CHESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11346, 14 April 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHESS.

SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 1618. ; WHITE. . BLACK. IK-Bsq ■"* . , . ;■;'• SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 1619. . WHITE. ' BLACK. 1 K-K2 B M Ktxlt 2H-Kl4dis. cb. Kmovts 3 15-02. mato K-KBfi 2 Q-QKtB ch K moves 3 Q-K5, mate ' Kt-Ktt 2 B-Q8 (lis. eh Kt, interposes or K motes 3 B-B7 mate P-Bl 2 Q-Kt cb K moves 3 Mates P-Kt9 2 Q-Q7 Any 3 Mates PROBLEM No, 1622. (By C. V. BERRY. First prize Reading Observer Tourney.) Black, 10.

White. 9. White mates In two moves. PROBLEM No. 1623. (By W. A. SHINKMAN.) BLACK. 8.

White, 8. White to play and mate in three moves. NEW ZEALAND CHESS CONGRESS. The New Zealand Mail of April 5 reports that matters in connection with the forthcoming congress, to lie held at Wellington during the Easter holidays, are receiving every attention. It has been decided that play shall commence on Saturday, the Will instant; that the hours of play shall he from 10 to 12.45 in the morning;, 2.30 to 5.45 in the afternoon, and 7.30 to 10.30 in the evening. It is expected, however, that there will be but little need for play during the evening session, as only one game per day has to he got through. The usual prizes will he allotted, though what their value shall he is not yet deckled, As at present advised the following are practically sure to take part in the congress:— Chens Club, Messrs. Mason and Still; Wellington Working .Men's Club Chess Club, Messrs. Barnes and Brown; Palmerston North Chess Club. Mr. Eliot; jfastcrton Chess Club, Mr, F. Rummer; Dunedin Chess Club, Mr, R. A. Cleland; Auckland Chess Club, Mr. J. C. flrierson. There will likely be no entries from the Canterbury Chess Club, which will bo much regretted. Tiro committee of the Wellington Working Men's Club have kindly given permission for the trainos to be played in the large hall of that institution. A SHORT " EVANS."

The following game was played in the Pillsbury National Correspondence Tourney, and calls for especial attention from the fact that it presents the unusual feature (for a correspondence game) of an announced mate at tho end of only 15 moves. Evans gambit. White. 0. Somerville, Tuscaloosa; Black, 0. E. Wigger, Nashville. White. Black. White. Black, 1 P-IO V-KI I S Kt-Ktfi V-();(l.) 2 lU-KB.I Kt-QB2 | » PxP KICtxP 3 R 111 It 111 la KtxUP KxKfc 4 P-QKU I'.xP 111 0-1!3.1i K-K3 SP-l!.i I! 11l |I2R-Ksq KtxQP(c) li P-Qi P-();i llSßxPfll KxR 7 Castles KKI-K2 14 PxKbcll KxP (il) (a)|l6BxKt Qxll(e) And While announced mate in six moves. (a) Once, known as the Mead Defence, but long obsolete. It permits an immediate and dangerous attack. (I)) (if course not castles, because 9 0 to Ii 5 would give White an irresistible attack. (c) Very much better seems P to Q Kt 4 first, followed by tho test move. (d) If K to K 3, then 15 0 to K 4 eh, K to 11 3. 16 li takes Kt, and Black has no resource. (e) black's game is irretrievable. If here R to K so. 16 1! to Kt 2 eh, K to 1) 4, 17 B to It 3 eh, K to Q 5. 18 Kt to I! 3. B takes Kt, 19 It to () mi eh. K to K 4, 20 Q takes 11 ch, and wins easily. Black's sixth move is not a good defence. P lakes 1' is 'he move. THE MATCH BY CABLE. The Pan Francisco Chronicle reports that all arrangements had been made for the fifth annual cable chess match between Great Britain and America, which was to take place on March 24 and 25. Tho Brooklyn Chess Club, under whose auspices tho American end of the match was to be contested, had again secured the assembly rooms of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, while the Britishers were to conduct their game at the Cafe Monico, London. Tho details are almost identical with those of former occasions. The British Chess Club, which is the directing organisation of tho London end of the match, has been so sure of victory that it proposed to abolish the office of an adjudicator on the unfinished games. These matches are played for the possession of a €200 trophy donated by Sir George Newnes, president of the British Chess Club, London. To hold the tropin' permanently a team must win it three times. So far each team has won the trophy twice. The teams were to he made nn as follows: —

America: S. W. Hamilton. J. F. Curry, E. Detraar, E. B. Hodges, E. Ilvins. F. J. Marshall, C. P. Newman, 11. N. Pillshury, ,T. W. Plum-alter, If. (I. Voipht. Umpire at London, L. Holler.

Great Britain: H. K. Atkins. O. E. Bellingbam. J. H. Blackburn, E. M. Jackson. 11. Jacobs, T. F. Lawrence. F. J. Lee. O. Mills, 11. W. Trenchard. W, W. Ward. Umpire at Brooklyn, W. P. Shipley.

STEINITZ IN AN INSANE ASYLUM. Steinilz, the great master of chess, is in an insane asvlum. Because of this fact, from many sides comes the old charge that insanity is closely allied to chess. We are told that Paul Morphy went insane on account of his chess-playing, and now comes Steinitz, for so" many years tho unbeaten champion of the world. .Some time ago, the New Orleans Times-Democrat produced evidence to prove that chess was not in any sense the cause of Paul Jlorphy's insanity. The Brooklyn Eagle says tint " it is more than likely that extreme poverty was largely responsible for the present condition of the famous old expert." The physicians report favourably on the master's case, and promise a speedy and complete recovery. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer says: "It has been asserted that great chess-players, like great wits, arc oft to madness close allied. No doubt the tremendous strain upon the mind involved in playing the gamo in its highest, degree of excellence such as is required in the world's tournaments, would wreck any but brains abnormally developed along these lines. Certainly no game known to man puts such a tremendous strain upon the mind. And yet the recorded cases of actual insanity among chess-players have been few."

Dr. Louis Colin, the vice-president'of the Manhattan Clicks Chili, is receiving subscriptions to the fund for the benefit of the family of Mr. Pleinitz, to which the club just named will contribute at least the sum of .£6O. At present the German Press Club, of which the ox-champion was a member in good standing; will contribute for 13 consecutive weeks for the sunnort of the family a sum in accordance with the constitution of the club.

Mr. Pillsbury has announced his intention to play in tho near future 20 simultaneous blindfold games, and thus distance all previous performances in this line. Eight masters played for the New Vet State championship on Washington's birthday, viz., D. G. Paird, E. Dclmar. J. M, Hanham. E. W. Libaire, O. H. Koehler, V. J. Marshall, O. Rooting, and 11. Zirn. The result was a tie for first and second prizes between Marshall and Paird, and Hnnbam and Zirn received third and fourth prizes, resnoctivclv. In the play-off for first place Marshall'beat Baird. A match, Natives v. Elsewhere-horn, was contested at the Molbonrnc Chess Club on the 19th March. There were 13 players a-side, and the Natives won by 7 wins, 1 draw, to 5 wins, 1 draw. \ .... Emanuel Lusher, the chess champion of tho world, has submitted a mathematical treatise, and secured a chair in .tho Erltuisen University,