /No use 13 B-R 4 ch, black king simply going to B sq. If 13 Q-K 3, of course' 13...Kt-B 6 cb, and the queen would be lost for bishop and knight not so bad a bargain, with a piece already in hand. Besides, there is 13 Q-Q 2, a comparatively good move. But he will discover a check, and the tale is soon told. <7 Excellent! Ifl4 P x Kt, Qx B. Black queen would soon reach the king rook file, winning . /l A f r ls £?. Kt ' lhen 15...Kt-B 6 (or K 7)mate! And 15 ..R-R S mate threatens. Oh, those terrible open files 1 An exciting and amusing finish. AN ODDMENT. Id an upheaval of old papers we have just come across the following game, sent to us from Hastings, with notes of an amusing character, not intended for publication at the time,, but having more of the character of an amusing comment such as we possess in connection with the writer’s great win from Max Weiss in the last American International :

FRENCH DEFENCE.' White. Black. White. Black. Pollock. Tarrasch. Pollock. Tarrasch. IP-K4 P-K3 - 14 B-KKt5 Q-B 2 B3 15, B x B ch Kt(Kl)xß 3 P-Q 4 , P-Q B 4 16 Q-Q 2 P-K R 3 48-Q3 P-ICB4 17Kt-K5 Ktx Kt 5 P-K Kt4-6 PxQP IS P x Kt P-Q Kt 3 6PxP Q-R 4 ch 19 Kt-B4 B-Kt2 7P-B3 QxKPch-c 20 B-Kts Kt-B 3 BKt-K2 Kt-QB 3 21 P-K 6-c Q-K2 9 Castles. B-B4 , 22 Kt-Kt6-/ Q-Kt4ch 10R-K1 O-B 3 23 QxQch I'xQ 11 Kt-Q 2 K P x P 24 Kt x ft Kt-$5 12 P x P . B-K 2-d 25 P-K 7 ch-o Resigns. 13 Kt-KB3 K-Ql J K a I alwava used to play this when giving a knight at Simpson’s, and I now adopted it against Tarrasch in the hope that he might not know the right answer tor so bad a move,. You remember Steinitz played it first in big tourneys against Wifaawer? 6 We are reverting to P’hilidorianism, eh ? e All right, oncia Herrl Yours truly will have a look in presently. d .lust so!“ That’s what I was afraid of. e Go on, my little beauty; go on.and prosper. /You see the idea ? Of course the learned leech

walks things off,ibut'even then ; JHm 'distinctly in the swim. ’ . " n Sometimes these little ideas come off,-eh I It was risky, but. the best chance. .Whenever I tackle a scientific book-worm I shall'yet on the' irtegular lay; it gives the best chances. If I had •Jlil a „ rna^ with Lasker I should try him with the Evans and the Music. If I kept to the beaten paths and the German Handbook I should lose every.game. But it would be hard if,the gambits did not, sometimes, schlog him onltho kop.—• Weekly Mercury.' j ; CHESS NOTES. Freemasonry of Chess.—lnanyquarter of the globe which can boaefc of a cheaa club or a circle of cbeis players a chess player is ait . home. It is one of the . pleasantest circumstances in connection with the toyal game* that a stranger-who is a' player is always welcomed in -foreign chess circles. •The bare ■ intimation that he is-a - chess devotee is a passport thatsecures for him a cordial reception ; a passport thafi is.tiever questioned, but always' unhesitatingly ao- . oepted 'as a bond of union and brotherhood between man and man.—‘Australasian.’ A correspondent writes us that be has carefully gone through Mr Blaokburne’s lately published book, and ho finds that in nearly every game won by Mr Blackbnrne from weaker .opponents the loser had really a lost game, theoretically, somewhere about the tenth move in the .game, and in many games even earlier. We cannot say whether this be so or not, as we have not had the leisure to play all the games over, but we incline to the belief that our correspondent’s conclusion is pretty neorly correct. Our own experience is that at least 90 per cent, of games played between experts and inexperienced amateurs are practically lost by the amateurs before they have made a dozen moves. To play chess well, a fair knowledge of the openings is absolutely necessary. The chess player who tries to .construct his .game on a faulty opening is like the architect who builds his edifice on.a rotten foundation. Both are bound to collapse to well-directed pressure. Moral: Look' to your theory, and beware of the individual who ostentatiously tells you, as if it is something to be proUd of, that he knows nothing of the openings. If you search him it is more thou likely you will find him possessed of a pocket edition of the chess openings, to which he refers much oftener than to his Bible or Prayer Book. ‘ Hereford Times.’