CHESS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12242, 30 June 1900, Page 4

CHESS.

ar ML TtTiACKB'C'SiNEj Choas Bfiitcr, : “Lyttdtwn Tjraaa."' Hn ■flAnur P.O. Bos 173, . COiriafiiolrnrclL, New Zealand*

v NOTICES. Jana SO, 0900. _ ■ On* week afire receiving the problems is ■Slowed for doing solutions and criticisms. Ifciileiaca of problem® most nob exceed thirty, Wa heartily commend to «mr readers the “British Chess Magazine,” which k published a* 8s a year, postage free, at 38, Park Cross Street, Leeds. England.

l JUBILEE PROBLEM TOURNEY. 1 Problems intended for entry in the second gpurter of this tonmey must reach ns on pc Wore Jrtnp 30.

. CORRESPONDENCE. GE.W.—Ypar altered criticisms of Nps. 173# and 1757 ajca too Me.

PEOBLEM. NO. 1768. > JJo. IS la Onr JaHlee Tourney. | Motto “Fortune favours the brave. * BLACK

WHITE. ' ilßt,lPkt2npP,2kts.lP2fcKlp 1, 1 Q |hapß.4p3,4KtlPl,4S:3. \ white to plaj and mate in throe mores.

PBOBIiKSI No. 1763. BJtiCK. V W

WHITE. • ■ f, 3Kt 3 kt, 3E kt 3,4 B 181,4 kIP q, 4 r 3, X |CtJ»Pj»IPI,II(IbS2Q. White tp play and mate in twomcnres. ; (Solutions and onticisass will appear on July 21.) SOLUTIONS. - ■ ppabiem No- 1753 He. 11 in our Jubilee Tour ur. Motto: ‘’Pestin*U«te” (two moves).—lß X Tkt3,3P4,2klpS i aiM J IS6, 3 Kt 4 B, 6, 4 *S.

