CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 22881, 12 February 1938, Page 6

CHESS

[Conducted by D.H.H.] Th<* Otago Club meets for play at the rooms, Capitol Buildings, Pimccs street, every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening at 7.30 o’clock. Visitors are cordially invited to attend, and by ringing up 22-64 G arrangements may be made for a game any afternoon or evening as the rooms are oteii to both club members and visitors at any time TO CORRESPONDENTS. (We invite coermunic itions on all matters concerning Solutions of problems, games, and analysis will ucel-e our attention, and if of sufficient merit will be inserted. All communications to be addresed “Chess Editor,'* ‘Evening Star.’] • * E.K.K. (Wellington).—Thanks for usual, news budget - A.O.G. (Christchurch).—Pleased that you are satisfied with reports. I can always find room for solutions. A.W.P. (Kelbuvn).—-Thanks for cuttings. CORRECT SOLUTIONS‘TO PROBLEMS. 2,589: J.A.M’D. (Grey-mouth). 2,591:- A.E. (Roslyn), J.J.M. (Musselburgh), T.J.W. (St. Kilda), J.E.p. (Dunedin), R.M‘D. (Roslyn), A.J.M'D. (Mornington), W.A, (Maori Hill), A.W. (Dunedin), J.A.C. (Morniugton), W.A.M. (Dunedin), H.E.H. (Roslyn), King (Timaru). 2,592: A.E. (Roslyn), R.M'D. (Roslyn), A.J.M'D. (Mornington), W.A. (Maori Hill), A.W. (Dunedin),, J.A.C. (Mornington), W.A.M,. (Dunedin), H.E.H. (Roslyn), King (Timaru). SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2,591* Q-Q 1 2,592: R-K 2 —Solution to%Christmas Puzzle.— The game was between Jagielski (white) and 'Woycilchowski (black),- the missing moves being: White, U K x B; 15 K-Kt 3: 17 K-R 4. Black, sßx B; 6 B-K 2; 10 Q-R cb; 12 B x P: 13 B x P ch; 14 Q-Kt 3 ch; 15 Kt x P; 18 R-B 3. PROBLEM 2,593. (By Z. Zilahi.) i Black, 4 pieces.

White, 6 pieces. White to play and mate in two moves. 8 I 3Kt 1 B 2 | 8 I ’ 4 p k p 1 | 8 | 6 Q 1 1 Kt 1 P Ist Kt 3 j 8. PROBLEM 2,594. (By J. Ohquist, “ Suomi.”) Black, 10 pieces.

White, 6 pieces. Mate in three moves. 2 K B 3 kt | k BIP4 | 1 p 6 | 5p2 1 6b r | 1 Kt 6 J lp4Ql | 3 kt r 1 b 1, S. R. BURNS CHALLENGE CUP. These two problems conclude the fifth series for this trophy. It is possible tiiat the winner may be announced next week. ZUKERTORT (BENONI COUNTER GAMBIT). This game, won by, lan Burry, was awarded the second brilliancy prize at the recent congress:— White, I. Burry (Auckland); Black, J. B. Dunlop (Dunedin). 1 Kt-K B 3 Kt-K B 3 2 P-0 4 P-Q B 4 (a) ' 3 P-Q 5! P-Q Kt 4? (b) 4 P-Q Kt 3? (c) B-Kt 2 5 P-B 4 P x P (d) 6 P x P P-K 3 7 Q-Kt 3 Q-B 2 (e) 8 Kt-B 3 P x P (f) 9 R-Q Kt 1 P-Q 5 (g) 10 B-B 4? (h) P-Q 3 (i) 11 Kt-Q Kt 5 Q-R 4ch (j) 12 B-Q 2 Q-Kt 3 13 Q-R 4 B-B 3! (k) 14 B-R 5 B x Q Kt ?? (1) 15 R x B Q Kt-Q 2 (m) 16 Bx Q Resigns (n) (Notes by E.W.8.) (a) A Bcnoni with the knight moves added. (b) Too enterprising, compromising the wing more seriously than it would have done at the second move (Polish Defence). If. Black wanted a lively game he might have allowed White’s P-Q B 4 and later by P-Q Kt 4 tried for the Blumenfeld Counter Gambit. (c) Doubtful moves must usually be vivorously refuted. 4 P-B 41. B-Kt 2; 5 P-Q R 41, P x B P; 6 Kt-B 3, P-K '3; 7 P-K 4, and White’s pawn is established at Q 5. Playing against Rubinstein at Vienna in 1922, Spelmanu found the pawn so embarrassing that ho sacrificed a piece to remove it. 7...K1 x R P; 8 Kt x Kt, P x P, and after 9 Kt-B 3 thought to turn tho tables by 9..-P-Q 5. But Rubinstein answered in ‘like vein by 10 B x P, P x Kt; 11 B x P cb, K x B; 12 Q-Kt 3 ch, with advantage. (d) Black soon regrets the reopening of the file and diagonal for the White queen. (e) Q-Kt 3 would have given White less options; at B 2 tho queen is exposed to flttt&ck. (f) Slops P-K 4, establishing the Q P. (g) Best in a difficult situation, prepardispose of tho B by B x Kt. Not

