CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 22228, 4 January 1936, Page 6

CHESS

[Conducted by D.H.H.] (We invite communications on all matters concerning chess. Solutions of problems, games, and analyses will -cceive our attention, and if _ol sufficient merit will be inserted. Ail communion lions to be add- essi-d “ Chess Editor," ‘ Evening Star.’] TO CORRESPONDENTS. The Otago Club meeit lot play at the rooms, Allbell Buildings Stuart street, every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evening at 7.30 o'clock. Visitors are cordially invited to • attend, and by ringing up 22-646 arrangements * could, be made lor a game any afternoon and evening, as the rooms are open to both club members and visitors at any time . R.O.S. (Wellington).—All papers noted. H.J.C. (Welington).—Much obliged for reports. ; F.K.K. (Wellington).—Thanks for useful news budget. J.C.M'O. (Wellington).—Much obliged fot congress notes. . ■ C.J.S.P. (Wellington). Thanks for itinerary. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2,375: B-Kt 2. 2,376: Q-Kt 7, CORRECT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2,375: J.A.C. (Mornington), W.A.M. (Dunedin), J.J.M. (Musselburgh), T.J.W. (St. Kilda). E.A.L. (Invercargill), King (Timaru), J.E.D. (Dunedin), R.M'D. (Roslyn). 2,376: J.A.C. (Mornington), W.A.M. (Dunedin), E.A.L. (Invercargill), King (Timaru), J.E.D. (Dunedin), R.M'D. (Roslyn). , SOLUTION TO END GAME. 1 P-B 5, R-K Kt 1; -2 R-Q 7 oh, K-R 1; 3" Q-Kt 7 and wins. 1...0f K P x P; 2 RQ 7 ch, K-R 1; 3 Q-Kt 2 and wins. Or 1... if kt P x P; 2 R-Q 7 ch and wins. PROBLEM 2.377. (By C. Stuart Green.) Commended in the British Chess Problem Society’s Tournoy, Two-move Section. Black, 14 pieces.

White, 11 pieces. White to play and mate in two moves. B3QR2; B5Pp; !K2Kt3; 3Kt2PI; IplPklpl; p2b2rp; 2kt3pb; ktlqßrS. PROBLEM 2,378. (By J. Obermann, L’eipsig, 1885.) Black, 9, pieces.

White, 11 pieces. White to play and mate in three moves. q4kt2; blktlPQ2; 2p2KtlK; 5P1B; 3plklP; 3bßlpl; 1B3PP1; SELF HELP MATE. (By S, Loyd.) Black 3 pieces.

White, 3 pieces. , . Help-mate in three. Black plays first; White mates. 6RI; 7q; 8; 5k2; 3K182; 8; 7b ; 8. END GAME. Tournament of “ Spolsk Cbskych Snchistu ” Brno. (By Dr Henncbusrger (Basle). 4KRR; kpr3Pl; IpG; IP4PI; 8;, 8; 8;'8. White 6 pieces, Black 4 pieces. White to play and win. * QUEEN’S PAWN GAME. Air excellent example of Dr Euwe’s style of play. This game was played in the recent Zurich tournament, and Dr Euewe s opponent was the champion .of Italy.. Rosselli, While; Euwe, Black. 1 P-Q 4...... P-Q 4 2KI-KB-3 Kt-K B 3 3 P-K 3 B-B 4 4 P-B 4 P-K 3 . 5 Q-Kt 3 K-B 3 6 P x P (a) Kt-Q Kt 5 7 Kt-R 3 P x P 8 B-K 2 P-Q R 4 9 Gaatlcs P-B 3 10 Kt-K 5 B-Q 3 11 P-B 3 Castles 12 B-Q 2 Q-B 2 13 B-B 3 (b) B-B 7 14 Kt x B P-R 5 15 Q x Kt (c) B x Q 16 Kt x B K R-K 1! - 17 Q Kt-Q 3 Kt-Q 2 ’ 18 P-K 4 (d) Kt-Kt 3 19 Kt-B 2 P-B 3 . ,20 K Kt-Kt 4 P-R 6 21 P-Q Kt 3......P-QB 4 22 Q R-B 1 P-R 4 25 Kt-K 3 Q-B 5 24 Kt-B 5 P-B 5 2b P x B P......Kt x P 26 B* x Kt (e) ? x B

