CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 19776, 28 January 1928, Page 13

CHESS

[Conducted by L.D.G.] The Otago Club meets (or f lay at the rooms, 24 Georg** street. Hannah’s Buildings, every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings, at 7.30 o clock. TO CORRESPONDENTS. •- K.F.R.M'D.—Thanks for souvenir; a valuable collection. 1 will return it to you at an early date F. (Wellington).—l hanks for contribution. My letter forwarded. J.A.B.—Your communications received. Many thanks Your loiter last week was iust too late for acknowledgment through the column. Q-R 5 is a good try. Solution to No. 1,443 is correct. 1 am pleased to note your interest in problem solving. Dr C. (Porlobollo).—Thanks for letter. Yes mood progress is being made. Referring to problem No. 1,441, by A. Grinblat, try K x B as a key move. This is a remarkable problem J. Musselburgh).—Your letter appreciated. I will comply with your suggestion. SS.M.—Thanks for letter and solution. The problem has been very favorably commented upon. , , . G. (Port Chalmers).—] am pleased to receive vour contribution. K. (Manchester, England).—Thanks for budget; greatly appreciated. R.M. (Mornington).—The “opening referred to is now practically obsolete, ultbou'di greatly practised in Ihe nineteenth century. Pre-cnUkiy masters seldom offer this ‘’gambit'’ on account of Black’s strong defence and counter-attack, which invariably leads to a won game for Black Correct solutions to problem No. 1 444 received from G.S.M.M’D R.PR.ML)., SSM.. Dr C., R.M., W. 8., 1.P.W., G.S. [We invite communications on all matters concerning chess. Solutions of problems, gomes, and analyses will receive our attention, and if of sufficient merit will be inserted. All communications to be addressed. “ (-hess Editor,’ ‘ Evening Star.’] SOLUTION 'TO PROBLEM No. 1,444. Bv T. J. Rossbotham (Dunedin). Q-R 8. Mr Rossbotham is lo be congratulated on his composition. It is gratifying to study a problem by one of our own local problemists. Some fine work by the same composer has appeared from time to time in this column. PROBLEM No. 1,445. By Joshua Ncild. Black 8 pieces.

PROBLEM No. 1,446. By Reginald B.Uooke. Black, 5 pieces.

CHESS IN LONDON. Game played in the international masters’ invitation tournament of the British Empire Club between Messrs W. A. Fairhurst and A. Niomzowitch. —Queen’s Pawn Opening,— White, Mr Fairhurst; Black, Mr Niemzowitch. 1 P-Q 4 P-K. 3 2 P-Q B 4 Kt-K B 3 5 Kt-K B 3 B-Kt sch 4 B-Q 2 Q-K 2 5 P-K Kt 5 Bxß ch 6QKt x B P-Q 3 7 B-Kt 2 Castles S Castles P-K R 3 ‘ 9 Q-B 2 R-K sq 10 P-K 4 P-K 4 11. P-Q S P-Q R 4 12 P-Q R 3 P-R 5 15 P-B 5 The game has now left the beaten tracks of tins opening, and White makes a spirited effort bv the sacrifice of his B P to secure some attack. The ensuing play is both lively and full of interest. 13 P x P 14 Kt-B 4 K Kt-Q 2 15 Q R-Q sq P-Q Kt 4 16 P-Q 6 Q-K 3 17 Px P Qx Kt 18 Px Kt (Queens) Rx Q Otherwise he loses his rook, 19 Qx Q Px Q, 20 R-Q 5

