CHESS COLUMN. NOTES ON SCIENCE, MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9154, 8 September 1888, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHESS COLUMN.

NOTES ON SCIENCE, MECHANICAL INVENTIONS, ETC.

| ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. H. Carpenter.—Upon further examination you will And the position to be correct. Correct solutions received.-problem No. 838 Otto Wolter (Htintly), W. B. Clark (Hawera), Problem No. 839, Otto Woiwr -Problem No. 840, Otto Wolter (Huntly), Hugh C. ". bcott, Pioblem No. 841 ; M.J.M. (Mount K<len)and G. Lewell stand alone as'solvers of this enigma. SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 839. White. Black. X r to Q 4 P takes B (a) (*>) 2Ktto Q 3 . , Any 3 Q mates accordingly (a) 1 _ K takes Kb 2 O to K stj _ Any 8 Q mates accordingly (b) 1 _ J> to K 5 2 Kt takes P ch K to K i 3 Q to B 6 ch ■ mate SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 840. White. Buck. 1 B to 1} 6 Any move 2 Mates accordingly PROBLEM No. 842. (By Mrs. T. B. Rowland.—First prize two-mover in the Third Problem Tourney of the Dublin Warder. Competition restricted to Irish composers.) Black.

From the Australasian of August we clip the following game played in 1877, between Dr. Zukertort and Mr. S—, Mr. S— receiving the odds of the Queen's Knight. (Score from the British Chess Magazine for July, which journal acknowledges that the game is taken from the Field of November' 24, 1877.) Remove White Queen's Knight. Lopez Gambit. White. Black. Dr. Zukertort. Mr. B—. 1 P to K 4 P to 4 2Bto B 4 Kt to K 3 2 Q to K 2 B to B 4 (&) 4 1' to B 4 P to <} 8 5 Kt to 15 S Kt to It 2 6 P to B 3 P takes P (b) 7 P to Q 4 B to Kt 3 S Q B takes P Castles 9 Castles (Q Ii) P to K It 3 10 P to K 5 Kt to R 2 11 I 1 to K R 3 P takes P 12 P takes P 0 to K 2 13 Q to K 4 B to K S 14 B to OS' P to B 4 15 Q to K 2 Q to B 4 16 U R to B sq (c) P to Q R 4 IT K to Kt sq P to It 5 18 Q to Q B 2 P to R 8 19 P to Q Kt 3 B to R 4 20 B to Q 2 Kt takes P(d) 21 Kt takes Kt Q takes Kt £2 K R to K sq (} to B 3 23 R takes B Q to R 5 24 B takes BP Kt to Kt 4 25 R to K Kt 6 Q R to K sq 26 P to K Kt 6 It to K 4 •27 P to lit 4 B to Kt 3 23 B takes Kt P takes B 29 Q to Kt 3 cb K to R sq Black. Mr. S.

White. Dr. Zukertort. 30 Q to B 7 (e) It to K Kt sq 31 y takes P ch R takes Q 32 R to y 8 ch K to R 2 33 Ii to R 6 double ch K takes R. And White mates in two moves. Notes. (a) Not so good as 3. . . Kt to 83. (b) A weak move. (c) Obviously necessary to prevent the exchange of the Queen at B 7. (d) Overlooking the pin if he takes the R at move 23. He now loses a piece, (c) A most beautiful finish. If 30. . . . R takes Q, then 31 Rto Q 8 ch, and the mate is forced as in the text.

Mount Eden v. Ponsonby.—A match between these clubs took place at the rooms of the Chess Association during the evening of Thursday last, ten players aside, representing the flower of either club's strength, meeting their opponents over the boards. The Mount Eden Club continued its career of victories by defeating the Ponsonby team by 5 to 3.

The hon. sec. of the Ponsonby Chess Club is endeavouring to arrange with the hon. sec. of the Auckland Chess Club to increase the number of players to take part in the return match between these clubs. The former is desirous of playing thirty players aside or not less than twenty-four. This is telling evidence of the steady growth of chess in Auckland, and the larger number would indeed be an array of players but seldom opposed to one another in an ordinary inter-club chess match.

Several games have been played in the Auckland Chess Club Handicap, wherein the twenty-four players competing have been divided into two sections ; but it is, of course, too early to predict from the form of any individual member any probable result. It appears, however, to be generally considered that the first-class players nave been treated with too great a leniency, a deduction which may not, however, be proved correct. In the Mount Eden Handicap the finish is extremely close, there being no less than five players, with but one or two games to complete their score, who may be ranged amongst the two winners of a prize. This is consolation to Mr. Brockelbank /or the somewhat early criticism of his weights in the present Auckland Handicap, which criticising may, however, be later proved very superficial. The art of properly handicapping for a chess tournament requires so much precision, and is so totally different to that called forth by any other sport or game, that to the impetuous many it becomes unreasonable and absurd when it reaches the closer to correctness. It is the careful and deliberate blending of the total probabilities of success of each competitor in a separate, encounter with every other player, where styles and peculiarities of play have to be considered in an average with all they may meet, and where each separate player's temperament over an exextended period requires consideration and assumes weight. Where the result is close and determined it is evidence of care and precision on the part of the chess-handi-capper far in advance of that for which credit is usually given. The death of two distinguished artists is announced in the Times—M. Rajon and Dr. Zukertort of whom have passed away at the comparatively early age of forty-six. The decease of the great French etcher in the full maturity of his powers is almost a calamity for art. We shall have no more of those wonderful reproductions of portraits in which Rajon stood supreme among his contemporaries. It may seem profane to mention Dr. Zukertorb in connection with this master of dexterous manipulation and unerring workmanship. Chessplayers, however, will not think so. Those who have watched him in his best days and noted the extraordinary powers of memory, imagination, and calculation which he brought to bear, find it difficult to speak too highly of his ability. To what is somewhat absurdly called a " game," Dr. Zukertort devoted talents of a really remarkable kind.—St. James' Gazette.

British Chess Club Handicap.—The following is the final result cf this event— Messrs. Gunsberg and Blackburne have arranged to divide first and second prizes. Score, 11 wins each. Messrs. Bird, Wainright, and relations of Zukertort divide third, fourth, and fifth prizes. Score, 10 wins each. Messrs. Gattie and Pollock divide sixth prize. Score, 8J wins each. Glasgow Weekly Herald.

The committee of the Auckland Chess Association has requested Mr. W. A. Ridings, who is now resident in Christchurch, to represent the Association at the drawing to take place at the Canterbury Chess Club on October 27 in connection with the pro posed New Zealand Championship Tourney. This date appears to leave too short a time for the programme to be fairly discussed prior to the holding of the tournament in the usual mid-summer holidays, and may deprive the club receiving the honour of organising the first tournament under this scheme of the opportunity of doing full justice to the occasion. It would, however, be a distinct step of retrogression to postpone the holding of the first of these meetings for a whole year, however desirable ib may be that the initiatory tournament should be strongly marked by success. But whatever the details in connection therewith may eventually be, it ia imperative that time should be held most precious by those upon whom the arrangements of the meeting may devolve, and that the utmost, efforts of these should be expended to make the occasion worthy of record in the future history of New Zealand chess.

*,* Communication."! for the Kditor of this column must be addressed "Chess," P.O. Box 191, Auckland.