CHESS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11884, 6 May 1899, Page 4

CHESS.

S,S. BLACKBUEKE, Chess Editor* “ Lyttelton 751063*" Pleas© address.-; FJX Box 172, Christchurch, NewZealaadi. NOTICE. ' May-6,1899. Tha Caret echury-Chess Club meets at the Chamber of Commerce, Cathedral Square, Christchurch, on Tuesdays and Fridays, at 7 pan. SOLUTION COMPETITIONS. Thotwo problems printed below belong to" the solution competition in connection with the girth, problem and solution tourney of the “Otago Witness.” The following particulars respecting the tourney have been published-—-“ The scores of solvers, other than the prize-winners in the fifth tourney, will be brought forward on the continuous principle, andaprize of 10s 6d will be given to the solver who, on this principle, obtains thehighest numberof points. Aprizeof 10s6d iaalso offered to be competed for in the ordinary way—that is to say, not on the continuous plan. The problems competing m tbe tourney, together with selected problems, wiU bo submitted tor solution. The conditions of the competition are:—Points: Each author's solution and every * cook,’ twomovers 1, three-movers 2 j satisfactory criticism of each problem that has a solution and is not cooked 1. A'tcorreot statement that a problem has no solution counts as a solution. As a part of his criticism, a solver should give marks, from Oto 10, according to bia estimate of the merits of a problem. Solutions and criticisms must be completed within one week from the time problems are received bythe solver,andshould be posted or delivered at the first opportunity after they are ready. Criticisms that are not sufficiently brief and to the point will he subject to abridgment. Please condense. It ho s been arranged that the problems‘shall he published in the ‘Canterbury Times’ simultaneously with their publication in the ‘OtagoWitness.’ The roiulers.of the ‘Canterbury Times’ may send their solutions and criticismsto-theChess Editor of that paper,” CORRESPONDENCE, To F. "Woodford.—Thanks for Jespersen’s pro-hlem,-which we hope to publish when the tourney is over. To W/F.&t Spreydon.—ln No. 1624, Qxß is defeated by Kt x Kt; and in N 0,1625 if 1 Kt x P ch, K—K 4,2 Kt mate. To Havelock North.—Thanks for letter. Our analyses were worth the trouble if they helped to make matters clear to you. Any solver is entitled ;to amend a solution or criticism already sent in, so long as his week hae not expired, and your amendment respecting No. 1624 is accepted accordingly, and yonr original criticism cancelled. T.o B. A. Cleland, Dunedin.—Thanks for letter of ,tho 27th. PROBLEM No. 1630. (By P. Klett.) “Otago Witness" Tourney Problem,No. 9 (selected.), , . BLACK. '

WHITS. ' Position : 8, 6 p 1, 4 P 1 P 1, 4 K p P k, 6 Kt b, 3 B 4,,5 P 2,2 Q4E. White to play and mate in two moves. (Solution will'appeax on May 27.) PEOBLEM No* 1631. (ByP. A. L. Kuskop, Wellington, New Zealand). Otago. Witness ” Tourney Problem, No. 10 (competing.) . ■ BLACK.

WHITE. Position: 8, K 2Q3 p, 7P.1 P'2 kB2, 4Kt 3,1 p6,p7,b18b4. White to play and mate in three moves. • (Solution will appear on May 27.) Explanation of. Notation: Bead from left to right, beginning at left top corner of diagram. Large letters signify^,White, pieces, small letters Block pieces, figures empty squares; • commas close the Tanka. SOLUTIONS, Problem No. 1624.—(Tourney Problem No. 3). — By A. F. Mackenzie (two moves).' —i b Q 2,8, lb 1 P 1 B X K, Kt 3 tt 2 p, E q kt k 4, 2 p 4 r, 2 P p 3 Kt, 5 kt X B. '

Problem No. 1625 (Tourney Problem No. 4).—By A. F. Maekenzie (three moves).—7 B, 8, 2P2 Kt 2,1 p 3 P BP, 3k PI PI, Kt 6K, P3P3.1 kt Q 3 b 1. ;