; SOLVERS AND THEIR CRITICISMS. / PROBLEM No. 175 a U jj£ owf Jubilee Tourney. Motto; “ Fes- j tiM iiatM.” Two moves. Key Kt R 4. ! Triifj key; qtcrificing R; no pufe or ecof ' MtKnßtl>:mtKtej strategy fair; variety small : f Alfeedian, Christchurch.— Good key, ! ■ •*brtfioioe Ei; no pure or economical mate; ' i jriatty mate after K s R; dual after P —• K ■'■ 1, 4 560) G, H. Rodmell, ChiMtchuxch,7- Fairly : " gtted, though not difficult, key;‘nc>-pure or S‘«nomi«*l mate; dual (50) Argo, Maori Pah, uapoL— A good first move, not interfering ; wife Black K’a movement; mates not pure j i 1 jr 'Qcoooixucibl (75) Tertrua, Kaiapon— Key, . ' I /eecriftcing E and giving flight square, fair; JK ' V '99 port cr economical mate (70) F.CJU, Or-] f \ iMewk Gisborne. —) A fair problem, with fait ' Twiaforf 1 (67) SR., Lincoln Road.— Easy neat tries,prettily defended; indifferent j ( -; merit; no ma;,o pure or economical; rather ', awkward dual (45) J. L. Power, Wharau, ■. Cwterica.— Key lair; four pretty mates; ‘ none pure or economical (70) G.F.W., Sprey1. don,— Fair key, permitting Black K to captore E; variety good for force employed; ; ' three pieces being en prise point to their not ' moving for the key (73) F. Woodford, Lin- > wood. ' NOTE. ~ To Tsrtius.—Thefact that all the White major piaces are wanted for some mate is hardly worthy., of remark, as this ia only a compliance with one of the first principles of J construction- When you find the contrary, <’ which will be very seldom, that will be | ground lor adverse criticism. PROBLEM No. 1759. By L. P. Bees, England. Three moves. Key ; Q Q E B. Key sacrifices both Kts and . j gives two additional flight squares; Q’s long.■'i stop dance on .811 rank delightful; two eco- ’ nomical and three pure mates; one being both pore and economical (83) Alfordian.— ■ Good and-rather difficult key; a good pro- * blcm; there are two economical mates, one I. of .winch is pure; three pure mates alto- | gather (70) Argo.— Excellent first move; 1 ; variations tame, except fox P B 4, when f there is a perplexing move of Kt to discover ,(75) Tertius.— Key, sacrificing two Kts and giving two. exara flight squares, very good; ? well constructed; King’s liberty and economy l good (92) F.C.li.- A fine problem; good : key and strategy ; some pure mates (82) S.S. 1 Deeply hidden key; masterly and complex ; strategy and unity beautifully blended r (96) J. L. ■ Power. — Good quiet key; three » pure mates; Q K 8 and Q Kt 18 are near tries, defeated by P B 4; ho duals ; (85) GJF.W. - NOTES. • To Testius. and Argo.—The dual you suppose after L—~P B 4 ia beautifully slopped by ;; a.....P q-. 4. MR A. E, MACKENZIE ON PROBLEM *. MATTERS, i rri. ! ** units:" v. complexity in two:,L MOVERS. •' la the November and February numbers of ' ih* “ British Chess Magazine," a discussion - .took place botweea Mr Mackenzie and the , 'Problem Editor, Mr B. G. Laws, on this sub- | ■ject. The discussion arose out of some criti<asma by Mr Laws upon Mr Mackenzie's pro- ' .hfern “ Quicksands,'' which won the first prize !l«st y»r in fihs “ Sydney Morning Herald ” | .Two-snpve Problem' Tourney, Mr Laws ex- ] pressed the' opinion that there was “ too much i ■padding, and consequently ‘ fringe,' in this ’■ |pioblem,”. and he proceeded to rnako of it a j 'revised position, “ stripped of some of its questionable embellishments." Commenting 'on his work of reconstruction, Mr Laws said: : , “ In dedng all. this, some composers may ■oonrider w« have plucked petals from the flower, but we are more than ever strongly of 'opinion that Unity is a particular desideratum problems, and if a composer ignores this, •Jw does not do justice to his skill." ! Hr Mackenzie objected to this treatment of his problem, and in answering Mir Laws' critiicims, said:—“ Aon state that Unity is'a parikular desideratum in problems. Of course there can be no possible objection to this; hat if, as your remarks and the accompanying revision would suggest, you would link with ,it strict purity and economy, and uphold the i :practice of the Bohemian and German schools; j .then I venture to say that, however admirably j ’adapted to problems of a heavier calibre, as ! applied to .two-movera the doctrine can only | .have a baneful effect. I do not mean to say j I but that it would be eminently desirable if j ’two-movers could be successfully composed on ;these lines; bn?, I contend that they cannot, ,’and to insist upon theories which are not reasonably practicable is against the best interests of the art." . . .- “ Composing under j ; these circumscribed conditioms would be to ■kill all chances of obtaining desirable origi- ( :Bality." . . . “My lot is cast with those j .composers who, while recognising _ that every! :. fparticular case must be treated with all that j .purity, economy and unity which circumstances yet feel that if reasonable originality ‘and desirable worth are to be obtained; 1 the ! strict observance of those features must bo |held subservient to that wide, comprehensive. > i complexity, which in to be found in the harfmonious blending of different ideas." i Jn reply, Mr Laws wrote: —“ We cannot help 'deploring the fict that two-move composers ; so often over-reach tfeearwlvea in the eudeavour , tq conglomerate in one production excessive i sffssts. >l4 must sot be understood that we | flepqveato piquant, bus unless ,!this,