B-B 3, losing the piece, nor 9...8-tt 3; 10 P x P, B-Q 3 (otherwise White soon plays B-K B 4) ; 11 Q-R 4 (threatens R x Kt ch), Q-B 1; 12 B-Kt S, threatening B x Kt with a winning attack. After the text move, Black has a. playable game after 10 Kt-Q 5, B x Kt, or 10 Kt-R 4, E-B 3, or 10 Q x B, Q x Q; 11 R x Q, P x Kt; for Black can make progress while White is regaining the pawn. (h) Ready to. hand was Kt-Q, Kt 5, with advantage. Tho belated- and sacrificial display of vigour is too complex for full analysis over the board, and therefore must bo criticised when an alternative offered. Analysis seems to show that Black should got tho advantage through the attacking strength of the centralised queen and the passed pawn; 10... QxB;11 Qx B (other moves lose), P x Kt; for example if (a) 12 Q x R, P-B 7; 13 Q x Kt ch (R x Kt is worse). Black has. the extraordinary resource of 13... K-K 21, Threatening P-B 8 and mate. If now 14 P-jK 3? Q x Q wins and after 14 Q x Q,' P x R (Q) ch; 15 K-Q 2, Q.x P ch, or 14 Q-Kt 2, P x R (Q)' ch; 15 Q x Q, Q x B P, Black lias rather the host of it. Or if (b) 12 Q-B 8 ch, K-K 2: 13 P-K 3, P-B 7 and wins. Or again (c) 12 P-K 3, Q-K 5; 13 Q-B 8 cli, K-K 2; 14 R x Kt (if 14 Q x B P ch, K-Q 1 wins), and now Black can play R x R. or Q-Kt 8 eh, but Black would lose by 14... P-B 7: 15 Q x n P ch, P-Q 3: 16 Q-B 7 eh; 1? K-Q 2! threatening Kt-Kt 5 ch. (i) There was no prepared variation to fear, and, although the. above analysis could not ho worked out with one’s clock running, it is surprising that Dunlop should have avoided the complications, especially as White’s probable intention was the easily-refuted line (a) above. As it is, the Q P remains an object of attack, and although tho open diagonal need .not be fatal it gives White new; chances. (j) Otherwise B x P. threatening Kt-B 7 oh; e.g., if 11... Q-Q 2; 12 B x P, B x B; 13 Kt x B ch. Q x Kt: 14 Q x B. Q-B 5; 15 Kt-K 5, Q-K 5 (if Q x Q; 16 R x Q, castles; 17 P-Kt 3, and Black is crippled): 16 Q x P ch, K-Q 1; 17 Kt-Q 5, Q Kt-Q 2; 18 Q x Kt P. (k) If 13... Q-B 3; 14 Kt-B 7 ch, K-Q E: 15 Q x Q. ch, winning at least the exchange and a pawn. (l) Losing the nucen. Why not Q-Kt 2. threatening P-Q R 3? If then 15 Kt-B 7 ch, Q x Kt. remaining a pawn up; or 15 Kt x P ch, B x Kt, winning a piece; or if 15 B-B 7. either Q Kt-Q 2, or simplification by P-Q R 3: 16 Kt x P cb, B x Kt: 17 R x Q, B x Q; 18 B x B, Q Kt-Q 2; 19 R-B 7, Kt-K 5. (m) Tho queen cannot be saved, but he hopes for nearly sufficient compensation by 16 R x'Q, P x R, winning the bishop. "(n) He does not get even one piece for the queen. [This was an exceptionally interesting game, and was played over and analyised by quite a number of chess enthusists. We are indebted to Dr E. W. Bennett for devoting so much lime to an exhaustive and careful analysis.—Chess Editor.] SCOTCH OPENING. In this Scotch game one can glean some idea of Bird’s play; he wins in handsome style. Note the lovely natural ending ; 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 2 Kt-K B 3 Kt-Q B 3 3 P-Q 4 Px P 4 Kt x P Q-R 5 (a) 5 Kt-Kt 5 B-B 4 6 Q-B 3 Kt-B 3! 7 Kt x P ch (b) K-Q 1 8 Kt x R R-K 1 9 B-Q 3 Kt x P 10 Castles Kt .x P! (o) 11 R x Kt R-K 8 ch 12 B-B 1 Kt-Q's! 13 Q x B P Kt-K 7 ch 14 K-R 1 Kt-Kt 6 ch 15 K-Kt 1 R x B mate (a) Adventuresome, and, therefore, interesting. (b) White definitely goes astray. 