W'e cannot but think R-Q 2 would in the long run have been safer. The text move gives Black a clear passed pawn, by which the game is finally determined. 20 R x P 21 R-B st| I’-B A 22 B-B sc| Kt-Kt 3 23 R (Q 5) x B P B-K 3 21 R-B 6 B-B 2 25 Kt-Q 2 R.x Kt 26 R x K 1 K R-Q sq 27 R-Kt 4 R-R 7 28 R-Kt 7 R-Q B sq 29 R-Q sq White Here misses his chance of an almost certain draw by R-B 3, which ho well deserved. 29 P-B 6 30 R (Q sq)-Q 7 B-Kt 6 31 R x P eh K-B sq 32 R-K Kt 6 R-B 3 33 R x P R-Kt 7 34 R-Q R 7 B-Kt sq 35 R-K R 8 P-B 7 36 R-R 8 ch K-K 2 37 R-Q R 7 cb K-Q 3 58 R x B P-B 8 (Queens) 39 R-Q 8 ch K-B 4 40 R (Q 81-Q 7 Q-K 8 White resigns. A contest conspicuous for the enterprise of the young English master against the skilful and subtle defence of his renowned opponent. Game played in the international team tournament between Senor Gran (Argentina) and Sir G. Thomas (Great Britain). Queen’s Pawn Gambit Declined.— White, Senor Grau; Black, Sir G. Thomas. 1 Kt-K B 3 Kt-K B 5 2 P-Q 4 P-Q 4 3 P-Q B 4 P-B 3 4 P-£ 3 P-K 3 5 Kt-B 3 Q Kt-Q 2 6 B-Q 3 P x P 7 B x B F P-Q Kt 4 8 B-Q 3 P-Q 4i 5 9 Castles P-B 4 The defence has followed (he lines of the latest developments of this opening, all tending to the greater freedom of Black. The text move, indeed, almost turns the balance in his favor. 10 P-Q R 4 P-Kt 5 11 Kl-K 4 B-Kt 2 12 Kt-Kt 3 B-Q 3 15 P-Kt 3 Cnstles 14 B-Kt 2 • On-both sides the bishops occupy positions that menace the safety vW the opposing king,

but Black’s have the advantage of a slightly more open range of'action. 14 ;„..,P x P , 15 Px P Kt-Q 4 16 Kt-K 5 Q Kl-B 3 17 Kt-R 5 P-R 3 18 P-Kt 3 White may be excused' for failing 'to fathom the fine combination that follows, one of singular depth and beauty, lb Kt x Kt ch, followed by P-B 4, seems safe enough, if only Black’s manoeuvre wore foreseen. 18 B x Kt 19 P.x B Kt x Kt 20 Qx Kt Kt-K 6 21 K R-Q sq His choice is to give up the exchange, or lose every prospect of an attack by Q and B. Apparently it does not matter which he selects; the game is anyway lost. ■ 21 Kt x R 22 R x Kt Q-Kt 3 23 R-K Bsq Q R-Q sq 24 B-Kt sq Q-B 3 25 P-B 3 Q-B 4cb 26 K-R sq R-Q 7 and White resign? because of Black's threatened . 27 K-K B 7 A beautifully-played game by the winner. STAUNTON'S ADVICE TO CHESS PLAYERS. An excellent way for gaining all-round insight into position, and at the same time learning the openings, is the habit of playing over masters' games. It is hardly possible to overrate this pleasant, (bough littlepractised pastime. It is far better and often more enjoyable than playing with beginners. and, done systematically, improves one's play immensely. The handiest way is perhaps lo play with a pocket board, but, of course, any board will do.. Two methods may be followed. First, pul yourself on the side of the winning party, and study the development of his game, giving less attention to the other side, for practice has shown that it is advisable to try to keep in touch with both sides at onetime. Cover the score of Ihe side you are playing—say, White —and after every move of Black try to discover what White's reply will be before looking at the score. At first you will not discover many of his moves, but. later on you will be gratified to see how often you would have played the same move, in such-and-snch a position as, say, Tarrasch. The deep moves alone will elude you, nnd even these will occasionally be discovered. The second plan is to take one player to yourself as before, but do not look whether he has won or lost the game. Cover the score, then during the progress of the play try to see how he is faring!—you not knowing the result. Practice will enable you in time to recognise a gradual advantage (or the reverse) which he may have accumulated. It is the ability to recognise such changes in position that makes the good player. Games of old masters are unsurpassed for brilliancy of combination and middle-game play generally. In play-ng over games, specially those of modern exports, the student will incidentally acquire sound knowledge of the openings.

