CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 22596, 13 March 1937, Page 6

CHESS

[Conducted by D.H.H.] Tile Otago Club meet* (or play at th» room*. Capital buildings, Princes street, every Wednesday, ana Saturday evening at 7.30 o clock. Visitor* are cordially inviied to attend, and by ringing up 22-64 b arrangements could bo mad« lor a game an) afternoon and evening a* tho rooms are open tc both club members and visitor* at any ti>>*e. TO CORRESPONDENTS. (We invite communication* on all matter* concerning chess. Solutions of problems, games, and analyses will receive eur attention, and if ol sufficient mem will De Inserted. All communications to be addressed ** Chess Editor,” ‘ Eremog Star.’] F.K.K. (Wellington).—Obliged for northern news. A.W.P. (Kelburn).—Thanks for cutting. S.H. (Christchurch).—Thanks for notes. What about problems? A.O.C. (Christchurch).— Obliged for explanation. H.E.A. (Christchurch) .—Thanks for photograph. H.E.W. (Dunedin).—Much obliged for problem. CORRECT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2.499: A.E. (Roslyn), T.J.W. (St. Kilda), J.J.M. (Musselburgh), B.M‘D. (Roslyn), J.E.D. (Dunedin), E.A.L. (Invercargill), King (Timaru), W.’A.M. (Dunedin), J.A.C. (Mornington). 2.500: A.E. (Roslyn), E.A.L. (Invercargill), King (Timaru), J.A.C. (Mornington), R.M‘D. (Roslyn), W.A.M. (Dunedin). SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2,499: Q-Kt 3. 2,500: Q-B 6. If 1... K x E; 2 Kt x B ch, etc. If 1... Kt x Q; 2 R-Kt 3 ch, etc. If 1... P-Q 5; 2 Q-B 3 ch, etc., etc. PROBLEM 2,501. (By J, Warton.) Black, 8 pieces.

White, 8 pieces. White plays and mates in two move*. B|B|2plQlpl|4Ktl Bp K3k ir R | kt B2p 2 R 2 kt 1 Kt 3 | 8. PROBLEM 2,502. (By H. W. Barry.) (From ‘ Terms and Themes.’) Black, 8 pieces.

White, 8 pieces. White to play and mate in three moves, k 4 b 2 1 4 p 3 | 1 B Kt p kt P 2 I 182P2? | 8 | K E 3 p 2 1 8 | 6 kt q. THE DECISIVE GAME AT THE HASTINGS CONGRESS. —Rny Lopez. Annotations by Dr Alekhine. White, Dr: Alekhine. Black, B. Fine. 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 2 Kt-K B 3 Kt-Q B 3 3 B-Kt 5 P-Q R 3 4 B-R 4 Kt-B 3 5 Castles B-K 2 6 E-K 1 P-Q Kt 4 7 B-Kt 5 P-Q 5 8 Piß 3 Kt-y R 4 9 B-B 2 P-Q B 4 10 P-Q 4 In Podebrady (1936) I played against Eliskases 10 P-Q 3, iho continuation being 10;..Kt-B 3; 11 Q Kt-Q 2, castles; 12 Kt-B 1, R-K 1 (E-K 3 would have been better) ; 13 Kt-K 3, P-Q 4; 14 P x P. Kt x P; 15 Kt x Kt, Q x Kt; 16 P-Q 4! with a distinct advantage for White. Q-B 2 11 Q Kt-Q 2 Castles The more “ exact ” move is 11... Kt-Q B 3, in order to force White to a decision in the centre. The reply, 12 Kt-B 1, would then he rather doubtful, because of 12...8 P x P, with temporary gain of a pawn, as in the third and fifth games of the Lasker-Tarrasoh match, Dusseldorf and Munich, 1908. 12 Kt-B 1 B-Kt 5 13 Kt-K 3 A safer line would have been 13 P-Q 5, followed by Kt-K 3, with at least a “ tempo ” more in hand than in the usual variation. The text move carries with it a promising pawn sacrifice. B x Kt 14 Q x B And here 14 P s B, Kt-B 3; 15 P-Q . 5 was certainly good enough. But 1 was in a gambit mood.