Note. —Owing to the incomplete erasure of a Black Pawn on tbe diagram received from the author, the position was originally published with a Black Pawn on QKt 3. The position given above in Forsyth Notation is the corrected position after the elimination of the Black Pawn, whoso intended erasure was discovered, by the use of the micro-' Scope. The solution is that of the corrected position, j . SOLVERS AND THEIR CRITICISMS. No. 1624 (Tourney Problem No. 3). —Key most subtle; problem full of magnificent trios; mates very difficult (9s). Alfordian, Christchurch.— Vary difficult for two-mover; several close tries ", (8)). X.Y.Z., Christchurch)—Difficult key, has some good trie's, after-play easy, fairly good (7). Argo, Maori Pah, Kaiapoi.—A magnificent and perfect two-mover; Mulliant key, strategy, variety, &e. jQ X B and Q — K 7 near tries, and : B B 1 and Q Kt 8 inviting.pitfalls (10). J.H.L., Havelock North.—An excellent problem ; great skill is shown in the construction, and the variety of the after-play is good (9). Seva, Timaru. —A splendid problem ; the near tries of Qi B and Q K7, only met by Kt x Kt, clever traps (10), P.C.L., Waimata Valley, Gisborne.— Solution without criticism:—P. Woodford, Lin Woo d; MJD.,'Fendalton. —Very remarkable for Subtlety in the key, and numerous deceptive ' tries. In the “Sydney Morning Herald” Tourney no less than five false keys were submitted, viz., Q K7,Qx; B, B Kt 5, Q Kt 8 and K x Q, foiled respectively by Kt x Kt, Kt x Kt, Kt xE,Kt x E and B x Kt. Some credited the pro. blem with as many as three solutions, one gave it two, a few pronounced it unsolvabie, and oniy about one.fourth of the average number of solvers struct the right key. Out own solvers have been more successful (10), —Chess Editor. No. 1625 (Tourney Problem No. 4). —Original position.—The following correctly claim that there is no solution:—Argo, 'Maori Pah, Kaiapoi; • Alfordian, Christchurch; P. Woodford, Christchurch j Seva, Timaru.—Others submit the author’s intended solution; but as the diagram was originally printed, the author’s intended Solution was prevented by the presence of the Black pawn on QKt 3. For if White IB —KKt 6, Black 1 P Kt 5, White 2 Q B 5 ch, Blaox 2 Px Q, there is no mate on the third move. If 1 B KKt6, P Kt 5,2 Q KB4, P x Kt,, there is also no mate; nor does any other second move for White avail in this variation, with the Black P on Q Kt 3. No. 3625 (Tourney Problem No. 4). —Amended position.—Solutions will bo acknowledged and criticisms published on'May 17. RESULT OF SOLUTION COMPETITION " for the first quarter of 3899.

It may be mentioned that M.D., who began tbe two-movers tbe third week of tbe quarter, has cortectly solved every two-mover from that time to ■the end of tbe quarter. Tbe competitors have been remarkably successful, and we offer them our Congratulations. For such a good proportion, of tolversto score so large a proportion of tbe maximum points in a competition wbicb included a good number of stiff prize problems, is a most satisfactory result. Those -who only solve occasionally and those who only do twei-movers aronot included in tbe abovi-l ei . 1 . Game jSo. 2034, A brilliancy prize game, played in the meeting of the Now York State Chess As-

