CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 17921, 17 March 1922, Page 1

CHESS

[Conducted by J.H.F.H.]

The Otogo Chess Club meets for play at the rooms, Liverpool street, every Monday. Wednesday, and Saturday evening, at 7.30 o'clock.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

[All communications must bo addressed "Chess Editor,” ‘Evening Star.’]

PROBLEM, No, 1,576, By E. H. E. Eddis. Black, 9 pieces.

White, 10 pieces. White to play and mato in two moves. 1B4BK; Kt2p2Ktl; 4r2p; 2pkplbß; 3klp2; IP3P2; R2Q4; 8.

PROBLEM No. 1,577. By L. Schor, First Prize, ‘ Hoagsche Post, 1 1921, Black, 7 pieces.

White, 7 pieces. White mates in three moves. An interesting example of tho mutetal interference of Black B and Kt. 3Ktlkt2; IKlktpo; IP6; 2k81>3; 2p2P2; 2p5; 2K13Q1; 8. SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 1,574. Key move; QKt 8 SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 1,575. Key move: R-Q B 5. GAME No. 1,429. Played in tho recent tournament at Tho Hague. Notes by GLA.T. King's Knight’s Gambit. White, A. Rubinstein; Black, B. Kostich. 1 P-K 4 J?-K 4 2 ?*: B 4 Px P 3 Kt-K B 3 F-Q 4 4l> x P Kt-K B 3 5 Kt-B 5 Kt x P 6Ktx Kt Qx Kt 7 P-Q 4 B-K 2 ...This appears to be an innovation, and is of" considerable theoretical interest. The idea is indirectly to protect tho Pawn at B 5. White, of course, cannot now play 8 B x P because of Q-K 5 ch, to which 9 Q-K 2 would no longer be an adequate reply, as tho Black Queen would not be pinned. Tho usual move is 7..-B-K Kt 5, givug up tho extra Pawn. 8 B-Q 3 P-K Kt 4 9 Q-K 2 B-B 4 10 Bx B Qx B 11 P-K Kt 4 Energetically played. White must attack the advanced Pawns before Black's development is complete; otherwise they will become very formidable. This move prepares for P-K R 4. Black clearly cannot reply 0 x Kt P, because of 12 R-K Kt 1, or if 11..., P x P e.p., then 12 B x P. Q-K 3 12 Qi Q Px Q 13 P-K R 4 Px P 14 P-Kt 5 Castles 15 B x P B-Q 3 16 B-Q 2 Kt-B 3 17 P-B 4 Not so strong as it looks; 17 Castles would probably bo best; but even then 17..., P-K 4 seems to enable Black to maintain his extra Pawn, wuh a safe game. P-Kt 3 ...A very unfortunate move, which is not only unnecessary but ateo paves the way for tho oversight at move 10. Black could safely have gone on with his intended 17..., P-K 4. If then 18 P-B 5, B-K 2; 19 P x P, B x B P and White cannot capture the BP; for if 20 B x P, Kt-K 21 and White has no resource against the threatened KtKt 3; or if 20 R x BP, R x R; 21 B iE, R-K B 1. In other variations also Black seems to retain his extra Pawn, with winning chances. 18 R-R 6 Q R-K I 19 Castles -P-K 4?

