CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 23113, 12 November 1938, Page 6

CHESS

[Conducted by D.H.H.] fne Otago Glut meet? for play at the roomi Capitol Buildings, Princes street, every Monda) Wednesdiv, and Saturday evening at 7.30 o'clock Visitor* are cordially invited to attend, and b ringing up ££64o arrangements may be mad for a gam" arv afternoon or evening as th rooms are oren to both club members and visitor at any time. (We invite communications on all matters co« cerniog chess. Solutions of problems, games, in< analyst* e>tll receive our attention, arid If o sufficient met it wilt be inserted. All oommunlca tions to be addressed “ Chess Editor, 1 * * Eveninj Star.’] TO COEEESPONDENTS. A.W. (Maori Hill). —Thanks for analysis and problems. F.K.K. (Wellington).—Much obliged for obituary notice of Mr F. A. L. Kuskop, which has to be condensed considerably. H.S.T. (Maori Hill). —Solutions did not reach me until Friday morning. A.W.P.—Obliged for cutting. COKRECT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 8.667: G.M.F.B. (Dunedin), H.S.T. (Maori Hill), J.S.M.L. (Dunedin), O.P.W. (Richmond). 2.668: G.M.F.B. (Dunedin), J.S.M.L. (Dunedin). 8.669: J.A.C. (Momington), A.E. (Roslyn), W.A. (Maori Hill). A.J.M‘D. (Mornington), J.J.M. (Musselburgh), J.T.W. (St. Kilda), J.S.M.L. (Dunedin), A.W. (Dunedin), W.A.M. (Dunedin), H.3.T. (Maori Hill). 8.670: J.A.C. (Momington). A.E. (Roslyn). J.S.M.L, (Dunedin), A.J.M’D. (Mornington). W.A. Maori Hill), A.W. (Dunedin), W.A.M. (Dunedin). SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. 2,669: R-K Kt 6. 2,670: Q-Kt B 5. Black. White. Black. White. IK-B 4ch 2 Kt-B 7 K-Kt 3 3 Q-B 2 ch 1 K-B 3 ch 2 Kt-B Kt i B 3 Q-Q 5 4 ch If 1 Kt-B 3or Kt 2,2 Kt-B 3, etc. If 1 Kt xB or Kt-B 6,2 Kt xP, etc. If 1 B-R 2,2 P= Q ch, etc. A brilliant problem, illustrating the advanced theme of two cross-check variations ending in model mates, with a fully thematic key, PROBLEM 2,671. (By W. Gleave.) (From the ‘ Chess Bouquet.’) Black, 4 pieces.

4 White, 8 pieces. Position: 3 b 2 Q 1 1 3 K 3 R | 8 ] 5 kt 2 | 1 P 1 p k 3 | '3 R P Kt 2 | 8 ! 5 E 2. •, White to play and mate in two moves. PROBLEM 2,672. (By P. A. Boorer.) Black, 5 pieces.

White, 10 pieces. 8 | 7 B I 1 p P 3 E 1 | 1 Kt 5 E | 3 B 4 | p P 4 K 1 | 1 P 6 ] k 1 Kt 5. White plays and mates in three moves. QUEEN’S GAMBIT DECLINED. White, M. E. Goldstein; Black, C. J. S. Purdy. 1 P-Q 4 Kt-K B 3 2 P-Q B 4 P-K 3 3 Kt-K B 3 (a)......P-Q 4 4 B-Kt 5 (b) B-Kt 5 ch (c) 5 Kt-B 5 P i P 6 P-K 4 P-B 41 7 P-K 5...... P x P 8 Kt x P (d) Q-R 4 9 P x Kt B x Kt ch 10 P x B Q x B 11 P x P Q x P (Kt 2) 12 Q-R 4 ch (e) B-Q 2 13 Q x B P Kt-B 3 14 R-Q Kt 1 (f) Castles K R 15 Q-Q 3...... K R-Q 1! 16 Kt x Kt (g) B x Kt 17 Q-Kt 3 R-Q 41 18 Q x Q ch K x Q 19 E-Q 1 (h) R-K 4 ch 20 B-K 2 (i) B-Kt 4 21 E-Q 2 R-Q B 1 22 P-K B 4 R-K 5 23 P-B 5 R x P 24 P-B 6 ch K-Kt 3 (j) 25 R-B 1 R-B 8 ch 26 K-B 2 R x B ch Resigns (a) Played to avoid the Nirazovitch Defence. 3 Kt-Q B 3, B-Q Kt 5. But, by thus playing for safety, White allows Black to get into a more favourable variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. (b) Played by Capablanoa, but lately found slightly scanting. Belter is Kt-B 3.

