CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 22578, 20 February 1937, Page 6

CHESS

[Conducted by D.H.H.] The Otago Club meets for play at the rooms, Capitol Buildings, I’rinces street, every Monday, Wednesday, ana Sitlorduy evening at 7.30 o’clock. Visitor' are cordially invited to attend, and by ringing up 2£-64(> arrangements could be made (or a game in\ afternoon and evening as the rooms are open It both club members and visitors at any tl. *e. TO CORRESPONDENTS. f\Vft invi-c communications on all matters concerning chess. Solutions of problems, games, and analyses will receive our attention, and if oi sufficient mem will b» inserted. All communications to be addressed “ Chess Editor,” 1 Evening Star.'] F.K.K, (Wellington).—Thanks for copy of 4 Congress Review.’ 1.8. (Auckland). Think examination panevs are a. good idea. A.W.P. (Kclburn).—Thanks for interestin'? cutting. Mrs 51.8. (Christchurch).—Thanks _ for gome. Will ire published on ihe 271 h inst. 1.8. (Auckland).—Game held over until next week. .T.J.M. (Musselburgh),—Regret unavoidable error. CORRECT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2,493 t Withdrawn on account of typographical error. 2,494: A.E. (Roslyn), A.J.M'D. (Mqrnington). E.A.L. (Invercargill). King (Timaru). W.A.M. (Dunedin), E.M'D. (Roslyn), J.E.D. (Dunedin). SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS. 2,493: Kt (Kt 4)-K 3. A good point in the" koy is which Kt shall make it. 2,494: Q-R 4. 1...8 x P; 2 0 x P; 1... P-Il 5; 2 Kt-B 3; 1... Kt-B 6. Model mate and n quiet Q sacrifice. Note: Kt on R 3is a Black Kt. PROBLEM 2,495. (By Comins Mansfield.) First prize, ‘ Good Companions,’ March, 1917. Black, 6 pieces.

White, 10 pieces. White to play and mate in two. 1 B 4 kt 1 | 7Kt | K 1 p Kt 4 | 5P2 Rlkt2k2l2Plß2P)4blßl 2 Q 5. PROBLEM 2,496. (By F. W. Manning.) First prize, 4 Shakbladet,’ 1935. Black, 10 pieces.

White, 12 pieces. White to play and male in three. QKtbslktktpp4|lPlPlßlnl lplklKpl|lplP2Rllßl IBPIB P 2 | 8. PHILIDOR’S DEFENCE. White, L. Steiner; Black, A. Alekhine. 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 2 Kt-K B 3 P-Q 3 3 P-Q 4 Kt-K B 3 (a) 4 P x P Kt x P 5 Q-Q 5 Kt-B 4 6 Kt-Kt 5 (b) B-K 3 7 Kt x B P x Kt 8 Q-B 3 Q Kt-Q 2 9PxP B x P 10 Kt-B 3 (c) Q-R 5 11 P-K Kt 3 Kt-K 4 12 Q-K 2......Q-B 3 13 P-B 4 Kt-B 3 14 B-K 3 Castles (Q) 15 Castles P-K 4 ’ 16 P x P B x P 17 Kt-Q s(d) K x Q Kt P ch 18 K-Kt sq Q-K 4 19 Q-Kt 4 ch (e) Kt-Q 2 20 B-K B 4 Q-K 5 21 B-Q Kt 5 Kt-Q 5 22 K x B Q x Kt 23 B-Q 3 P-K Kt 3 24 P-B 3 Kt-K B 4 25 B-B 2 Q-Kt 4 ch 26 B-Kt 3 Kt-B 4 27 P-B 4 Q-Kt 5 28 B-K 5 K R-K sq 29 R x R ch P, x B 30 Q-B 3 (I) Kt-Q 6 ch Resigns (g). (a) P x P would give White complete control of the centre. The text move, which is established as best by modern practice, dates back at least to 1882, when Blackburne played it against Winawer. (b) A premature attack. White achieves the isolation of tho Black K P, but remains with very inferior development. 6 B-K Kt 5. B-K 2; 7 P x P, Q x P is the recognised line. (c) Anv attempt to win a P by 10 P-O Kt 4. Kt-R 5; 11 Q-Kt 3 or Q x Kt P would lead to disaster. In very few moves Black woqld have his K castled and his Q at K B 3, with a double attack on the K B file and the long diagonal. (d) If 17 B x Kt. B x Kt; 18 P x B, Black with 18...8 xB P recovers the piece by the threat of mate, and gains a P. White now hopes to win the B by driving the Q from its defence.-but is foiled by the counter-threat to his K R. (e) B x Kt is now met by R x Kt. (f) An oversight; but there is no defence to Black’s threats of E-K 7 ch and Kt-R 5 ch.

