CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 19841, 14 April 1928, Page 16

CHESS

[Conducted by L.D.O.]

a The Otago Club meets (or flay at the rooms. 21 George street, Hannah’s Buildings, every Monday Wednesday, and Saturday evenings, at 7.80 o'clock

TO CORRESPONDENTS. J.K.C. (Invercargill).—l am pleased to receive your welcome letter and to note your appreciation of Barry’s problem. 1 hope to receive another contribution from you soon. T.J.R. (Dunedin.).— Thanks for letter. Yes, the rules of chess should govern problem composing. F.K.K. (Wellington).— l am very pleased to receive copy of annual report. Wish you success for 1928. Correct solution to problem Nos. 1,458 and 1.459 received from T.J.R,, g S.M., R.F.R.M’D., G.S.M.M’D., W.G., J.K.M., J.G, [We invite communications on all matters concerning chess. Solutions of problems, games, and analyses will receive our attention, and i[ of sufficient merit will be inserted. All communications to be addressed, “ Chess Editor,” ‘ Evening Star.’]

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM No. 1,458. By G. 11. Ay lift’s (first prize). . Black, 2 pieces. White, 6 pieces. Mato in two moves. R6B; 7B; 8; 2Kt5; 7K; KtR6; qP6; k 7 Key move, B-Kt 1.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM No. 1,459. By Arthur Mosely (first prize). Black, 8 pieces. White, 8 pieces. Mate in two moves. SORIkIJ; R; 7B; lrlB3K; KtplkPo; 5p2; 3rp3; 2ktlKt3. Key move, Q-R 4.

PROBLEM No. 1,460. By A. Ellerman (first prize) Black 6 pieces.

White, 9 pieces. Mate in two moves. BK6; IKtPS; 8; R4P2; r3k3; 3RplPl lq6; sQbb.

PROBLEM No. 1,461. By T. J. 11. Rossbotham (Dunedin), Black, 13 pieces.

White, 12 pieces. Mato in two moves. 3Rlktlß; lqp3Rl; Q3pbpl; 4fclpP; prlKt2pl; PpPIKtPPb; IK6; 8.

RICHARD EETI. The famous chess master, Richard Eeti, has written to Australian and New Zealand chess circles stating that if suitable arrangements could bo made he would be pleased to visit Australia and .New Zealand during the 1928 season. Rcti may possibly be contemplating a. world’s tour similar to that made by Boris'' Kostich in 1924, which included Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, China, Russia, and Europe. Periodical visits to these shores by leading chess masters will bo of immense benefit to chess in the dominion. They serve to arouse public interest in the game, without which no game can flourish to _ any groat extent. During recent years dominion chess has been making good progress, and public interest has increased, the latter being very evident by the large attendances during the annual chess congresses. Eeti was born at Pczinok, Czecho-SJova-kia, on May 28, 1889. As a youth he lived in Vienna, and joined the famous Vienna Chess Club. He was recognised before the war as a very original player, but his results, owing to his originality, wore very uneven. His first important victory was in the Charousek Memorial tournamentat Kaschan, 1918, where he came first with 10 points out of 11, ahead of Vidmar, Schlechtcr, Breyer, etc. His most noteworthy results in the period 1919-26 were: Gothenburg, 1920, first, ahead of Rubinstein and Bogolubow; Berlin, 1920, fourth; Tep-litz-Schonau, 1922, tied for first place with Spielraaun; Carlsbad, 1923, tied for fourth and fifth; New York, 1924, fifth. He won the championship of Czecho-Slovakia, at Bratislava, in 1925. He is well known to British players, having competed in the following tournaments; —London, 1922; Hastings, Christmas, 1922; Margate, 1923; Hastings, Christmas, 1926; Tunbridge WclE, 1927; but he feels that ho scarcely does himself justice on British soil. Eeti is also very well known as a most proficient blindfold player. He put up a world’s record at Sao Paolo, in 1925, playing twenty-nine games sans voir, simultaneously, of which he won twenty, drew seven, and lost two. As one of the foremost representatives of the' Hyper-Modern School, his book, 'Modern Ideas in Chess,’ has attracted widespread notice. Ho has evolved an entirely now system of development (involving the fianchetto development of both bishops) by means of which lie has frequently taken his opponents by surprise, the best example being his victory over the world’s ex-champion at New York, 1924 Capablanca’s first loss for eight years. As an example of his play, we give the following game, which secured him the first brilliancy prize at New York, 1924:

—R. Rcti v. Bogoljubow.— White, Reti; Black, Bogoljubow. 1 Kt-K B 3 Kt-K B 3 2 P-B 4 P-K 3 3 P-K Kt 3 P-Q 4 4 B-Kt 2 B-Q 3 5 Castles Castles 6 P-Kt 3 R-K 1 7 B-Kt 2 Q Kt-Q 2 8 P-Q 4! (a) P-B 3 9 Q Kt-Q 2 Kt-K 5 10 Kt x Kt P x Kt 11 Kb-K 5 P-K B 4 12 P-B 3 P x P 15 Bx P Q-B 2 14 Kt x Kt B x Kt 15 P-K 4! (b) P-K 4 16 P-B 51 B-K B 1 17 Q-B 2 KP x P 18 Px P Q R-Q 1 19 B-R 5 R-K 4 20 B x P .R x K B P 21 Rx R Bx R 22 Qx B Rx B (c) 23 R-K B 1 R-Q 1 24 B-B 7 chi K-R 1 25 B-K 8! (d) Resigns. (a) Better than 8 P-Q 3, which enables Black to equalise the ga’me very shortly by ..'.P,-K 4. (b) By the preceding exchanges White has prepared for this advance, which gives him an evident advantage in the centre. (o) There does not seem to be any grave disadvantage in Black's position, but in three more moves he is compelled to resign. (d) A beautiful finish.