BPiP 15 Kt-B 5 P x P 16 Q i PI The first point of the sacrifice; White gets rid of the pressure in the queen’s bishop’s file without loss of time. K R-Q B 1 17 Q-K Kt 3 The line 17 B-Q 2, B-K B 1; 18 Q x Q, R x Q; 19 B x Kt, II x B; 20 B-B 3, Kt-Kt 5!, etc., would not bo very convincing. B-B 1 18 B-Q 3 Kt-B 3 19 B-K Kt 5 Kt-K 1 20 Q R-Q B 1 After 20 Q R-Q 1! followed by B-Kt 1, P-Q R 3 and B-R 2, Black would have had a difficult game. The text move proves to bo the loss of a valuable “ tempo.” Q-Kt 2 21 P-Q R 3 P-K Kt 3 22 Kt-R 6 ch B x Kt 23 B x B Kt-Q 5 Refer to the previous note. White must now avoid the exchange of rooks in order to preserve attacking chances. 24 Q R-Q 1 P-Q Kt 5 25 P-K B 4! P x B BP Black had nothing better. If 25... P x R P, then 26 P x K P! and if 25... P-K B 3, then 26 P-B 5, etc., with advantage in both cases. 26 Qi P Ps P 27 P x P R-B 6 28 Q-B 2 The variation 28 P-K 5, R x B; 29 R s R, Kt-K 7 ch; 30 R x Kt, Q-Kt 8 ch; 31 K-B 2, Q x R; 32 P-K 6! Q-B 4! etc., would have been good enough for a draw. With the text move White gives further

indication of his intention to go in for cmptoti™.. , KMEJ(p) . The logical defensive plan was 28... Kt-B 3. 29P-QR4 QS-B1 v’- 30 R-K B 1 Threatening 31 B i E PI etc. R (B 6)-B 2 31 E-Q Kt, 1 Q-B 3 32 P-E 5! Through the threat of 33 ,R-Kt 6, Whit© has now an appreciable positional advantage. Black’s nest move hastens the end, however. Kt-B 4? 35 B-Q B 4 Q-Q 2 Obviously forced. M Q-Q R 2 This reply was overlooked by Black, and leaves him completely defenceless. If, for instance, 34... Kt-Kt 2, which is the best of a bad job, then 35 B x BP, Q x B; 36 B x Q ch, R x B; 37 Q-Q 5 with an easy win. Kt * K P 35 Rs P Qx R 36 BxQ ch Bx B 37 Q-K 6! Resigns. What defence is there? —* Chess. THE HASTINGS CONGRESS. The following are the principal results of the annual Hastings Christmas congress, 1936: —Premier Tournament.—

Premier Reserves (Section 1) L, Erins, 7 points, 1; A. D. ds Qroot, 6£, 2; W. A. Winser, si, 3. Premier Reserves (Section 2.-—S. Landau, 7 points, 1; F. Van Seters, 6s, 2; R. P. Mitchell and Paul Devos, 5Jr, 3. Commenting on this congress, ‘ Chess ’ says: “ We are ready to wager that Reuben Fine’s performance in the first seven rounds at Hastings has never previously been paralleled. Never before has any participant in a Hastings master i tournament made such a crushing start. _ Here are the cold facts: Ho defeated, in turn, Eliskases, Winter, Miss Menchik, Thomas, Tylor, Feigin, and Koltanowski. Even more astonishing than the wins were the almost nonchalant speed with which they were effected. Eliskases went down in 35 moves, Thomas in 33, Tylor in 29, Feigin in 27. The win against Feigin was the fitting climax to a superb week’s play . . . On the Monday morning the scores stood at Fine 6, Alekhine sjr—tbe rest nowhere.” The game, by the courtesy of * Chess,’ is published in this column. Fine, by virtue of his half-point lead, was able to play for a draw; Alekhine, who drew the White, had to go all out for a win. The opening was “ Ruy Lopez,” and at an early stage Alekhine sacrificed a pawn and was able eventually to build up great positional advantage. One or two not-quite-the-best moves by Fine, and finally a blunder in a difficult position, brought a quick end in 37 moves. It was a game worthy of the occasion, and that a great one. • CHESS.’ The principal feature of the January number of ‘ Chess ’ is the very full report of the doings at the Hastings Christmas congress. Under the title of ‘ A Clash of Titans at Hastings,’ the editor contributes a very interesting and full summary of the features of this congress leading up to the final victory of Dr Alek hine by half a point oyer Reuben Fine, who nreviously had not lost a single game. In addition to this game, 15 other games played at this congress are also published. ‘ Round the Chess World,’ by 0. Koltanowski, is, as usual, a budget of both newsy and humorous paragraphs. Miss Menchik’» < (the world’s woman champion) contribution is a valuable and useful study of “ The French Defence,” anti Mr Kipping, the problem editor, has taken for his subject ‘ Task Problems in Twomovers.’ In addition to news items from all over the world there are, as usual, a number of.problems, end games, etc.. Altogether this number is quite equal to, if not superior fo, the previous numbers, and the editor of this comparatively modern magazine is to bo congratulated upon his good work in the interests of the