(g) Steiner’s game was well played, but on tliis occasion the ox-world champion outmanoeuvred him. TWO KNIGHTS DEFENCE. Game played iu Sydney between W. Dellow (White) and L. D. Wakelin (Grigg), formerly chess editor of the ‘ Evening Star ’ (Black). 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 2 B-B 4 Kt-K B 3 3 Kt-K B 3 Kl-B 3 4 Kt-Kt 5 P-Q 4 5 P s P Kt-Q R 4 6 P-Q 3 P-K 5 7 Q-K 2 .Q-K 2 8 Kt x K P Kt x Kt 9 P x Kt Q-Kt 5 ch 10 Kt-Q 2 Kt x B 11 Q x Kt Q-Kt 3 12 Castles B-Q 2 13 P-Q R 4 P-Q B 3 14 Kt-B 3 B-Q 3 15 B-K 3 Q-B 2 16 Q-Q 4 F-B 3 17 P-B 4 P-Q B 4 18 Q-Q 3 B-K Kt 5 19 Kt-Q 2 BxP ch 20 K-R 1 B-B 5 21 P-K Kt 3 B x B 22 Qx B K-Q 2 23 P-K B 4 P-Q Kt 3 (a) 24 P-K 5 P-B 4 25 Kt-B 3 B x Kt 26 Q x B P-K R 4 27 Q R-Q 1 Q-Q 1 28 P-Q 6 R-Q Kt 1 29 K R-Kt 1 R-R 3 30 P-K 6 ch (b) R x P 31 R x R K x R 32 Q-Q 5 ch K-B 3 33 R-K 1 P-Kt 3 34 R-K 7 (c) (a) Q R-K 1 was a far superior move hero. (b) The winning move, Mr Dellow showing neat play to finish the game. (c) Black knows when to give up the ghost. NEW ZEALAND CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS. In accordance with his custom for many years, Mr Fedor K. Kelling, the N.Z.C.A. official correspondent, has compiled and published in the ‘ Evening Post ’ a review of the annual congress held in Auckland last Christmastide. As this summary occupies two columns, it is impossible to publish it in full in our column, but the following extracts should prove of interest as well as for record purposes; — “ The competitors in the championship tourney were a very even lot. This is perhaps best illustrated by the relative positions of Messrs Abbott (who came first) and Hunter (who came last), whereas the latter had a 3|-point margain over the former a few months earlier in the Canterbury Club’s championship tourney. This feature of the tourney helps to account for the exceptionally high percentage of drawn games (34). The most popular openings were the Queen's pawn game, Queen’s Gambit declined, Sicilian, Reti, English, French, and Centre-counter. Mr H. R. Abbott, the new champion, wins the coveted title at his third attempt. He jonied the Canterbury Chess Club in 1933, and made rapid progress, working his way up from class 10 to class 1 in less than a year. The success of this popular player, who is 32 years of age, has been well received, as it takes the championship to Christchurch for the first time in 47 years, and also because the two titles are now held in the one home, Mrs Abbott, the New Zealand lady champion, having tied for the premier reserves tourney this year. This is probably a world’s record. No wonder Bobbie Abbott, a boy of six, has learned the moves merely by watching his parents play. “ Messrs I. Burry and H. M Nabb, the two Aucklanders who divided the second and third prizes, well deserved the many congratulations that came their way. A year ago Burrv, who is a brilliant player, shared third place with his club’s champion (D. 1. Jones), H. M'Nabb, who is only 22 years of ago, made an excellent first appearance, despite the fact that, having been an invalid nearly all his life as the result of an accident, ho has been .unable to gain experience from club tourneys. S. Hindm received valuable instruction from the late A. Nimzowitsch before leaving Riga, his native town. Later he played against sundry chess notables iu England. Strange to say, this much-travelled enthusiast, who speaks six languages fluently, got bis first experinece of tourney play at the recent congress. The fifth prize was divided by E. H. Severne and F. K. Kelling, who each scored seven points. Mr Severne represented the Wellington Club for the first time, having made his home in this city 18 months ago. (Ho was previously a member and champion of the Wellington and Nelson Clubs.) He has taken part in 23 congresses, and has gained 15 prizes in this annual competition. On this occasion he drew 10 of his 13 games, which breaks the record for Australian and New Zealand congresses. He lias drawn 23 of his last 39 congress fixtures. Mr F. K. Kelling, the veteran of the party, can now show 25 prizes for his 29 congresses. Last year was a good one for him, as he took part in three local tourneys, scoring two firsts and a tie (second). He