CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 20672, 20 December 1930, Page 29

CHESS

fCoidiicted by L.D.G.] The Ol«ga Club m«cts (of play at the r*wn*i Allbell Buildings, Stuart street, every Monday, Wednesday, and Satutday evening, at 7,34 o’clack. SEASON'S GREETINGS. T wislt to extend to out - readers the seaton's greetings and thank them for the splendid support given the column during the past year. TO CORRESPONDENT*. F.K.K. (Wellington). —Many thanks lor your welcome letter and interesting news; greatly appreciated. Correct solution to problem No. 1,859 received from W.A., R.E., White Bishop, T.J.W., A.W., R.M. . Correct solution to problem No. 1,860 received fi ; om W.A., R.M., A.W., White Bishop, R.E., J.G., T.J.W. (Wt invite communications on all matters c*ncerning chess Solutions of problems, games, and analyses wit receive our attention, and if 0* sufficient merit, will be inserted.. All communications io be addressed Chess Editor, ’ * Evening Star,'] SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. A CORRECTION. Problem No. 1,858. —The key-move should read Q-B 3, not Q-Kt 2, as published. (The error was made in forwarding copy to press.—Chess Editor.) Problem No. 1,859, Q-Q 6Problem No. 1,860, Q-B 8. PROBLEM No. 1,852. By A. Ellcrraan. Black, 9 pieces.

White, 8 piece.'. White to mate in two moves. 8; 8; 4q 3■; 3plpktß; QSbKtiT; 7r; IPP2R2; 14ilkkl2R. NEW ZEALAND CHESS CONGRESS, 1930-31. Tile latest advice from the north states that Mr A. IE Schiichting (Gisborne Club) has withdrawn his entry from the Rotorua Congress. The entries are now reduced to Ihe following fourteen players:—W. J. Greenfield (New South Wales), J. A. Erskine (Southland), D. Pihl and W, Herbert (Otago), A. W. Gyles (Wellington Chess Club). F. K. Rolling and W. J. Eairburn (Wellington Working Men’s Club), P. Kunnner (Masterton), E. H. Severnc (Nelson), Rev. A. Miller (Westport), L. Pleasants (Wanganui), IT. N. Maddox, J. C. Grierson, and J. A. Moir (Auckland). With the reduced entry section play will therefore not bo necessary, and the Congress will constitute thirteen rounds. Mr C. J. Purdy (Sydney) has a good opinion of the New South Wales representative taking part in the Rotorua Congress. Ho writes as follows:—“ W. J. Greenfield is a schoolmaster about twenty-eight years of ago and a very modest player, who is likely to bo popular with his fellow-com-petitors.” The entries for the Rotorua Congress are exceptionally strong, the largest in fact since the 1925-26 Congress, which was hold in Dnucdin during the Exhibition. There are several “ dark horses ” in the field whose strength is hard to gauge by South Island critics. For instance, W, J, Greenfield, of New South Wales, a strong Sydney player, will no doubt keep our best talcut very busy. Then, again, there are other stalwarts in Paul Hummer (Masterton), L. Pleasants (Wanganui), the Auckland trio Maddox, Grierson, and Moir (who have been absent for several years), Erskine (champion 1929), and last, but by no means least, the ' Wellington “ twins,” A. W. Gyles (tills year’s Wellington champion of champions) and the evergreen Eedor K, Helling (“tho Rook of Gibraltar”), and E. H. Severnc (Nelson). Tho Rotorua Congress, 1930-31. promises to bo a battle of tho giants, and ho would be, a bold man indeed who would at the outset predict tlio now champion. PRIZE END GAME. The following line study by Richard Reti has been awarded first prize in the Russian chess iournal, ‘ Scachmatj ’: —\\ into .K at K R 7, Q at K B 6, P’s at Q Kt 3, Q B 3, K 4, K Kt 5; Black K at K 1, R at K B 1, R a). K H 7, P's at Q Kt 4, Q 3, and K B 2. White to play and win. It is obvious (hat on material alone White lias the advantage ; but against this Black lias the terrible threat, B to K 4, followed by R to R 1 mate. The solution is;— 1 K to R 6, threatening to play K to R 5, escaping the mating net. , 1.. K 4. 2 K to Kt 7...8 to R 7. If 2...8 tks Q; 3 P tks B, and Black is compelled to move, thereby losing. 3 P to B 4! Not 3 P to K 5, B tks P; 4 P to B 4, P to Kt 5, and in this case White has to move and lose. 3.. tks P. If 3... P to Kt 5; 4 P to B 5 wins. 4 P to K 5! Again, not 4 P tks P, B lo K 4, etc. 4.. tks P. 5 P tks P... 8 Iks Q. G P tks 8... U to R 1. 7 K tks R...K to Q 2. 8 K to Kt 8 and wins. A wonderful masterpiece.

