CHESS COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9124, 4 August 1888, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHESS COLUMN.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. G. Lewki,l.—Yes, on Saturdays. Your contributions will bo very welcome.

Only four solutions have been sent in of the No. 1 in last week's impression, two of which are partially faulty. Neither A.O. or G.L. play best for Black. Correct solution : W. Munro arid J.H.

PROBLEM No. 2. (By J. W. Abbott.) Black, 4.

White, 7 White to play and mate in two moves

LOCAL ITEMS.

On Thursday next nine players from the Mount Eden Chess Club are to meet a like number from the Devonport Chess Club over the board, as is usual, at the rooms of the Auckland Chess Association. —It is proposed to hold " -matches" on the plan much favoured down South by the Canterbury Chess Club, and one which will probably become very popular here. About twenty players aside is mentioned as the number likely to play in the first match shortly to be held, the date not yet being fixed, on account of the continuous inter-club play which is occupying so many of the Thursday evenings.—The honorary secretary of the Chess Association has received a copy of the resolutions recently adopted by the Canterbury Chess Club with reference to an annual championship tournament, to be hold in rotation in the following four cities, viz.: Auckland, Christehurch, lhinedin, and Wellington. It is intended that, the order be decided by lot, the drawing to take place at he Canterbury Chess Club on the '2nd October, in the presence of nominees of the other centres. The committee of the Canterbury Club are stepping forward in the right direction ; for indeed it seems difficult to advance sufficient reason in support of the contention that chess should be more backward in inter-provincial rivalry than any other pastime. Are chess-players in combination possessed of less energy than a football union, a boating club, or a rifle team, that of all pastimes it should stand the least prominent'.' The only requisite is the initiation of some forward step ; and the Canterbury Club deserve the thanks and the support of all the players who recognise their own benefit in the general advancement of the game.—The Auckland- match, 19 players aside, resulted in a very decided victory to Auckland by 12 A to tii. Fuller particulars will be given in our next impression.

The annual meeting of the Wellington Chess Club was held at the beginning of last month. The annual report, stated that the club room had been open 104 nights, as against '2S nights in the previous session. The membership was 4S, of whom IS were elected during the year. The report having been adopted, and the officers and committee for the current year having been elected, a letter was read from Messrs. Brook and Co. offering a silver medal to be competed for by members of the club. It was decided to accept this offer.

During Baron Heydebrand's recent visit to the Havana he was robbed of his watch anil chain. The stolen property was afterwards recovered by the police. Great indignation is expressed in El Sport, the local chess journal, at the breach of hospitality of which HerrHeydebrand has had! to complain. At the same time the thief is condoled with because of bis having been tumble to retain a memento of the great chess-player's short stay in Cuba. Prince Amadeus, the ex-King of Spain, is President of the Turin Chess Club.

I'rince Tomaso, Duke of (-1 enon, has been elected a honorary member of the Turin Chest' Club. The game below, taken from, the Australasian, was played in the recent Divan Tourney, which was won by Mr. Gunzberg. French Defence. White. Black. Mr. Pollock. Mr J. K. Lee. 1 P to K 4 P to K :: 2 Kt tu(J K 3 P to Q 4 3 Kt to 15 3 (a) Kt to K R'> (b) 4 P to K 5 K Kt to Q ~1 5 P to y Kt3 (e) P. to K 2 ii 1> to Kt:! P to y it 7 litolj3(ii) Pto 1.1 15 t 5 Castles Kt to y li 3 0 q tiiKJ Kt to Kt 5 10 tj It to K sq Castles HP toy £13 Kt takes I? 12 1} takes Kt P to Q Kt 4 (e) 13 Kt to K 2 Kt to Kt 3 (f) 14 Kt to Kt 3 15 to y 2 15 K to R Sij I' to q II 4 1(> Kt to Kt sq Pto It (t;) 17 P to K 114 P to Kt :> (h) 18 Kt to Its 1> takes P Hi I* takes P P to 1J 5 20 Q to K 3 P tak \s P

Black

White. 21 Pto 5 (i) Kl> takes I> (j) 22 O to It 6 (k) Bio K :t 23 It takes 1' I i takes R (|) 24 Kt takes B 1' takes Kt 25 II to K:i (in) II t<, K (M ) 26 1' to K tj It to K Kt :> 27 Kt to Kt 5 (o) It takt s Kt •28 R to II 3

And Black resigns. Notks (From the Field ami t he Chess Monthly). (a) The usual continuation here is 3Pto q 4 Kt to K 3 •1 B to Kt ."> B to K 2 5 B takes Kt B takes B 6 Kt to 15 .'! (h) At this point 3 . . . . PtoQ B 4 might be suggested as the best move. (c; An unusual development. Possibly, says the Field, a preconceived plan. (d)Still more eccentric, and not advisable with the QKtat i! :!. The move was played by Rosenthal against l)e Vere at the Paris tournament of l.stiT, on which occasion l)n Vere won the game in brilliant style by sacrificing a piece. (e) If now Black had played 12 . . . Ptoß 4, the reply would have been - 13 P takes I' en pass Kt takes P 14 Kt to K Kt 5 to (,) 3 followed by If, Kt to Kt 5, and It) I', takes Kt, with a winning game. Black having a favour,tble position on the King's side, might,, however, have secured his King's position with 12 . . . 1} to K si(. l.'i Kt to BS|,to be followed by 14 . . ]> ( l o |j •; or i' to Ji 4 according to circumstances. ' (f) Much preferable would have been 1;: Ptolt 4. It White had not taken en u-in.<ant, both his queen and Bishop would have be. out of'plav, and if 14 P takes P, then 14 . . .1; lakes }', with the better game. (g) Here, again, If, . . .p to B 4 would have been much more forcible. (Ii) This move is to be condemned on principle. Tn this instance it creates a weakness, of which .Mr. Pollock ingeniously took advantage. Tile nro'oer move would still have been 17 . . . pto li-l (i) The beginning of a combination, the conception M which is worthy of any of the great mast-rs the only defect being th« omission ot a preparatory move, which leaves a flaw in one of the Jinks of the chain of the variation, and the whole <>ro'vin" no stronger than its weakest point. ' " (j) If 21 Kt to I; 5, White wins as follows 22 Q to It 6 11 to K s,, ( X 23 I' takes Kt P B P takes P 24 II to B 7, etc. (x) 22 — KP takes P 23 P to li 0 Kt takes B 24 R takes P followed by 25 It to R 5, or 25 Kt, to R s. (k) Premature. White's proper continuation is 22 Bto 4, which would have prevented Black from adopting, in answer to 26 P to K £>, the reulv2s P to Q 5. (1) Otherwise White plays 24 R to R 5. (in) White now changes his tactics, and brings about a brilliant termination. " (n) A defence which nine out of ten players would have chosen under the circumstances Faulty nevertheless, as is shown by White's magnificent finish. Black's only satisfactory defence was 25 • . K to Bsq, as was shown by Dr. Zukertorfc after the conclusion of the game. (o) A masterpiece, and so is the whole ending. j Although this pretty termination is somewhat invalidated through the omission pointed out on the part of White, it is almost gratifying from an artistic point of view, that Black did not find the right defence. *.* Communications for the Editor of this column must bo addressed "Chess," P.O. Box 191 Auckland. '