CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 22572, 13 February 1937, Page 6

CHESS

[Conducted by D.H.H.] The Otago Club meets lor pUy at the rooms, Cnnitol buildings, Princes street, every Monday, Wednesday, ana Saturday evening at 7.50 o'clock. Visitor, are cordially invited to attend, and by ringing up 23-64 b arrangements could be made lor e game any afternoon and evening as the rooms are open to both club members and visitors at any thee. TO CORRESPONDENTS. [We invite communications on all matters concerning chesa. Solutions of problems, games, and analyses will receive our attention, and if ol sufficient merit will ibe inserted. All communications to bo addressed “ Chess Editor,” ‘ Evening Star.'J J.C.M'C. (Wellington).—Obliged for suggestiou. F.K.K. (Wellington).—Thanks for northern news. R.O.S. (Wanganui).—Will endeavour to comply with, request. A.W.P. (Kelburn). —Thanks for correspondence, etc. J.C.M'C. (Wellington) .—Many thanks for trouble taken to secure block. CORRECT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2,493: J.J.M. (Musselburgh), T.J.W. (St. Hilda), J.E.D. (Dunedin), R.M'D. (Boslyn), A.E. (Roslyn), E.A.L. (Invercargill), J.A.C. (Mornington), King (Timaru), W.A.M. (Dunedin), R.H.R. (North-east Valley). 2.494: A. E. (Roslyn), E.A.L. (Invercargill), J.A.C. (Mornington), King (Timaru), W.A.M. (Dunedin), R.M'D. (Roslyn), R.H.R. (North-east Valley). SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS, 2,491: R-B 4. The key introduces three cross-check variations by moves of the Black Kt, interference with his B (Kt-B 5), and selfpin (Kt x B) being the “ high spots.” Two self-blocks, B x B and P x B, are good aide lines in a fine problem.— * Observer.’ 2,492; Q-R 8. If 1 ...Kt x Q; 2 B-Kt 7, or R 8, etc. If 1 ...B X Q; 2-B X P cb, etc. If 1 ...K x R; 2 B-Kt.l, etc. If 1-...8-X R; 2 B-K 6 ch, etc, If 1 ...Kt-Q 2; 2 Q-K 8, etc.y : . PROBLEM 2,493. ; (By Conpns Mansfield.) —‘ Good Companions ’ Tourney, , December, 1919. ; ■ Black, 10 pieces.

White, 9 pieces. White • toplay and mate in -two. 8 | 7 p I K’P 2 Q 3,1 2 p p p 3 I RlKtbklKtl|sr P 1 | 1 B P 3 Kt 1 ) 3 Kt 3 b, ' . PROBLEM' 2,494. - A v;. (By J. '-and T. Wafson.) ' —First. Prize in' ‘ W. Morning News;’ 1935. Black, 8 pieces.

White, 8 pieces. Mato in three. 5 b 214 p2r| B 3 P 2 P|p2kp2Q| 4Kt3jKtPlpi P 2 | K T 1 8. NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIP CONGRESS GAME. —Q. P. Nimzovitch Defence.— White, H. R. Abbott (Canterbury); Black, D. I. Jones (Auckland)., 1 P-Q 4 Kt-K B 3 2 P-Q B 4...... P-K 3 3 Kt-Q B 3 B-Kt 5 . 4 Q-B 2......P-Q 4 6P x P Px P (a) 6 P-Q R 3 (b) Bx Kt : 7P x B Kt-K 5? (c) 8 PK 3 (d)......Q Kt-Q 2 9 B-Q 3...... Q Kt-B 3 (e) 10 Kt-K 2! P-B 3 11 P-B 3 Kt-Q 3 12 P-K 4...... P x P 13 P X P.....,Kt-R 4 14 Castles B-K 3 15 P-B 4 (f)......Q-B 5 16 P-Q 5 Px P 17 K P x P (g) B-Q 2 18 Kt-B 4 Castles. - 19 B-Q 2 (h) P-B, 4 (i), 20 Kt x Kt.,....Q x Kt 21 Q R-K 1...... K B-K 1 22 B-B 4 ch B x R 25 R x R. R-K 1 24 R x R ch......Kt x R 25 Q-Kt 1. B-B 1? (j) ;26 Q-K'.l ..P-B 4 27 B-K Z (k) Q-B 2 28 Qx Pi Q-K 2 29 B-Q 3 (1) P-K Kt 4 30 B-Q 2......Q-K 4 31 Q-B 3...... Q x Q 32 Bx Q IKK 2 33 K-B 2......Kt-Q 3 34 K-K 3 .P-B 5 ch . 35 K-B 3 P-R 4 36 P-R 3 Kt-B 4 (m) 37 P-Q R 4 Kt-R sch 38 K-B .2 P-Kt 5 39 P x P PxP - 40 P-Kt 3...... P x P ch 41 K x P Kt-B 6 42 B-K 2 Kt-Kt 4 43 B-K 1! Kt-K 5 ch 44 K-B 4...... Kt-B 3 45 B-Q B 3 Kt-K 1 46 B-K 5......8-Q 2 47 P-R 5 Kt-B 3 48 B x Kt K x B 49 Bx P B-H 5 (n) 50 B-B 8 B-Kt 6 51 Bx P B’ x P 52 P-R 6 Resigns. ,—Notes by H.B.A.—• (a) Q x P, although tricky, is often preferred here. Black, however, had this played against him in a previous game which he won, and in consequence felt it was too risky. (b) Putting the Bishop to the question at once. One of the defects of the Nimzovitch Defence is that Black must either