MASTER PLAY. The following game was played a(. Leningrad shortly before the great international tourney of 191-1. It is declared by Capablanca to bo onu of his best games; — —Opening, Queen's Gambit Declined.— White, Jl. C'apablanca; Black, A. Alekhin. 1 P to Q 4 P to Q 4 2 P to Q K 4 P to Q 1! 3 3 P to K 3 Kt to B 3 4 Kt to K B 3 P to X 3 5 Q Kt to Q 2 (a) Q Kt to Q 2 6 B to Q 3 B to K 2 7 Castles Castles 8 Q to U 2 (b) P Iks P 9 Kt tks P P to B 4 (c) JO Q Kt to K 5 P tks P U P tks P Kt to Kt 3 ]2 Kt to K 5 P to Kt 3 13 Kt (Kt 5) to B 3 1C to Kt 2 14 B to K Kt 5 Q Kt to Q 4 15 Q, Bto B 1 Bto Q 2 16 Q to Q 2 Kt to Kt 1 17 B tks B Q Iks B 18 B to K I! (d) B to Kt 4 19 K R to K 1 Q to Q 3 20 P. tks Kt P tks B 21 Q lo R 5 (o) P to Q P 3 22 Q to B 7 Q (Its (> 23 R tks Q P to R 3 (li 24 R Iks Kt P Q K to 11 1 25 P to Q Kt 3...... R io B 7 26 P lo Q K 4 B to K 7 27 Kt to R 4 (g) P to K R 4 28 Kt (R 4) tks P 11 to K 1 29 R tks P cb K to R 3 30 P to B 4 P to R 4 31 Kt to R 4 resigns. Notes by R. C'apablanca. (a) With the idea of retaking with tho Kt, when Black plays I 5 tks B P, and thus controlling tho square at K 5. (h) Played on the spur of tho moment to change Ihc ordinary course of Ihc game. Imt not to bo recommended. P lo Q Kt 3 would he tho natural way to continue. (c) Ho should have played this before exchanging Ike pawns.

(d) This move I considered a very long lime. It looks very simple and inoffensive; yet it is the foundation of the whole attack against Black’s position. The fact is that the bishop is doing very little, while the Black knight at Q 4 is the koy to Black’s defence, henco the necessity of exchanging the almost useless B for a most valuable Kt. , It would take a good mainlines to cxplitin this move properly, and then f might not bo clearly understood, so I leave the student to work it out for himself. (o) Now the square at Q B 7 is controlled by White, and this decides the game. Should Black attempt to protect it by B to B 3, ho will soon lose a pawn through Kt ties B. as White will be able to bring up enough forces to win cither the Q B P or the Q R P. It should bo noticed that Black’s weakness throughout llio middle game is his inability to command the Black squares. (f) White threatened to play Kt to Kt 5, attacking the K B P, and to chock at K 6. (g) The knock-out blow. The B no longer defends the square at Q 2, so that the K cannot come, out at B 3, because of Kt to Q 7 ch, and so there is no way of defending the K side pawns. Black could have resigned now.

