CHESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9497, 28 April 1894, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHESS.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. ''■ ■:;.::■ ; ".".V" . :.'•> CHESS..' ',:'«' Problem No. 1158.—Correct solutions received from " XXX" and " Nomo." ■ - • DRAUGHTS. Problem No. 735.-Solved by F. W. Brown, Hiku. taia. 1 (Pleased to hear that release from pressing business enables you to resume solutions of problems appearing in this column.) SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 1158. White. Black. 1 Q to Kt7 * PROBLEM No. 1160. (By A. F. Mackenzie, Kingston, Jamaica. Motto : "The Marble Heart") Black, 14.

White, 8. White to play and mate in three moves. The above was awarded the first prize in the three-mover section of the New York Staats-Zeitung international problem tournament. THE WORLDS CHAMPIONSHIP. v W. BTEIMTZ V. TUSKER. The doings of these two renowned chess experts— the conquering young German and the hitherto unconquered Bohemian -are likely to find a prominent place in chess columns for some time to come. The great match— which doubts were expressed of its ever taking place— now an accomplished fact. Articles of agreement were signed on March 3 in the presence of Dr. E. W. Dahl, and the stakes of 2()00dols a-side deposited in due time in the hands of "r. de M. Mailor, president of the Montreal Chess Club. The time limit was fixed at fifteen moves an hour. Throe or four games were to be played weekly. The player who first scores ten points (draws not counting), will win the match, the 4000dols, and the world's championship. The contest commenced in New York on March 15. Tickets of admission to the afternoon and evening sitting cost Idol, and season tickets sdols. After one of the contestants has scored four wins the match will be continued in Philadelphia, and finished at the Montreal Chess Club. Up to March 27 five games had been got through. Lasker's friends and backers wer- jubilant when he won the first game (a Buy Lopez) in fine style. Steinitz adopted his favourite defence 3 . . . P-Q3, and followed the same course in the third game, which he also lost. The Times-Democrat says that "Lasker, when in New Orleans last year, stated that he would undertake to demonstrate that this defence, with the best play, can yield the second player no more than a draw, and that only with extreme difficulty," and Steinitz appears inclined to give him an opportunity to prove his case. The following is the result of the five games played, Lasker having the more in the first and every alternative game :— Game I.—Buy Lopez ... .. Won by Lasker „ ir.—Buy Lopez Steinitz „ lII.— Lopez .. .. „ Lasker „ Ouiocco Piano .. „ Steinitz „ V.- Ruy Lopez .. .. Drawn. Appended are two of the games taken from the Chicago Times:— First Game.— Ruy Lopez. White, E. Lasker; Black, W. Steinitz. Commenced March 15, adjourned at White's fiftyfirst move (sealed), and finished March 10. Duration, (J hours 50 minutes. 1 P-K4 P-K4 32 QxQ ch KxQ 2 KKt-B3 QKt-B3 33 P-KKt4 B-Kt3 3 B-lUS P-Q3 34 PxP PxP (k) 4 P-Q4 B-Q2 35 Kt-Kt3 H-K6 5 Kt-B3 KKt-K2(a) 38 KR-B «q KR-K4 6 B-QlU(b) KtxP 37Kt-Bsq 15-B2 7 KtxKt PxKt 38 IU-Q3 R-KU 8 QxP Kt-B3 30 Kt-KU QR-K4 9 y-K3 Kt-K4 (c) 40 K-Q4 B-Kt3 10 B-Kt3 P-QB3(d) *1 RxP ch K-Ktsq(l) 11 Q-Kt3 Kt-Kt3 42 Kt-Q3 R-K7 12P-KR4I B-K3(e) 43 R-Q B-K6 13 Bxß Pxß 44 R-Kt4 P-QKt3 14 B-Kts B-K2 46 R-R4 P-R4 15 Castles (f) P-K4 (g) 4-1 P-Kt4 ! P-Q5 168-K3 Castles (h) 47 P-QH4I B-Q7 17 Kt-K2 R-B2 48 P-Kts B-B6 (m) IS P-R5 Kt-B5 (i) 49 K-KKt sq ! R-Q7„ 19 BxKt Pxß 50 P-KB4 RxKKtP 20 Q-B3 Q-R4 (n) 21 K-Kt sq Q-K4 61 RxR RxKt 22 Kt-Q4 B-B3 52 P-QBS! R-K6 23 P-B3 R-K 53 R-QB4 P-Q6 24 KK-K sq B-Q sq 54 R-KKt sq P-Q7 25 Q-Kt4 B-B2 65 R-Q sq PxP 28 Kt-B3 Q-B3 56 P-Kttl B-Q5 (o) 27 Kt-Q2 KR-K2 57 P-Kt7 R-K sq 28 P-B3 P-Q4 58 K-B2 R-QKt sq 29 R-Rsq R-K4(j) I£9 R-QKt sq K-B2 30 P-KK63 R-K 14 60 R-QR4 Reigns. 