...An oversight, which loses a piece. Black has rather a difficult position now in any case, having obviously loct ground in coneequenoo of his seventeen ill movo. White has various attacking possibilities, such as. P Kt 6 in conjunction with doubling Eooks_ on tho K R file; and, in certain eventualities, B-B 3, preceded by tho opening of tho long black diagonal. The best move for Black is probably 19..., E-B 2. 20 P-B 5 P-K 5 21 P x B P x Kt 22 P-Q 7 This is, of course, what Black had overlooked. E-Q 1 23 Rx Kt .R s P 24 R-K B 1 R x P 25 R x K B P R-B 2 26 R-K B 6 K R-Q 2 27 B-B 3 Resigns. GAME No. 1,430. Played in tho eighth round of tho tournament at The Hague. Notes by Mr A. Bum (in tho 'Field’). Centro Game. White, J. Mieses; Black. G. Marco. 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 2 P-Q 4 Px P 3 Kt-K B 3 QsP at onoo is better. P-Q 4 ...For now Black could have gained time by 3..., B-Kt 5 ch: followed, if 4 B-Q 2, by 4.. B-B 4; or if 4 Kt-Q 2by 4..., P-Q 84. 4Q x P Px P 5 Q x Q cb.~... E i Q 6 Kt-Et 5 Black has not played tho opening well, and White has now much the superior position, Kt-K R 3 7 Kt x K P B-Kt 5 ch 8 Q Kt-B 3 BxKt oh 9 Kt x B R-K 1 ch 10 B-K 2 B-B 4 11 B x Kt P x B 12 Castles (Q R) ch Kt-Q 2 15 P-K Kt 4.~—8-Kt 3 14 P-B 4 P-K R 4 would have been better; e.g., 14 P-K R 4, P-K B 3; 15 B-B 4, P-K R 4; 16 P-Kt 5, with advantage for White. Tho disadvantage of tiro text, move is that when the Pawn advances to B 5 it allows ■ Black’s Knight eventually to take up a strong position at his K 4. P-K B 3 15 R-Q 2 P-B 3 16 K R-Q 1 R-K 2 17 P-B 5 B-B 2 18 Kt-K 4 K B 2 19 P-B 4 .R-K B 1 20 P-Kt 3 B-K 1 21 Kt-Q 6...... P-Kt 3 22 P-Kt 4 Kt-K 4 ...Black has defended himself well, and his position is now much improved. 23 P-Q R 4 E-Kt 1 24 P-R 5 An ingenious move, giving up a Pawn and intending to offer the further sacrifice of a piece. The .alternative was 24 P-R 3, defending the K Kt P, with about an equal game. Kt i Kt P 25 Kt xB ch E(K2) xKt 26 R-Q 7 ch...K-Kt 1 27 P-R 6 Kt-K 4 ...It would have been bettor to capture tho Bishop; after which it is doubtful whether White could have done more than draw by perpetual check, e.g., 27..., K s B; 28 R-Kt 7 ch, K-B 1 (not 28..., K-R 1 because of 29 R (Q 1)-Q 7 threatening 30 R x P ch, K-Kt 1! 31 R (Q 7)-Kt 7 ch, K-B 1; 32 R.-R. 8 mato); 29 E(Q 1)-Q 7 and draws. If instead of 29 E (Q D-Q 7, White played 29 R x Q R P, then 29..., R (Kt 1)-K 1; 30 B-K Kt 7, R-Q R 7 and tire game would probably be drawn, for if 31 P-E 7, then 31.. Kt-B 7 with advantage for Black. The position is a highly interesting one, and deserving of study. 28 R-Kt 7ch R-R 1 29 R-Q 6 R-Kt 7 30 E-K 7 Beginning with this move, Herr Mieses finishes off tho game in beautiful style. R-Q B 1 31 B-B 3... R-B 7 ...If 31..., Kt : x B, then 32 R (Q 6)-Q 7 forcing mato in a few moves. 32 R x Q B P—Kt x R 33 B x Kt ch K-Kt 1 34 R-Kt 7 ch K-E 1 35 RxKR Pch K-Kt 1 36 R-Kt 7 ch K-B 1 37 R x Kt P ch R x B 38 R x R K-Kt 1 39 Rx P JLB 5 40 E-B 8 ch K-B 2 41 P-B 6 R x P ch 42 K-Q 2 Resigns A very finely played game by Mieses. 23 R x Kt R x P

PROPOSED INTERCEDE CHAMPIONSHIP. In September last tho Canterbury Chess Club issued a circular letter to tho other New Zealand clubs, urging tho institution of an interclub championship tournament, and asking for suggestions as to bow such a contest could bo best arranged and carried out. After considering tho various replies received, tbo Canterbury Club has now issued a further circular, suggesting that each team shall consist of twelve players, and that this year’s drawings shall 100 as follow:—April 22 and 23, Nelson v. Auckland, Canterbury v. Otago, and Mastorten v. Wellington.; May 13 and 20, Mastcrton v. Canterbury; Juno 3 and 10, Otago v. Wellington; Juno 24 and July 1, Nelson v. Masterton; July 15 and 22, Auckland v. Masterton, Nelson v. Otago, and Canterbury v. Wellington; August 5 and 12, Auckland v. Otago: August 26 and September 2, Nelson v. Wellington; September 16 and 23, Auckland v. Canterbury; October 7 and 14, Masterton v. Otago, Auckland v. Wellington, and Nelson v. Canterbury. A free Saturday has boon left between each round to provide for unforeseen contingencies. Tho fact that only one match can be played at a time across ths Straits was homo in mind in drawing up tho above provisional fixtures.