7 B-K 3 was better. (c) The vital blow a|J] the verdict is given before the count ol nine. A beautiful termination. AN ALLGAIER, A snappy' Jittlo Allgaier, "won by Maurian, who used to receive odds of a knight from the great Morphy. ' 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 2 P-K B 4 P x B 3 Kt-K B 3 P-K Kt 4 4 P-K R 4...... P-Kt 5 . 5 Kt-Kt 5...... P-K K 3 (a) 6 Kt x P K x Kt 7 P-Q 4 P-Q 3 8 B x P Kt-Q B 3 (b) 9 B-B 4 ch K-Kt 2 10 Castles Qx P (c) 11 Q-Q 3 Kt-B 3 12 P-K 0...... Kt-K R 4 13 B-K Kt 3! Q-K 2 (d) 14 B-R 4! Q-K 1 15 B-B 6 ch Kt i B 16 P x Kt mate ‘AUSTRALASIAN CHESS REVIEW.’ In the January number of the ‘A.C.R.I there is a .full and interesting account of the 1937-38 New Zealand championship congress, and tho brilliancy prize game, played in the last round, when the champion, S. Hindin, defeated W. Lang (Otago) after a well-thought-out rook sacrifice. It is alo announced that during the year further games that have .been played at this congress will be published. The world’s championship' matches include the twentyfirst to the twenty-fifth, and have been annotated by ■ Mr Purdy, who also'gives a summary of the details of this contest. The editor announces that during the forthcoming year he intends to give a series of articles on ‘ Secrets of the' Chessboard.’ In his opening article he deals with ‘ Preliminary Iconoclasm,’ under the sub-heading 'of ‘ Where the Books Pail,' ‘ The Pofce-space-time Theory,’ Capablanca’s Emundation,’ ,* What are the True Elements?’ ‘ Lasker’s Chess Philosophy;’ and ‘Space and Time in Chess.’ At the first glance it may seem that these articles are too “ high brow ” for the ordinary player, but a careful study of them will improve the play of any fairly intelligent student, and certainly be of advantage to student beginners. ‘ The Fatal Problem,’ by James, giving an analysis, in the form of a short story, of a problem published by the author in 1916, is well worth reading and studying, as is also Mr J. W. Cornfuth’s article, ‘ Opening Opportunity.’ Mr P. T. Hawes is again to be congratulated upon his problem department,which includes ‘A Good Opening Message,’ by B. C. Laws. There is a good selection of problems, etc. Amongst the remainder of published games are included, two played ip the Western Australian championship, and a game played in the Australian correspondence championship. OTAGO CHESS CLUB. A joint meeting of the committee and the Congress Committee was held last Saturday evening, when Mr J. J. Marlow presided over a full attendance. All matters dealing with the congress were completed, and the hon, secretary was authorised to remit the balance to the treasurer of the N.Z.C.A. It was decided to give a donation of half a guinea to the Portobello Marine Biological Association in return for the kindness shown to the chess congress visitors in an outing they had. The date of the annual meeting was in the meantime fixed for February 19. A good deal of routine business concluded a satisfactory meeting. NOTES' Is it a sign (or penalty) of popularity to have many names? That form of defence in the “ Queen’s Gambit Declined ” which is marked by Black’s move, P-Q, 3, is certainly popular, and it may bo called by many names. Properly, perhaps, it may be the “ Polerio Defence,” since Polerio mentions it as early as 1590. Much more recently it became the “ Slav,” though Steinitz, the first great master to employ it in championship match games, was no Slav. Then on the Continent _it assumed the guise of the “ Czech,” owing to the nationality of some of its leading advocates. But lately there have been new variants, “ Czecho-Slovak ” and “ Slavonian.” —■' British Chess Magazine."