game. This magazine, which contains 40 pages, is published at Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England, and the price is Is. STEINER’S VISIT. Lajos Steiner, the famous Hungarian chess master, is expected to arrive in Wellington on March 23. and is duo in Dunedin on April 9, leaving again for the north on the 16th. Whilst in Dunedin he will he the guest of Mr J. B. Dunlop, a past New Zealand chess champion, and a well-known member of tho Otago Chess Club. Durftig Mr Steiner’s stay .ho will <»ive exhibitions of simultaneous play, lectures, etc., in the Otago Chess Club room in the Capitol Building, Princes street. In order to help to defray the expenses this tour entails, a nominal charge for admission will he made for lectures and the privilege of playing, against the chess master. At the meeting of the Otago Chess Club's committee a suh-conimilteo, consisting of the president, hon. secretary, Messrs 0. Balk, J. B. Dunlop, R. M’Dermid, and G. D. Wright, was set up to control the arrangements for Steiner’s visit. After his arrival in New Zealand, Mr Steiner intends having two days at Gisborne, Easter at Napier, two days in the Wairarapa, and a week in Christchurch before coming to Dunedin. OTAGO CHESS CLUB. Tho final committee meeting of the 193537 chess year was held last Saturday evening, tho president (Mr W. Lang) being 1 in tho chair. Upon tho recommendation of the sub-committce it was decided to

take a short lease of the room at present in use in the Capitol Building, Princes street. The draft annual report was adopted and ordered to be printed, and the date of the annual meeting fixed for Wednesday, the 24th inst. In connection with the usual allocation of prises, Messrs

B. P. Evans and G. D. Wright kindly donated two extra ones, and were awarded votes of thanks. Tho balance sheet and draft report showed that although it would bo necessary to try and obtain some more new members, the position of the club was quite satisfactory from a playing point of view. Two new members were elected. CANTERBURY NOTES. Congress.—The committee passed a vote of congratulations to Mrs H. R. Abbott on winning the brilliancy prize, offered in the premier reserves section of the last congress. Sides Match. —It was resolved that a sides match between teams chosen by the club champion and the mtermediaie champion be held on Tuesday, the 9th inst.— Own correspondent. NOTES. In Bruce Lockhart’s recent book, ‘ Return to Malaya,’ he says that in Balain. Java, there is a wedge of Barahs who are Christians. Not very long ago they were cannibals and chess players with a few geniuses who were a. match for the world,’s greatest champions. They still play chess, but have given up “ long jjork.” The Youngkman Memorial Brilliancy Prize (donated by Dr Youngkman, the late Western Australian chess champion’s son) has been awarded to Koshnitsky. The Steiner invitation tourney, played in Sydney recently, resulted as followsG. Koshnitsky and C. J. S. Purdy, each 6 points, 1; L. Steiner, ss, 2; J. W. Cornforth, li, 3; H. Klass, 1 point. J. W, Cornforth, of Sydney, during his

stay in Perth, established a new Australian record for blindfold play by playing 12 games (8 —2 —2) in the remarkable time of 3| hours. The previous record was 10 games, played by J. H. Blackburn, the English master, at Warrnatnbool, in Victoria, and G. Koshnitsky . at : Sydney;!-

W. D. Jj. Pts. Dr A. Alekhine .. ... 8 0 0 8 Reubetl Fine ... .. ... 7 1 0 74 E. Eliskases ... 3 5 1 5i M. Feigin 5 3 3 44 Or M. Kidman 2 5 2 4j