27 R-Kt 1 P-K Kt'3 28 Kt-R 3 Q-Kt. 1 29 Kt-K 3 P-Q Kt 4 30 Kt-Q 5 (f) K-B 2 31 R-Kt 4 R-R 5 32 K R-Kt 1. R x R 33 R x R......P-Kt 4 34 Kt-B 2 R-Q 1 35 Kt-Q 1 (g) P-K Kt 51 36 Q Kt-K 3 P x P 37 P x P R-Kt 1 ch 38 K-R 1 R-Kt 4 39 P-B 4 (h) R x Kt (a) If 6 Q x P, then Kt-Q Kt 5; 7 Kt-R 3, P x P; 8 B x P, B-K 5, might prove troublesome. 6 P-B 5 seems best. (b) Supporting his K Kt thus, White -gels his queen trapped, but the right way for Black to block her retreat was by Kt-B 7. (c) As now White gets three minor pieces for the queen, rather more than an equivalent, other things being equal. Dr Euwc has some attacking possibilities, however. ■(d) This seems best to counter-Black’s anticipated advance on the queen’s side, and if now Kt x Kt, then- 19 P x Kt, P-Q B 4, with 20 P x Q P feasible. (e) P-Kt 3 might be considered. (f) Obviously if 50 Kt x P, then Q-B 2 wins a piece. (g) Weakening his king’s position. A good continuation was Kt (K 3)-B 5, with P-Q 5 and Kt-Q 4 perhaps to follow. (It) This gives Dr Euwc a rare chance, and White’s game collapses in face of the elegant combination® and his opponent resigned on the 49th move. Q.G.D. From, the Moscow Tournament. White, Alatorzew; Black, Capablanca. ' 1 P-Q 4 Kt-K B-3 2 P-Q B 4 P-K 3 3 Kt-Q B 3 P-Q 4 4 B-Kt 5 B-K 2 5 P-K 3...1..Ca5t1es 6P x P Kt x P (a) . 7BxB Q x B ■ 8 Kt-B 3 Kt x Kt V.- . ’ 9Px Kt iP-Q Kt 3 10 B-K 2: B-Kt 2 ■ll Castles P-Q ' B 4 ' 12 Kt-K 5 (b) Kt-B 3, 13 Kt x Kt B x Kt -• 14 B-B 3 Q R-B a 15 P-Q R 4 (c) P,x P 16 B P x P P-Kt 3 17 B x B R x B 18 Q-Q 3 Q-Kt 2 (d) 19 K R-Kt K R-B 20 P-R 3 (o) P-Q R 3 21 Q-R 3 R-B 7 22 Q-Q, 6 (f) R x P 23 Q-Kt 3 K R-B 7 Resigns. (a) Not 6 P x P, which, we think, would give Black a more difficult game. (b) Simplifying, but giving Black time. (c) This seems doubtful. (d) Replying to P-R 5 with P-Q Kt 4. (e) If 20 P-R ,5, then P-Q Kt .4; 21 R x P, R-B 8 ch, etc. , ■ . , (f) 22 R-Q B 1 appears stronger, as it gives drawing chances—e.g., if R (B 1)-B 6, 23 Q x B, R x Q, 24 R x R, probably drawing. NEW ZEALAND CHESS CONGRESS. The .forty-fifth New . Zealand Chess Congress was opened on December ■26 in the Wellington .Gas Company’s Building in Courtenay Place by the Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Education,, supported by Mr A. T. Craven (president of the New Zealand Chess Association) .and Mr J. J. Goldsmith (chairman t of the Wellington Chess League), that body having charge of the arrangements. Owing to two of .tho entrants in , the" New Zealand championship not having been able to attend the congress, the list of players had to be altered. *,The following 14 players are taking part in the championship tourneyC. J. S. Purdy, of Sydney (champion of Australia, and also of New South Wales); J. A. Erskine (Southland C.C.), who is New Zealand’s present champion; H. J. Armstrong and H. R. Abbott (Canterbury C. 0.), E. H. Severne (Nelson C.C.), E. J. Dyer and A. W. Gyles (Wellington C.C.), F. K. Kelling and K. Beyer (Wellington W.M. Club and Literary In-, stitute), E. S. Rutherford (New Plymouth CC), D. I. Jones and R. G. Baeyertz (Auckland 0.C.), R. O. Scott (Otago 0.C.), and lan Burry (Auckland). Tho following 13 players- have entered, for /New : Zealand's",‘‘first minor tourney R. Watt ', D. ,Langley (Otago C. 0.), •A. Stewart. H. Christensen, and R. Christensen (Palmerston North C.C,Y W. J. Fairburn (Gisborne C.C.), J„ L. Hardy (Wellington C.C.), H. Anderson (Wellington W.M. Club and Literary Institute), and E. W. Hutchings (Miramar-Seatoun C. 0.). This is a splendid entry. The four competitors in the first tourney to decide the ladies’ chess championship of New Zealand are Mesdames Short and Thorpe (both of Auckland), Mrs Abbott (Christchurch), and . Mrs J. J. Goldsmith (Wellington). ■ The umpiring of the congress is in the experienced hands of Mr G. A. Jones, a former champion •of the Masterton and Ngaio Club*. . With eight rounds finished the Chess Congress is in a very interesting stage. Gyles, who is to be congratulated upon his clever win from the Australian champion, is leading by half a point. lan Burry (Auckland), a new congress compettor, is third, a point behind Purdy. It is probable that these throe players will be in the leading position. The minor tourney will be a close contest, with Kirkwood leading by a point, and Brown, Fairburn, Hardy, Goldsmith, and Langley equal for second place. The ladies’ tournament ’is evidently a gift for Mrs Abbott (Christchurch), who is leading by three points. Taken as a whole, the play has been of a high order, the majority of the games having been ■ keenly contested, and the winners of the, two major events cannot easily be picked. “ CONSPIRACY.” —A Selection of Help-maio Problems.— Mr Alain 0. White’s Christmas box this year, kindly forwarded by Mr George Hume, is a selection of 100 help-mate problems prefaced by a short treatise on this branch of problem' play. Mr White, who was the founder of the Good Companionship, has now,'- for ■3l years endeavoured to popularise problem .solving by sending out each year copies of books compiled under , his supervision dealing with problem solving and-kindred subjects. These h«oks, which . are published by the ‘ Chess Amateur ’ Depot, are distributed gratis all over the world to chass editors and notable problem composers, etc. This year’s subject. . ' Help-mate Problems,’ is new to the majority of chess problem solvers and composers, in this Dominion at any rate, and so far not much reference to them is to he found in standard chess works. The following is Mr Hume's description ; —“ Help-mate chess is a form of problem chess in which the two" sides, White and Black, collaborate to demonstrate a result, such as mate or stale mat#. In one respect it is the most nearly mathematical form of chess moves, for its essence is always the pure demonstration of a possibility. All idea of combat is eliminated, and combat has nothing to do with mathematics. . . . Thus we come to the interpretation, of the help-mate as tho quod erat demestrandum of the chess board.” Judging by tho 100 examples published in this, the cult has its strongest following oil the Continent of Europe, although the British Problem Society takes sufficient interest in it to oiler a prize for the best examples. The first problem in the book, which is published in this column, was composed by the well-known British composer, S. Loyd, and is the only British one. In the majority of the problems Black plays first,with White to mate; but in a few examples either side can play first and White has to mate.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN EMPIRE CONGRESS. The hon. secretary of the Now Zealand Chess Association has been advised _ that, owing to lack of financial support, it-was not possible to proceed with the project' of holding a British Empire championship' in Johannesburg tin’s year. It was decided that the funds so far collected should be utilised for the purpose of holding a South African championship in connection with the exhibition. Visiting British players will be free to enter for this tournament and compete for The money prizes, but not for the title. NOTES (a) Mr Purdy’s first attempt at playing a number of,games blindfold, and ho has not lost a blindfold game since.