sedation. Tffis notes are from the “Times ” weekly edition: — / PHILIDOE DEFENCE, ' WHITE. BLACK. (E. Kemeny, B. Delmar, Philadelphia), New York). IP—K4 IP—E4 2 Kfc—KßS 2 P Q 3 (a) 3 P Q 4 3 Kt IBS 4 Kt —B3(b) 4 Q Kt—Q2 5 B-K3 5 B K 2 6 B Q 3 6P-QB3 ■7 Kt K2 7Q-B2 8 P —B3 8 P—Q4 9 Q B 2 9 P x K P IOBxP XOKtxB 11 Q x Kt 11 Castles ■iPx'P 12 P Q Kt 3 (c) xd Kt (K 2)— Q 4 13 B— Kt 2 14 Kt B 5 14 Q B K sq 15 CastlesQE 15 B B 3 (d) 16 BxKt IGQxR 17 Q K Kt 4 17 U K 3 (e) 18 Pxß 18 P Kt 3 19 Kt E 6ch 19K —Esq. 20 Q x Q 20 K x Q 21 Kt Kt 5 21 P B 4 22 Kt x B 21 P x Kt 23 E Q sq 23 Besigns. (a) Mainly because White can play 3 P Q 4 with effect, and also because Black’s K B is confined at home by his second move. Block’s game is considered inferior at this early singe, and the Philidor Defence has become unpopular. But it has again been adopted in leading *>ames, (b) Mr Pillabury remarks that if instead 4 P x P. Kb x K P, 5 Q Q 5, Kt B 4, and Black threatens to gain time by. B K 3 or P Q B 3. (c) Black apparently relied too much on getting an attack by B Kt 2, but it came to nothing. (d) It does not appear that this attempt to gain advantage in the centre ia quite sound, but it leads to most interesting play. (c) By 17, Q Kt 4, the threat was to win the QneenbyKt —B6 cb, and therefore B x P was out of the question, and the came was lost. THE CABLE MATCH BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND AMERICA. The fourth international chess cable match between British and American experts was played on March 10 and 11, and resulted in an American victory, with a score of 6 to 4. The Americans conducted their games at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the British players were stationed" at the Hotel Cecil, London. Blackbnrne was the only Briton to win, his opponent being Pillsbury. Of the Americans j' Showalter, Barry and Hodges won. The rest of the games were drawn. The score was:— • United States. Gbbat Sextain. Won. Won. H, N. Pillsbury ... 0 J. H. Blackburn©.,. 1 . J. W, Showalter ... 1 H, E. Atkins ... 0 J. F. Barry... ... 1 T. F. Lawrence ... 0 A. B. Hedges ... 1 E. M. Jackson ... 0 E. Hymes * D. Y. Mills... ... i H. G. Yoight ... i N. Jacobs 4 S. P. Johnson ... | C. D. Locock ... | i\ J, Marshall ... J C. E. Wainright ... t ’C. J. Newman ... 4 G. E. Bellingham... D. G. Baird ~ ... f H, W. Trenchard... 4 Total ... ... 6 Total 4 The totals in previous matches were:—lß96 United States, 4i; Great Britain, 31. 1897 —Great Britain, SJ; United States, 4J. 1898—Great Britain, ss; United States, 4). GREAT BRITAIN v. AMERICA. The following game, played the first day of the match, created great interest. The report of it, given below, is from the “Morning Post” game was a subject of much keen discussion during its progress, and it certainly looked almost to the end as if Mr Locock was 'about to score the first victory for Britain. It was anticipated that he would playKtxP on. move 21, since the Knight could not safely be captured by either Rook or Pawn, and again on move 22 it was thought that he might have obtained an overwhelming attack by Kt R 5, and, if then Q Kt 5, R Q 8. Mr Locock, however, was disturbed by the many distracting influences that are inseparable from such an occasion, and failed to do justice to his exceptional skill. His final error was in overlooking the remarkably pretty combination which was . pointed out by an amateur in the room, 28 Q xP ch, K R sq; 29 E Q 8. This would have given him a decisive advantage. It was thought after this that Mr Johnson might have won by 30 R x P ch, but it will be observed bn playing over the game that this would have given the "White King a good chance of getting into safety, and in that case the White Pawns would have become dangerous. Game No, 2035. BUY LOPEZ. . (C. D. Locock.) (S. P. Johnson.) WHITE. BLACK. 1 P —K4 IP—K4 2Kt —KBS 3 Kt Q B 3 3 B Kt 5 3 Kt B 3 4 Castles 4 Kt x P 5 P Q 4 " 5 Kt Q 3 6 B x Kt . 6 Kt ? x B 7 P x P 7 Kt -r Kt 2 8 Kt Q 4 8 Kt B 4 9 Kt Q 2 9 B K- 2 10 P —QKti 10 Kt—K3 11 Kt x Kt 11 Q P x Kt 12 Q Kt 4 12 Castles 13 Kt— K 4 13 K K sq 14 E—Qsq 34 Q K sq 15 E Q 3 15 P K B 4 16 P x P e.p. , / 16 P x P 17 Kt Kt 3 17 P—KB 4 18 B Kt 2 oh 18 B B 3 19 B i B ch 19 Ex B • 20 Q B 4 20 E—Bsq 21QE —Q.sq • £3Q-Kt3 22 K. r— Q 8 22 B Kt 2 23 ExEch . 