CHESS IN VIENNA. The following game was played in the recent Leopold Trebitsch memorial tournament at tho Vienna Chess Club (‘ Field,’ May 19th):--—Queen’s Pawn Opening.— White, .Ilonlingcr; Black, Becker. 1 P to Q. 4 P to Q 4 2 Kt to K B 3 Kt to K B 3 3 P to B 4 P to K 3 4 B to Kt 5 B to K, 2 5 Kt to B 3 Castles 6 P to K 3 P to K R 3 7 B to B 4 (a) P to B 4 8 Q P takes P (b) B takes P 9Bto Q 3 Kt to B 3 10 Qto K 2 Kt to KR 4 11 B to Kt 3 Kt takes B (c) 12 R P takes Kt P to Q 5 13 P takes P Kt takes P 14 Kt takes Kt B takes Kt 15 RtoQ sq (d) B takes Kt ch 16 P takes B Q to R 4 17 Qto Q 2 Pto K 4 18 B to K 4 (c) B to Kt 5 19 R takes P (f) P takes R 20 Q lakes P Q takes Pch 21 Ktoß sq Q takes Pch 22 Bto Q 3 BtoK 7ch (g) 23 B takes B (h) Q to K 3 24 QtoKt sch QtoKt 3 25 Q takes P QRto Qsq 26 Rtoß sq KRto Ksq (i) 27 QtoQ B 5 (j) R takes B Resigns (k) (a) Better would have been B to R 4, e.g., 7 B to R 4, P to Q Kt 3; 8 P takes P, P takes P; 9 B to Q 3... P to B 4; 10 Castles, Kt to B 3; 11 R to B sq, B to K 3; 12 B to Q Kt 5, with good game for White (Dr Vidmar v. Dr Tartakower, Senmieriiig tournament, 1926). (b) B to Q 3 would have been belter. Tho text move weakens White s position m tho centre.

(c) Bold play. Tho open king’s rook file gives While possibilities of attack. (d) Rather than play a purely defensive game by R to CJ B sq, White prepares a dangerous king’s side attack. (0) Not 18 R takes P at once, because of 18... P takes R; 19 Q takes P, P to K 5; 20 B takes P, Q takes P eh, and wins as tho queen can move to tho king’s side to avert the threatened mate. Tho text move, by preventing the advance of Black’s king’s pawn, prepares for the sacrifice of the rook. (f) Now or newer! If, instead, 19 P to 83, then 19... K RtoQ sq and White has no chances of attack. (g) A verv pretty move. (h) If 23 K takes B, then 23... Q to Kt 5 eh. (1) If 26... Q to KR 3, threatening male and attacking the rook, then 27 P' to B 4, followed, if 27... Qto RB, ch; 28 Kto B 2, Q takes R, by 29 Q to Kt 5 ch, forcing a draw by perpetual check. (j) If, instead, 27 Q to Kt 2, then 27... Q to R 3; 28 P to B 4 (if 28 K to Kt sq. then 28... R takes B), Qto R 8 ch; 29 Kto B 2, R lakes B ch, and wins, for if 30 K takes R, then 30..,Q takes P ch, winning tho queen. (k) For, if 28 K lakes E, then 28... Qto Q 6, ch; 29 K to K sq, R to K sq ch, and wins. A neat finish to a well-played game by Black. CHESS AND MATHEMATICS. lb was Eicbnitz, the famous German philosopher and mathematician, who made that often-quoted phrase “ Chess is too much of a game for a science, and ton much of a science for a game,” which unfortunately seems to remain the popular idea of chess oven in this day. After a prolonged devotion to the pastime, it is alleged that tho great Teuton renounced it completely for solitaire, which is not easy to explain. John Oliver Hobbes says- “ Artistic chess is beyond the petty restriction of a science,” and Ibis lings much truer than Liobnitz’s narrow dictum. It has been remarked that ebess and mathematics have much iu common—-that the.y run on parallel lines —that they have similar direction of thought. Eicbnitz was not tho only great mathematician wiio made the game a study. Euler and Jacniseh wore both fine players and chess analysts. Richard Proctor, the astronomer, who was also noted for fils mathematical attainments, was devoted lo the game. And to turn do tho other side, of the shield, most first-rate cbessists have been excellent- mental , calculators. Andersseu, who, next to Stcinitz, was undoubtedly the most warrior-liko of chess players, was really a great mathematician. _ Lasker is » professor of higher mathematics. But, of course, there arc elements in chess which are wanting in. mathematics, llic chief being the combative element. Tho two intellects which contend for the masterv must possess the qualities of generals in tho field of battle. An important dnGnelioii. —Johannesburg ‘Sunday Times.