AUSTRALIAN CHESS. A fine game, won by the New South Wales champion in the recent tournament for the championship of Australia. Mr Wallace, who has held the Australian belt, generally produces interesting chess, witness the following score. He plays to win, and not, as some do, to avoid a loss : —“Queen’s Gambit Declined.”— White, A. B. N. Wallace (New South Wales). Black, H. V. Crane (New South Wales), 1 P-Q 4 P-Q 4 2 KtK B 3 Kt-K B 3 3 P-B 4 P-K 3 4 Kt-B 3 B-K 2 5 P-K 3 (a) Castles 6 B-Q 3 P-B 3 (b) 7 Castles Q Kt-Q 2 8 P-Q Kt 3 B-Q 3 (c) , 9 B-Kt 2 P-K 4 (d) 10 B P x P B P x P (e) 11 Kt-Q Kt 5 (f) B-Kt 1 12 P x P Kt-Kt 5 13 Q-B 2 Kt (Q 2) x P 14 Kt x Kt B x Kt 15 B x P ch (g) K-E 1 16 B x B Kt x B 17 B-Q 3 B-K 3 18 KfrQ 4 R-B 1 19 Q-K 2......P-K Kt 3 20 P-B 4 Kt x B 21 Q x Kt Q-B 3 22 Q R-Q 1 B-Q 2 23 P-B 5 (h) K-Kt 2 24 P x P Q x P 25 Kt-B 5 ch K-R 2 26 R-B 4 (i) B x Kt 27 R x B K-Kt 2 28 Q-Q 4 ch K-Kt 1 29 R-B 3 Resigns (j) (a) Recommended by Maroczy in the 'Book of the London Congress,’ where in his notes on Bogoljubow and Znosko-Bo-rovski, wherein Bogoljubow played 5 B-B 4, Maroczy remarks “ Inferior to B-Kt 5 or P-K 3.” (b) The usual continuation is 6... P-B 4 (c) The bishop has taken two moves to get to this square. (d) Intending, by P-K 5, to fork two pieces, but White neatly frustrates tho scheme. (e) 10... K P x P would have avoided tho loss of the pawn, and, moreover, have blocked the long diagonal with a white pawn. Black has now tho much inferior game. (f) Good strategy. (g) Retains his pawn majority. (h) Crushing! as it breaks up the black king's position. (i) Fine! Black has no valid defence. White threatens R-R 4 ch, and then, on Black playing K-Kt 1, to follow with Kt-K 7 ch. (j) White was threatening 30 E?Kt 3, winning the queen. CHESS ITEMS. Tho Chess King;— E'en so a Chess King, castled in his nook. Plays out his pawns odd skulks behind a rook. Lord Lytton. Stalemate. —The curious rule regarding stalemate, that the player whose king is placed in the position of stalemate wins

don, 1614, where it is justified by the argument that the player who has staled his opponent “ hath disturbed the course of the game, which can only end with tho grand check-mate.” Its appearance in England was a result of the flourishing English trade with Russia in Tudor times, and of tho extraordinary impression that the j prevalence and strength of chess play in Russia had made upon English merchants. The rule was embodied in tho code of laws framed by the chess club which from 1774 made Parsloo’s, St. James street, London, its headquarters, and is repeated in the laws of English chess in the later editions of Philidor’s ‘ Analysis.’ J. 11. Sarrat, in his ‘ Treatise,’ London, 1808, was the first to adopt the French and Italian rule by which stalemate was a drawn game, and, though the minor chess writers, led by Peter Pratt, fought hard for the “ English ” rule, tho influence of Sarrat, W. Lewis, and the London Chess Chib was strong enough to cause tho rule to disappear from club play before 1820. Since then the rule has only lived in traditional handbooks (like those of Hoyle), which were reissued from year to year without alteration. The rule has also lived in Germany (back blocks), but has never attracted the attention or gained tho importance that it did in England. It is found m a small German hand book that appeared in 1872, This work describes the unrecognised variety of German chess which tho magazines and clubs contemptuously dismiss as the “ Korkser ” chess. Psychic.—Dr K. Zibort contributes quite a lengthy article to the ‘ Deutsche Sohachzeitung,' explaining tho psyohologi-' cal reasons why, in his opinion, ladies do not take kindly to chess as a rule—though there are exceptions. It is quite interesting, although possibly the impulsive French lady who avenged repeated defeats by hitting tho doctor over the head with the chessboard exercised considerable subconscious influence on his views. Staunton’s “Lost Move.”—Staunton was one of the most irascible of men, while Harrwitz was just the opposite. When these two were playing a game in one of their matches at the Divan, in London, Staunton played rather weakly, and then petulantly exclaimed: “Thunder and bullets! I have lost a move.” Harrwitz immediately tapped a call bell which stood on the table, and on one of the waiters appearing for the supposed order, said; “ Waiter, Mr Staunton says he has lost a move! Look round on the floor and see if you can find it.” It is needless to say the bystanders roared with laughter, and Staunton became purple with rage, was completely upset by the incident, and finally lost the game. .