(c) This enables Black to take and hold the P. (d) The “ book ” play, P x Kt gives White a better chance. (c) Winning back the P {it the cost of two tempos—in dubious taste; but Mr Goldstein considers that nothing was sufficient to equalise at this stage. —B.C.M. QUEEN’S GAMBIT. (From the Margate Congress.) White, Alekhine; Black, Book. 1 P-Q 4 P-Q 4 2 P-Q B 4 Px P 3 Kt-K B 3 (a) Kt-K B 3 4 P-K 3 P-K 3 5 B x P P-B 4 6 Castles Kt-B 3 7 Q-K 2 P-Q R 3 (b) 8 Kt-B 3 P-Q Kt 4 9 B-Kt 3 P-Kt 5 (c) 10 P-Q 5 Kt-Q R 4 (d) 11 B-R 4 ch B-Q 2 12 P x P P x P 13 R-Q 1 (e) P x Kt 14 R x B Kt x R 15 Kt-K 5 R-R 2 16 P x P! K-K 2 (f) 17 P-K 4! Kt-K B 3 18 B-K Kt 5 Q-B 2 19 B-B 4 Q-Kt 3 20 R-Q 1 P-Kt 3 21 B-K Kt 5 B-Kt 2 22 Kt-Q 7 (g) R x Kt 23 B x R ch K-B 1 24 B x Kt B x B 25 P-K 5 Resigns (h) (a) To prevent the releasing P-K 4, which would make acceptance of the gambit worth while. (b) Safer, B-K 2 for Castles. (c) Premature; his K soon becomes directly involved. (d) P x Kt would help Alekhine in development of the Q side. (e) A beautiful positional combination begins, in which a R is sacrificed for a winning attack. (f) To release the Kt before White comes along with R-Q 1. If B-Q 3, 17 Q-R 5 ch P-Kt 3 (K-K 2 allowing mate), 18 Kt x P P x Kt (there is nothing better), 19 Q x R ch B-B 1, 20 B-R 3, and then R-Q 1. (g) A death blow; if Q-B 2, 23 P-K 5. (hi Still a piece up! But B' moves (QKt 8 ch, 26 R-Q 1) allows the fatal 26. Q-B 3 ch. A perfect Alekhine. THE BRITISH FEDERATION'S CONGRESS, 1938. The following were the leading scores at this congress, which was held at Brighton last August:—