exchange B for N, or lose a move, retiring the Bishop to K 2. (0) Very premature. The Kt is very insecure, and besides, Black cannot afford to advance while so many pieces are undeveloped. His troubles really start here. (d) White has a plan for a central advance, but wishes to develop first. This move seems wasted, but it avoids unnecessary risk. (e) Black would probably have done better by retreating the Kt on K S at once. (f) White’s strong, mobile centre is a constant threat to Black’s game. (g) Realising his centre by making j a strongly-supported passed pawn. i (h) White could win a pawn immediately, but deemed it too risky to open up the K; R file. (1) The obvious threat was, of course, B-Kt 4. (j) A terrible position for the Bishop. Black must lose a pawn anyway, Iso ...P-Q Kt 4 was probably better. It would leave the Bishop in action instead of tying it to the defence of the pawn. (k) Not yet, Q s P because Q-Q 8 ch followed by Q-Q 5 ch, and White loses a piece. (l) Note how the B's hold the file. (m) Hoping in vain for B x Kt. (n) Desperation. A STEINER BRILLIANCY. A snappy sairificial game from the eighth round of the Australian championship;— —Ruy Lopez.— White,.L. Steiner; Black, J. W. Pitcher. 1 P-Q 4. P-K 4 2 Kt-K B 3...... Kt-Q B 3 3 B-Kt 5 P-Q B 3 4 B-B 4 B-B 4 5 P-B 3...... K Kt-K 2 6 P-Q 4. Px P 7 P x P B-Kt 5 ch 8 B-Q 2 P-Q Kt 4 (a) 9 B x B Kt x B 10 B-Kt 3 P-Q 4 (b) 11 P-Q B 3 Q Kt-B 3 (c) 12 Kf-B 2 P x P 13 Kt x P Kt-B 4 (d) 14 B-R 2 B-Kt 2 (e) 15 B x P ch K-Kt 1 (f) 16 Kt-K 5 ch K-Kt 1 17 Q-Kt 4 (g) B-Q 4 (h) 18 Kt-B 6 ch K-B 1 19 Kt (K 5)-Q 7ch K-B 2 20 Kt s B Kt xKt 21 Kt-K .5 0h.,....K-B 1 22 Q-K 6! Q-K 2 (!) 23 Qx Kt R-Q 1 24 B-B 3 ch......K-Kt 1. 25 Castles.«...R x P , 26 P-Q Kt 4.1.... R-Q 1 : (j) 27 Q R-K 1 .R-K B 1 . 28 Q-Q sch Resigns (k). (a) 8 ...B i B is better. (b) White threatens Rx P ch, K x B; Q-Kt 3 ch. (c) If 11 ...P x P; 12 Kt-K 5, Q Kt-Q 4; 13 Kt s K B P. „ (d) Not 13 ...B-Kt 5; 14 B x P ch, K x B; 15 K Kt-Kt 5 ch, etc. (e) 14 ...Castles is necessary before removing the B from command of the Black B’s diagonal. The text allows the sacrifice. (f) If 16 ...K-K 1; 17-Q-B 5 ch, P-Kt 3; 18 Kt-B 6 oh, and mate next move. (g) This follow-up would be impossible while the Q B held the original diagonal. (h) 17 ...B-B 1 is the best Black has; but even then White, has too great a hold on the game for much to be done against him. (i) Black’s only way of avoiding mate on tho move. fi) Should Black take the dare: 26 ...Q x Kt; 27 Q R-K 1, B-K B 5; 28 R x Q, R x Q; 29 B-K 8 ch. White wins a B. (k) For 28 ...R-B 2; 29 Kt x B, Q x Kt; 30 B-K 8, mate, QUEER ENDING. White :K on KKt Q on Q 1, K B 1; B’s on QKt2. k R 3 ; Kt on K R 4; P’s on Q R 2, Q Kt 4, Q 5, K2,K 83, KKt '3, KB 2. Black: K on.K Kt 1; Q on K Kt 2; R’s on Q Kt 1, K B l; B on Q Kt 2; Kt’s on Q 2, K B 3, P’s on Q R 2, Q Kt 3, Q 82.Q3, KB 4, K -Kt 3, KB 2. White-(Alekhine, at Nottingham) begins- a; beautiful combination against Alexander:—! : _ White. Black. , ; 1 P-K 4!!.....Kt x, K P (a) 2 Q-B 1!......Kt (K 5)-B 3 3 B x P! K-R 1 (b) 4 B-K 6 B-R 3 5 K R-K 1 Kt-K 4 .6 P-B 4...... Kt-Q 6 7 B x Kt! B x B 8 P-Kt 4 Resigns (d). (a) P x P loses a piece by 2 K B x Kt. (b) If P x B; 4 Kt x Pi Q-R 1 (the only way to save herself); 5 Kt-R 6 ch, K-Kt 2; 0 Q-Kt 5, mate. f . (c) Threats: P-Kt 4, and then Kt 5; or 0 x P. (d) It is gone. Try P-K R 3; 9 P-K Kt 5, P x P; 10 P x P, Q-R 2; 11 Q-B 4.. Q-B 4; 12 B x Kt ch, K-B 2 ; 13 B-Kt 4, Q x Kt (or E x B); 14 R-K 7 ch, and ,mate follows shortly.—* Observer.’ THE AUSTRALIAN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP. Regarding the difficulty of deciding the title of the 1937 Australian chess championship, our Wellington correspondent writes as follows: > “ The play-off for this title will not he as difficult as we gathered from the 'report Sin the ‘Sydney Morning Herald,’ which was wrong m stating that Goldstein returned to Melbourne at the conclusion of the Perth congress. As a matter of fact he is remaining in Perth for a preliminary .play-off. His match against Hastings was to commence on January 20, and to continue until one of them secured three wins (draws not counting). Meanwhile, Purdy and Koshnitsky were to play a similar preliminary qualifying match in Sydney.- The two win-