variety is the natural offspring of the nucleus of the constructed position, there are generally painful traces of strained effort to crowd more into the problem than the board can artistically carry. Whilst we lay great stress upon the subject of economy as understood by firstclass modern composers, we. indulge in a liberal tolerance in its altered aspect when, applied to two-move composition.” . . • /’ Unity is not only a striking but an essential feature in composition, whether in two-mover, threemover, or four-mover.” Mr Laws then proceeds to quote from "The Two-move) Chess Problem,” in which he refers to what ho regards as “ essential requirements in a- problem as “ the union in one position of two or more meritorious ideas, and the, employment of no pieces that, though useful ip the carrying Ljjut of one, are inoperative in. the other®Answering "those remarks, /Mr Mackenzie wrnt'ai —" The principle of/imity of idea, pure I Id Monomdcarmates, together with fewness [ of piece?, in antagonistic to that comprehen- ■ sivo complexity wherein albne we can hope for ' the attainment of reasonable ongmality in ' tbpM' problem (two-movers). You feel the force of thq.oittmtion .as regards purity. Bu. to my mind this, does not' go far enough. In the small compass of two-movers there should i he concentrated strategy, fantastic, sparkling, surprising, something that takes ns for the moment'out pf the ordinary himdruin ofehesaioexisteneci and regales us with spell of it.. In the attainment of this it is sometime? necessary not only to forget for the nonce the charms of purity, but also to look for strict unity through the wroog encl of lhe -telescope,' and to interpret with the utmost sronerositv the law of economy. Bern" in correspondence with Mr Mackenzie, wo° informed him that wo entirely agreed with him in this matter, and in tiie letter which we-received from him lately he remarks;— ‘Tf liras much gratified to learn that you were so thoroughly of my way of thinking m the controversy with Mr Laws. You will be pleased to lewn that I have received similar expressions' from English 1 an. sure the great majority of composers of the. British and American schools share my yews, ' while, of founpe, all the Continentals, and one or two English composers, such as Mr Planck and Mi Frankenstein, are with Mr Laws, and, indeed, are even, less liberal. It is only on this question' that Mr Laws and I differ. In every other rebpect bur views and tastes are wonderfully alike-' 1 - „ , Ty|r Mackenzie’s problem Quicksands and Mr Lwa’ revision of it axe excellent illustrations of the difference between the two methods of construction. The problem was an unusually puzzling one for a two-mover, and its complexity led to numerous deceptive trios.. The “ Sydney Morning Herald” solvers submitted no-less than five false keys. Some credited-the problem with as many as threesolutions, ohe-gave it two, a few pronounced ; xt ’unaolvable, and less than onefeurth of the average number of solvers struck the right key. We feel sure that no such results .would have followed if Mr Laws’ attenuated vfision of -the problem had been submitted for solution‘instead of -the original. Mr Laws’ revision, by the way, had to bo reconstructed later, in consequence of the discovery of two,cooks; but these were afterwards cured,’- and the incident does not affect Mr Laws’ argument. W subject, a few months ago, we expressed ourselves as follows:—”This feature (Unity) is also considered desirable, but [ not' issaettiial, -Jin two-movers. Too - rigid, insis- ’ tmeo on' the principle of the united employment of -all the major pieces in mating would, l-iii tw£>movera,l tend to prevent variety in the mates,, and thus to destroy that amount of complexity which iquat attach to anything Worthy of {ho pome of a problem. The principle -of •'economical mates should, however, always be kept in mind, oven in two-movers, and should be approached as nearly as possible, consistently with duo regard to com- . plezity.” (To bo continued.)

GAME No. 2145. NEW SOUTH WALES v. VICTORIA. “ QUEEN’S PAWN OPENING. WHITE. BIACJt. ’ (Mr F. K. iislins, (Mr G. B Hall, Victoria.) N.S.VV.) IP-Q4 IP-Q4 2P-K3 2 P K 3 38-Q3 3 Kt —K B 3 4 P KE4 4P-QB4 SP-QB3 5 Kt— Q B 3 6 Q KBS (a) 6 P K Kt 3 (b) 7 Kt K2 78-Q2 8 Kt Q 3 8 P x P ic) OKPxP >, 9 Kb K E 4 10 Castles < ' 10 Kt Kt 3 11 Ql-B3 11 B K2 13 Kt— KBS 12 P KB 4 (d) 13 B Q 3 ISR-QBsq 14 KB —Kaq . 14 Castles 15 K Esq 15 Q.— Kuq 10 Kt(K2)-Ktsq 16K-QB2 17QE —Bsq 17 Kt —Q sq 18P-QB4! 18 Px P IOBxQBP , IOK-Bsq 20 Kt K 5 20 B B sq 21 Kt (Kt sq) - B 3 (e) 21 Kt - B 3 22 B B 3 22 KtxKt 23 Kt x Kt 23 Q Q sq(f) 24 Q Q 2 24 B Q 3 (g) 25 P Q 5 25 P x P . 20 Q x P 26 BxKt 27 U x B 27 K—,Q2 28 K (Bsq) Qsq 28 Q B 2 29 ExK ' 29 tj x B 30 y K 7 ik) 30 Keuigns- ; Notes from “ Sydney Daily Telegraph.’* (a) The Queen can hardly do mum damaje on the King’s aide at such an early stage. ,(b) This advance seems ally aa it is nob followed up by B Kt 2. (c) Instead of dissolving the opponent’s weak King’s P, Black might have ventured upon, a Queen’s aide attack by 8 P B 5, 9 P Q Kt 4, etc., with fair prospects of success. t t ‘ (d) This move is also open to question. I (e) White conducts the whole attack in spleni did style, and the manner in which these Knights managed calls for special notice. • (f) 23,._..P Q Kt 4, followed by B Kt : 2, is more promising. i (g) Black seems now unable to prevent the * deadly advance of the Q P. I (h) Mr Ealing’® sound and forcible play m ! Hus game is an instructive lesson in match I tactics. GAME No. 214 G. “y”*"""" (Same Match.) VIENNA OPEiNING. WHITE. BIX CK. (J. 1. Jacobsen, (E, B, Loughran, N.S.W.) Victoria.) 1 P —K4 IP-K4 3 Q Kt B 3 2 K Kt B 3 3 P K B 4 3 P Q 4 4 P s K P 4 Kt x P 5 Kt K B 3 5 B Q Kt 5 6 B K 2 6 Kt - Q B 3 ■ 7 Castles 7 Castles 8 Q K 1 8 B - K Kt 5 I 9 ,P Q 3 9 Kc x Kt i 10 P x Kt 10 B K 2 : 11 P Q 4(a) 11 B K B 4 (b) j 12 B 0 3 12 K x B IS P x B 13 K B I i . 14 Q Kt 3 14 Q Q 3 j 15 It Q Kt 1 15 P Q Kt 3 ! 16 B h. Kts 16 Q B K 1 | 17QB-K1 17 Kt Q 1 18 B x B 18 E x B 19 Kt B 4 19 B K 3 20 Kt— B 5 20 K Kt 3 2iy-B4(c) 21 Kt— K 3 22 B - K 3 22 Q Q 1 (6) j I 23 Q x Q 23 Kt x Q 24 Kt K 7 24 K K 3 • 1 25 Kt X Q P 25 P - Q B 3 I 26 Kt B 4 26 Kt K 3 | 27 E B 3 27 Kt x Kt I 28 B x B 28 P x B i 29 K x Kt 29 K - Kt 2 30 B B S 30 B Q B 1 31 K B 2 31 B B 3 32K-K3 32 P Q Kt 4 33K-K4 33 P-QB4 ; 34 P Q B 4 34 P Q Kt-5 35 P Q 5 35 P x P ch 36PxP 36P-B5 37 B Q Kt 6 37 P Kt 6 38 Px? 38PxP ■39 P Q 6 39 B Q 2 40K-Q5 . , And Mr Longhraa resigned. I Notes from “ Sydney Mail.’ 1 1 (a) A rimilan.phaseiOd ilm Vhmxs*i .WOT^pfas»3