1, C. H. O’D. Alexander—6 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss, 8 points: 2, H. Golombeck —5,5, 1, 7-i, and G. G. Sergeant—s, 5,1, 7j; 4, P. 5. Milner-Barry—s. 3. 3,6 j. Sir George Thomas and T. H. Tylor tied for fifth place with 6 points, and Mrs V. Stevenson (Menchik) Sj, was seventh. Alexander, the new British champion, has competed five times. The first time he finished bottom. The next time he came second; then he registerd two fourths. Miss M. Musgrave won the British ladies’ championship with 9i points, Mrs F. F. Thomson 8 being second, and Miss R. M. Drew 8 third. Section A in the major open tournament resulted in a tie between E. Klein (Austria) and P. List (Lithuania) 9 points, whilst Mr B’. H. Wood, editor of * Chess,’ was third, points. In section B there was another tie—F. E. Kitto and Dr A. Seitz (Norway) 8j points, and F. List (Lithuania) 7 points, third. AMERICAN CHESS FEDERATION CONGRESS. Leading scores in this congress, which was played at Boston, were as follows: 1, I. Horowitz—B wins, 2 draws, 1 loss, 9 points, and T. Kashdan —8,2, 1,9; 3, B. Blumin—6, 3,2, ?i; 4, D. Polland—6, 3. 2, 7*. Miss Mary Karff won the ladies' championship, winning all her six games. PLYMOUTH JUBILEE CONGRESS. 1 The following were the leading scores at this congress, which was played last September : 1, Dr A. A. Alekhine—s wins, 2 draws, 1 no losses, 6 points, and Sir G. A. Thomas — 5. 2,0, 6; 3, P. List—2. 3,2, 3i, and P. S. Milner Barry—3, 1,3, 3?; 5, Mrs StevensonMenchik —2,2, 3, 3. ‘ CHESS.’ The October number of ‘ Chess ’ is larger than usual, and has a good many more illustrations. Mr A. J. F. Field has a humorous skit under the title of ‘ Opening Night,’ which we hope we can reproduce later on. Mr W. Stead's contribution consists of an informative article, ‘ How to Make a Cheap Chess Clock,’ which apparently is a success, like a' similar one described as used successfully by the Middlesbrough Chess Club last., season. Dr Max Euwe, the world chess champion, contributes a technical article on combinative play, which is valuable to keen chess students. Paul Veres gives the annotated score of his game against G. Stahlberg, which he considers is the best game he ever played. Sir George Thomas’s contribution is ‘ King and Rook v. King and Bishop.’ Mr S. Kipping’s problem pages and annotated congress games, end games, etc., complete an exceptionally good number.

THE ‘ N.Z. CHESS GAZETTE.’ This bright little magazine has a good assortment of New Zealand chess news from all parts of the Dominion. Results are given of various tourneys and matches, and a fair amount of space is allotted to the doings of the New Zealand unit of the British Correspondence Chess Association. There is an amusing skit on the meeting, by letter, of two B.C.C.A. players, and also one or two good chess stories. The editor, who admittedly is having an uphill struggle, deserves better support from New Zealand chess players than he is evidently receiving. We can, however, only do our best by recommending this magazine to non-subscribers who are members of various chess clubs in New Zealand. THE LATE F. A. L. KUSKOP. Mr F. A. L. Kuskop, who died at the Wellington Public Hospital on October 26, at the advanced age of 94 years, was an exceedingly gifted composer of chess problems. He was born on October 23, 1844, at Wismar, North Germany. After 18 years of service with a commercial firm, he left Germany and settled in New Zealand in 1881. He then gave more attention to chess. He had been blind for the past 45 years, which he had lived in Wellington. In these years of affliction he derived much pleasure from the solving and composing of chess problems, and altogether he composed more than 400 problems. The last of his compositions to be published was contributed to ‘ Die Schwalbe,’ a German magazine, when in his ninetieth year. The late Mr Kuskop, who had a long and brilliant list of tourney honours to his credit, contributed problems to numerous papers all over the world. On the occasion of the Coronation of King Edward VII. he composed three problems in which the pieces represented an E. a VII., and a crown respectively. Being blind, he had to compose entirely from memory. In this connection it is interesting to recall that the late Mr A. F. MacKenzie, the well-known Jamaica composer, achieved his greatest successes after he lost his sight. The late Mr Kuskop had the gift of a phenomenal memory, and could instant!-- recall, and set up, any position years after it had engaged his attention. An English chess editor some years ago made a great claim for Mr Kuskop when he wrote: “ Despite blindness, he is the most eminent living colonial composer.” Mr F. K. Kelline, the wellknown “ chess king ” of Now Zealand, was a nephew of Mr Kuskop. NOTES. At tho meeting of the Otago Chess Club Committee last Saturday evening, a motion of svmnathy and condolence with Mr F. K. Kelling in his recent double bereavement was”passed in the usual manner. According to Mr Hector Winter, the well-known author, at a number of eating houses in London chess problems are printed on the back of the bills of fare, being changed every week.