The famous Hungarian chess master, who is touring Australia giving exhibitions of simultaneous play,/lectures, etc. He is expected in New Zealand about March 8, and will visit all the /chief centres in the Dominion, and his appearance in Dunedin is being looked forward to by the local chess enthusiasts. Steiner won all his 11 games in the Australian championship at Perth.

pionship will be Goldstein v, the winner of the Purdy and Koshnitsky encounter. OTAGO CHESS CLUB. The usual monthly meeting of the Otago Chess Club was held last Saturday evening, the president (Mr W.. Lang) being m the chair. On the motion of the Chairman, it was resolved that the congratulations of the club be forwarded to Mr and Mrs H. R. Abbott, of Christchurch, upon winning the principal prizes at the recent chess congress, Mr Abbott having won the Dominion chess championship and Mrs Abbott having tied for first place in the premier reserves tournament. ;. ■ . In reference to the proposed visit of Lajos Steiner, the Hungarian chess master, to. the Dominion next month, correspondence was read from the president (Mr A. T. Craven) and the hon. secretary (Mr J. C- M’Crea) of the New Zealand Chess Association, Mr C. J. S. Purdy (the editor of the ‘ A.C. Review ’), and from Mr Steiner, who expressed the hope that arrangements would be completed for his visit, as he had always wished to visit the Dominion, and especially to make the acquaintance of the chess en’thusiasts. Mr Purdy, in his letter, gave a brief sketch of Mr Steiner’s chess career, and stressed the point that at the recent Chess Olympiad at Munich, he won on the first board in the winning team (Hungary). He was recognised as one of-'the leading chess masters and a possible world champion. In Sydney Mr Steiner had shown them the excellence of his play, and was in every respect a courteous and modest gentleman. He (Mr Purdy) felt sure that the Hungarian master's trip to New Zealand would ,be as great a success _ as his Australian tour, and would give an impetus to chess in New Zealand. The hon. secretary (Mr W. Herbert) said be had attended in Wellington the meeting of the Steiner Chess Committee, and outlined the financial proposals. Ho was sure that Dunedin would do its part, and reported that he had obtained already quite a satisfactory number of promises of subscriptions. The committee expressed its satisfaction at the reports received, but decided to postpone the settlement of details until it was advised as to the probable Dunedin dates of Steiner’s visit.