23 li x E 24 Q Q 4 eh 24 K Kt sq 25 QxP 25 P —BS 26 Q x B 26 P x Kt 27 QxP (B 6) 27 Q K 4 28 B Q2 28 Q x P ch. 29 K B sq 29 Q E 8 ch ' 30 K K 2 ' iOPxP 31 Q x P ch 31 K E sq Drawn game. PURITY. Notwithstanding our definitions, which ,we hoped were clear, there still seems to be some confusion in the, minds of a few solvers as to what constitutes a “ pure ” or “ clean ” j mate. In our article on “ Problem Technii calities” on Feb. 1, we said: —“Purity (broadly speaking) is a mating condition in which no square in the King's field is doubly guarded., Being guarded means occupied by a Black piece or comnJanded by a white piece. If, however, a double check bo requisite to the mats, it is, still pure, I though the square on which the King stands he twice attacked. And if the attack of a square on which a, Black piece stands bb necessary to pin the Black piece in order to prevent it from interposing or from captur- ' ing a piece that checks, then a double, guard from this cause does not detract from the purity of the mate." One correspondent writes, in excuse for an erroneous criticism:—“l thought it no detriment to purily for a square in King’.s field to bo occupied by Black as well as attacked by White." Such a square is “doubly guarded,” and the mate is short of purity in consequence) unless it comes within the exception specified in our definition, i.e., when “ pinning ” is, necessary to the mate. Another solver • has doubt in the following case: Black K is on K 4, White Q on Q E sq; White B on Q 8. Is Black’s K B 3 “ doubly guarded”? Yes. The Q does not bear on the square directly, because of the interposition of the K, but the Q prevents the K from moving to KBS, and that is sufficient; and as the Bishop also attacks the square there is a double guard. THE CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP OF AUSTRALASIA. TO THIS EDITOR. Sir, —It is niy intention to retire from the position of chess champion, and a few words in explanation may not be out of place. Prior to my match with Mr Crane, I staled in the “ Daily Telegraph ” (Oct. 2, 1897) that, if successful, it was highly improbable I should ever play to defend the title, and after I had won the. match it was stated in the “Daily Telegraph" of Dec, 7, 1897, that “Mr Jacobsen only played the match to assert his position as an Australian chess authority, and has neither time, inclination nor sufficiently robust health to defend the title. He will also retire shortly from protracted matches, but Mr W. H. Jonas, having so often and earnestly expressed his wish to play for the championship of Australasia, Mr j Jacobsen has decided to play this one match i before retiring." On the conclusion of the ■ ! match with Mr Jonas, it was generally felt : that I could not well retire without first re- ‘ spending to Mr E. N. Wallace’s request for atrial of strength, and accordingly I accepted a challenge from him also. It, transpired that Mr Wallace was not willing to play upon the usual terms, but insisted upon inserting in the deed of rules a clause which would have interfered, with the free admission of the public and have permitted the exclusion of the Press. I objected on principle to what seemed an improper innovation, and after lengthened and fruitless coirespondonco the proposed mutch tell tiuouxii m consequence. I am, thefore, now at liberty to act on my previously announced ; intention, and I herewith take advantage of your widely read columns to inform the public that I have retired from the position of chess , champion ° f AuStraIa I I rL.TACDBSEN. HEMS. A correspondent of the Liverpool “Weekly Mercury ” points out that although chess players may talk of tournaments and escutcheons, and such other knightly terms, ; there'is, as a matter of fact, no “chivalry” I in chess. The' game reminds him of Dar- ! win’s description of a combat between two j large and voracious beetles. “ They did not 1 attack each other’s mail of proof. Each, j with Lis powerful, mandibles, tried to bite