31 Q-Q7 Q-B2 ? I 2h. 55m. 3h. 55m. (a) If the game can be taken as a criterion, thfci move Is unsatisfactory. We would prefer this Kt at 83, though the " Handbuch," which treats the j move in two variations, dismisses both as lightly I favourable for White. KtxP and the consequential reduction of forces is perhaps as good as anything. (b) Apparently a good move, attacking the KBP, ] now very weak, and threatening Kt-Kts. Forcing Black's Kt to retreat by P-Qr. avails nothing. The loss of time is fully offset by the weak position of White's K and Q pawns which can be made the objective point of an attack by Black. (c) This sally of the Kt does not turn out well. ; We would prefor B-K2, though 10 Kt-Q5, Castles ; 11 Ktxß ch leaves White with two B's for B and Kt (d) 'Phis leaves the OP weak. In the third game White plays B-K3 at this point. (e) Intending to retreat the Kt-Q2 via K4 if attacked by White's pawns. (f) Again attacking the weak QP and threatening to win it by Bxß, Qxß (if KxlJ, P-R5!), Qor RxP, etc. (g) Bxß ch would open the R file for White and if P-Qi; 10 Bxß, Qxß; 17 PxP, BPxP; 18 KtxP, etc. (h) ff BxP, 17 Q-KU and Black cannot retreat the B without loss owing to RxRP, etc, or QxKt ch, etc., while White cm soon drive Hw«y the B. And if BxP, 17 Q-Kt4, Castles ; 18 Q-K0 ch, etc. (i) This gives Black another weak P, but Kt-B sq would have been quite unsatisfactory also owing to P-KB4 with a powerful attack. (<) Though PxP, permitting the Kt to ocuupy K4, looks objectionable, it was perhaps bettor than the line of play adopted. (k) RxP certainly is much better, and ought to give Black fair drawing chances. (1) Here we would have preferred K-K2 to enable him to go to either wing. (m) R-Kt7 was necessary to avoid the loss of the exchange. (n) RxQKtP ch is little better. (o) If B-Kt6, 67 P-R3. followed by P-Kt7 and RxQP. Second Game.— Lopez. White, W. Steinitz ; Black, E. Lasker. Played March 19. Duration, 4 hours 15 minutes. 1 P-K4 P-K4 23 P-Kt6 KtxKtP 2 KKt-B3 QKt-B3 24 PxKt BxP 3 B-Kts Kt-B3 25 R-KKt sq P-K5 (0 4 P-Q3 P-Q3 . 20 PxP K-K2 <£) 6 P-B3 B-Q2 27 Rxß! KxR 0 B-R4 P-KKta 23 Q-B5 ch K-B2 7 QKI-Q2 B-Kt2 29 QxP ch K-Kt sq 8 Kt-B4 Castles 30 QxKt Q-K4 . 9 Kt-K3 (a) Kt-K2 31 B-K3 P-R3 10 B-Kt3 P-B3 32 P-R4 KR-K sq 11 P-KR4 Q-B2 33 PxP Rl*xP 12 Kt-Kts P-Q4 34 QxQ RxQ 13 P-B3 Qlt-Qsq 35 R-R0 R-QB sq 14 P-KKtl PxP(?) 36 Kt-Kt4 R-K2 . 15 BPxP P-KR3 37 B-B5 R-K sq 16 Q-B3 (b) B-K sq (c) 33 Kt-K3 B-B sq 17 B-B2 Kt-Q2 39 B-Q4 K-B2 18 Kt-R3 Kt-QB4 40 P-R5 B-K2 19 Kt-B2 P-QKU(d) 41 B-Kt3 ch K-B sq 20 P-Kts P-KR4 42 Kt-B5 Resigns. 21 Kt-B5 (e) PxKt 2h. 10m. 2h. sm. 22 PxP P-B3 A game of forty-two moves in which one of the kings made no move is a curiosity. (a) In the " Modern Chess Instructor" Mr. Steinitz breaks off this variation here as in favour of White, owing to the greater freedom of his pieces. (b) A very fine tender of a piece. (c) PxKt is disastrous, q.v: PxKt; 17 PxP, Kt-R2 ; 18 Kt-85, KtxKt; 19 PxKt and Black has no defence against the threatened Q-R3. ' (d) Black's choice of moves is limited. We believe that it would have been safe to free his game by the bold counter attack of P-KB4; 20 KtPxP, PxP ;21 PxP, B-Kt3 ;22 P-Kt4, Kt-R3; 23 B-Kt:< ch, K-Rsq ; 24 B-Kl), BxP; 26 Ktxß, KtxKt; 26 BxKt, Q-82, with a good game. (e) Another brilliant stroke ! (f) This does not improve matters, but in any case White's game is now much superior. fej A serious blunder which loses a piece, (h) Winning is now only a question of time, and White accomplishes it in masterly style. At the Auckland Chess Club the play-off between Messrs. White, Bruce, and Hosking, who made even points in the sealed handicap tourney, resulted in a drawn game between the first two, and both players won from Mr. Hosking. This, of course, necessitates another tussle between Messrs. White and Bruce. Mr. White conceded pawn and move to his opponents. The Ponsonby Chess Club, at its meeting on Monday last, decided by a large majority that the forthcoming tourney should be conducted under the principle of giving odds instead of level playing with a sealed handicap of points.