(b) The opposition included practically all the leading Auckland chess players. (c) This is a New Zealand record in firstclass chess as Kostich never played more than 54. One player rode in 30 miles to play against Purdy. Mr Purdy will arrive in Dunedin by the

MR C. J. C. PURDY’S TOUR. The following are the details of Mr Purdy’s, the Australian chess champion, tour in the North Island prior to the open-

second express on the 15th inst., and will leave again on the 19th. He will be the guest of Mr O. Balk, the patron of tho O.C.C. He will devote the afternoon and evenings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th to similar demonstrations, that he gave in the North Island, and it is hoped to arrange fog 1 a drive and social function on the 19th.

in? of 1935. the congress Place. Event. Played. W. D. L. Dec. 11 Auckland Blindfold 6 2 3 la Dec. 11 Auckland . Simultaneous 31 17 10 4b Dec. 12 Hamilton Simultaneous 28 22 • 4 2 Dec. 13 Hamilton Consultation 1 1 0 0 Doc. 13 Hamilton Blindfold V 6 6 • 0 0 Deci 14 Morrinsvills Blindfold 6 6 0 0 Dec. 14 Morrinsville Simultaneous 18 14 4 0 Dec. 18 Tauranga Simultaneous 17 15 1 1 Dec. 17 Auckland Private, chess everting 14 Dec. 18 Auckland Simultaneous 16 1 1 Dec. 19 Auckland Exhibition game 1 1 0 0 Dec. 19 Auckland Simultaneous 20 16 4 0 Dec. 20 Tauranga Blindfold 7V ' 4 3 Oo Dec. 21 Tauranga Simultaneous lecture and 12 170 12 131, 0 30 0