has only had one drawn game in his last three congresses, but this is not a record, as Mr G. F. Dodds, the Nelson expert, had only one drawn game in four congresses. Kelling shares a record with the late Mr Henry Hookham, the Dominion's first champion, who was 71 years of age when he won his last congress prize at Wanganui (1895-96). Kelling still pushes an active pen in the interests of chess in these parts, and frequently embellishes his writings with matter taken from his extensive collection of New Zealand chess records. “ Six of the eight unplaced competitors are champions of their respective clubs viz.,-Messrs G. P. Anderson (Wellington C.C.), D. 1. Jones (Auckland C.C.), D. Lynch (Hastings C.C.), J. A. Erskme (Southland C.C.), B. O. Scott (Wanganui C.G.), and J. A. Hunter (Canterbury C.C.). David Lynch, the young Hawke’s Bay champion, who made an recovery from an indifferent start in this his maiden effort, finished up alongside Messrs Jones and Anderson on the halfway mark (6J-6D- The eight draws scored by K. Beyer, who got a good grounding in the game before leaving Denmark, are a. reminder of how difficult it is to score from him. Mr Erskino’s many congress successes during the past 10 years include two firsts and two tie-firsts, and his inability to reach a higher place on this occasion is therefore hard to account for. Mr R. O. Scott, who is handicapped by deafness, has taken part in eight congresses, and gained the best recovery prize three years ago. Mr C. B. Newick, who holds rung 1 on the Auckland ladder, is another colt who is expected to improve. Mr J. A. Hunter, who also made his first appearance on this occasion, did not succeed iu reproducing the standard of chess that gained him the championship of the Canterbury Chess Club. “ Tile 554 entries of New Zealand’s 46 championship iourneys have been contributed as follow:—Christchurch 58, Dunedin 63, Wellington 182, Auckland 80, Nelson 24, Wanganui 18, Australia 17, Westport 13, Rangitikei 13, Oamaru 9, Invercargill 9, Masterton 9, Hawke’s Bay 9, other centres 50. The first of the 46 congresses was the only one held in the winter season (August, 1879). Of the remaining 45 congresses 42 have been held in the Christmas-New Year holidays and three at Easter time.” Space will not permit of any reference to the players, etc., in the premier reserve tourney, in which Mrs H. R. Abbott (Canterbury) and Mr W. R. Aisable (Napier) tied for first place with Hi points. There were 15 competitors. THE ‘ AUSTRALASIAN CHESS REVIEW.’ Tho January number of this well-known magazine contains the full scores of the Australian championship tourney, the Pietzcker tourney (the Melbourne annual tournament), and the New Zealand 1936-37 chess congress. Naturally, a fair amount of space is given to Lajos Steiner’s tour in Victoria and Western Australia. The Hungarian master contributes an interesting and instructive article entitled ‘ Systematic Improvements in the “ Sicilian ” Unsystematically Assembled.’ This question is dealt with iu quite a simple manner, which will be attractive to younger players, and at the same time of high value to_ chess students. The editor’s contribution is part two of ‘How Nottingham Will Affect the Openings,’ dealing with the following openings:— Queen's Pawn, Dutch Defence, King’s Indian Defence, Nimzovitcli Defence, Queen’s Indian Defence, and I P-Q 4, P-Q 4. ‘ Cross Attack,’ by T. A. Krislinamachau, is, like

the previous contributions, of exceptional interest, and fully explains this method of opening and playing of this attack, and exposes a tvpe of error that is rife among all classes of players. Mr Krishnamachi is a leading Indian expert who conducts the weekly chess page in ‘ The Hindu.’ As usual, there are a number of selected names', problems, etc. This number is using for the first time the special diagram type recently released by the Intertype Corporation, York. This type is available in type-felting machines, so that hand setting is now entirely eliminated, to the advantage of both the operators and the magazine’s general turn-out. NOTES. . An error was made a fortnight ago in reference to the late Mr “ Dicky ” Barnes. He won the Dominion chess championship five times., not three as stated.