off his enemy’s legs, joint by joint. They . started with eight legs apiece—imagine tha delight of that one which still had six left when the other floundered about with only three, and all three on the same side. The i six-legged beetle just romped around and lopped off his opponent’s three also. Them aa the legless one was dragged off to the larder, what resentment filled his soul, and what despair. Such is modern chess.” Despite all that has been said of Lasker’s “mathematical play,” the Birmingham “Weekly Mercury” declares that no master was ever more ready to seize occasion for dazzling brilliancy. The champion always plays to win, and not to astonish the gallery. But if brilliancy is possible; and if brilliancy will most rapidly effect his end, he can be as brilliant as Morphy,, or even as Aridetssen —the most brilliant player who ever lived. Pillsbury has stated that he is quite willing to play a match or series of games with Janowski, provided he can arrange his engagements satisfactorily- If, a 3 expected, the London international tourney begin in May, there ought to be time at least for a series of games, if not a set match, after Pillsbury has finished his present tour. It goes without saying how much such a contest would interest the chess world, and especially the American section of it. Mr A. F. Mackenzie, wh«sa success, witli first prize and two honourable mentions, m the “ Sydney Morning Herald ” tourney we recently chronicled, has gained further distinction in winning the first prize in a. tournament arranged by the celebrated Bohemian experts. Ho has now\ won about eighty problem honours, and stands in the very front rank of tha world’s composers. It has been said of this last victory that he has “ bearded the Bohemian lions in their own den.” Mr Mackenzie has shown that he is capable of satisfying the requirements of any and every “ school,” and of adapting his c°nipositions to suit the peculiarities of each , and in this characteristic of adaptability ho is unrivalled. . , The Napier Chess Club has expressed a desire to have the next New Zealand Choss Association’s annual tournament held at Tha team, .to ba selected by the Sydney Chess Club to play for New South Wales in the Birthday telegraph match with Victoria will comprise Messrs A. W. Britton, L. S. Orackanthorpe, W. Crane, jnm. G- B- Hall, J. Herman, H. D. Vane and E. N. Wallace. In addition to the seven above named, three others will be selected by competition play with each other. As no member of the Now South Wales Chess Association will take part in the match, it cannot be regarded as really an intercolonial one; but v. Melbourne would almost be an appmpm.o title for the match. Mr Jacobsen appears to Have been ignored in the matter altogether; and considering his position as the leading player in Australia, this has given nse to much adverse comment.

White, 1; Black, 1. White 2. B — Q 8 Any • Mates

White, i. Black,!. White, 2. B — K Et 6 1. P-Kt5 Q — B 5 eh kc. 1. Kt —QV — J3 ‘6 ch &c. 1. K-K4 Q-B2 kc. Any other Kt — Q 5 dis ch' &c.

Axgo Ml Ml J.H.L Seva , - ... P.C.L. ... Alfordian ... J.L. Power S'.J.G. ... ... ... ... ■R p n B ss B *h o B* sr I OMOOOOC4 « 4 movers CO o M lO M *0 Ml tOtO to © to i-t*. u *-*■ fe 3 movers b MHMHHHUJ CO t-' to fri 05 Ctf to e 2 movers 2 H* tO MJ tO tC fcO *1CJIfl.OrC4U» » Criticisms Os*. Or Ot Cx Ox Zr C5 to o o> c; cooor- » Totals