by Mr Jacobsen in his match with Mr Crane. (b) 11 P B3, opening the B file, was better.

(c) White has now great command of the board.

(d) An error which loses either the Q P or the K B P. White plays the ending—in fact, the whole—of the game with unerring, accuracy.

NEW SOUTH THALES CHESS ASSOCIATION.

The reconciliation between the various chess authorities of Sydney and its suburbs will ba a source of great satisfaction to all lovers of the game in Australasia, and even beyond. The New South Wales Chess Association has been reconstituted, and a strong executive has been formed, Mr E. Smith, an old intercolonial player, being president; Messrs Delohery, Briggs, Pietzcfcer and Dr Nash, vice-presidents; Mr F. J. Sommerhoff, honorary secretary. The Council, representing metropolitan and suburban chess, is as follows;—Messrs Crane, Hall, North and Wallis (Sydney Chess Club), Messrs Bracy, Jacobsen, Speckling, Turner (School of Arts), and Messrs Candlish, Lee, Parry and Willmott (the Sydney Suburban Union). Where, however, do clubs, beyond the suburbs coma in?

The question of the championship of New South Wales is now being taken in hand by the Association, which will also control intercolonial chess in that colony. The match, under the new auspices, against Victoria, on the Qnesn’s Birthday, resulted in a draw, each side scoring five games. A NEW CHESS CLUB. A Chess Club has been formed in connection with the Young Men’s Christian Association in Christchurch. The first meeting was held on Thursday evening, June 21, when Mr F. Woodford, who has Mndly undertaken to instruct beginners, was appointed secretary. The club will meet every Thursday evening at eight o’clock. Membership is limited to members and associates of the Y.M.C.A., who are admitted free.

THE PARIS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT. We learn by cable that Lasker, with 14J games, won the first prize. Pilsbury scored 12J, Marshall and Maroczy 12 each, and Burn 11,

WfcifcL. Bliiekl. {/ White 2. W-B4 ■ i.ny. \ Matas accordingly. Problem No. 17S> (By'L, P. Sees. England (three Moves' .«-5 Q 8, 3 p t, 2/p Kt p Ku P1,4 k 3, 8, 8, 3 » 4,4*2. - ■ / 'White 1, JtbsiJcl. Hi White 2. | *-QB8 K :< Kt (B 6) K/t Kt iQb) tf-es Q — K8oh l&c. Q — Kt 8 ch { &c. Q—B5 &c. Kt (116)—K 8 1 &o.