AN EXPERT’S OPINION. To play chess well demands patience and restraint. The man who easily loses heart and head will never make a strong player. It is beautiful to watch a resourceful player who, after early reverses, drags the remains of a shattered attack together, welds a number of disunited pieces and pawns by combination into a position that ultimately allows him to enter the end game on equal terms with his opponent. Such a player will go far, and his reverses will become less. CLASSIFICATION OP PROBLEMS. Problems differ in kind and length of solution according to the fancy of the composer. They may be described as symmetrical problems, letter problems, one-king problems, retractive problems, conditional problems, direct mates, mid sin-mates. (a) A symmetrical problem is one in which the pieces are placed to represent some pictorial design, but there is such little scope for the composer’s skill that the solution is nearly always seen at a glance. (b) A letter problem represents some letter, but, like a symmetrical problem, there is little merit beyond the fanciful arrangement of the pieces. ic) The one-king problem is a pleasing innovation attributed to Mr E. N, Frankenstein. In problems of this kind ihe Black king is purposely removed from the board. The solver has first to replace the missing monarch and (hen mate or sni-matc ns the conditions direct. (d) A retractive problem is one in which some move—proved by an analysis of position to have been made illegally or to have been the last one made—has to be retracted and then mate in n given number of moves. There is another form of this problem which ought to be classed rather as an abstruse puzzle than a legitimate problem. Some move, which might or might not have been the last one made, has to be put back, liecause it is the only one which will nllow the conditions to bo carried out.

(e) A conditional problem is one in which male or sui-matc is given under certain restrictions. White or Black undertakes to mate with a particular piece on a certain square or without moving a number of pieces named at the beginning. This kind of problem was once very popular, but is now a thing of the past. (f) Direct mates may be divided into two classes:—(ll Attacking problems—i.e., those in which the first move threatens mate. (2) Waiting-move problems—i.e., those in which the first move would not lead (o a mate if it were not that Black is forced to reply and thereby weaken his position. The latter may be further divided into two sections: (1) Important waiting-move problems—i.e., those in which the first move is useful; but its utility is seen only when Black moves. (2) Perfect waiting-move problems—i.e., those in which the first move is perfectly useless in itself, and is only serviceable because there is no other move without interfering with the mates already prepared for Black's reply. This division refers more particularly to two-movers, because threemovers nnd longer problems may include all these characteristics.

(g) Sui-mato is a delightful form of composition that is rapidly growing in public estimation. It differs from the direct mates only in the object attained; the attributes of the pieces and the rules to be followed are precisely the same in each case. Instead of White trying to mate Black as in a direct problem, he compels his opponent to mate, and Black all the time trying to avoid giving the mate. CHESS ITEMS. 'the international masters' lou'iiameut promoted by the British Empire Club produced some interesting play, and a very keen struggle for first place, the conclusion being that Mr A. Nienizowiteh and Dr Tartakower tied for Hie first and second prizes with a score of 8 points cadi, with Mr F. J. Marshall close behind for ihird prize with points to J his credit. The performance of the American veteran was hailed with much satisfaction, but the British representatives disappointed expectations, both Sir George Thomas nnd Air Yates being palpably out of form. The largest—which must not be regarded as synonymous with the greatest—-chess match of all time look place at (he rooms of the Ministry of Heallh, Whitehall, on October 22, when 1,036 competitors entered the lists in friendly combat. The contest took the form of the Civil Service ngainst the Home Counties’ Chess Union, ami was organised with a view of contributing towards a deficit of £4OO incurred by the British Chess Fedora I ion in the cost of the recent international team tournament. After some bouts of play it was. finally declared that the Home Counties were successful with a score of 297] again-! 210 j for the Civil Service.