CHESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13325, 3 November 1906, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHESS.

SOLUTION 0* PROBLEM No. 2289. 1 BxKt dis eli-K-Q 5 5 B(K 2)-B 3-Pxß eh 2 Kixß— P-Q 3 (a) 6 K-B>&—PxKt i 3 K-K 6— 4 ..f,V 1 B-Kt—K-Q 4 4 2—l'xP „ , 8 Q-K 5 eh—RxQ mate, (a) H-P-Q4 the male is in seven moves. . PROBLEM No. 2292. (By the late A. F. Mackenzie.) Black, 6.

:■ -. ■• White, 9. jj k7; p2Kt3kt; lpT5; 8; 2P2PIp; 3K3R ; 2PP2pI; 60,1 White to play and mate in three moves. • WORLD'S CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP. The Morning Post."reports that a hitch has occurred iii the, '-arrangements for the proposed match for the world's championship between Lasker and Maroczy. The match was to be for £400. a-side, and £100 was, to be deposited by each competitor on .Tuna 1. Lasker made his deposit in good time, but that of Maroczy has not been forthcoming.- nor has there'been any explaptaion of the delay. In the circumstances it, of course, became very doubtful if the match would begin on October 15, as arranged. Marocssy has no doubt been disappointed by his backers, and the matter may be rectified but if it is not this additional shock to public confidence will make it increasingly difficult to bring about a championship match, even if a suitable candidate should arise. , ' PONSONBY CHESS CLUB. The combined sealed handicap and championship tourney has been concluded, with the result that Mr. M. Fairs wins the championship of the club. Mr. Stewart takes second place, being half a point behind, and the Rev. Fox third, one point- below the winner. Mr. Balhintvne was the "dark horse" of. the sealed handicap, and the allowance of 8 points places him far ahead of the other competitors. Of course in the next tourney he will not. be so ■ kindly treated. Messrs. Heals and Kemp, with a score (with handicap) of 184 each, tied for second place. As is usual in these tourneys a number of games were forfeited through default: in the cases of Messrs. Duder and llurndall it. was unavoidable— the former through illness and the latter by absence from Auckland. To the credit of two or three of the competitors it must he recorded that, though consistent losers, they .played gamely to the end, a sporting spirit one. would wish to be '■ more prevalent. The club-room at the bowling pavilion, will now be needed by the howlers, and the members of lie chess club will in consequence meet at the Leys Institute for practice. The final results of the late tourney are as follow :— • . ■,' , Hep. Won. Lost. ",' : Ballantvne .;. ' .. 8 13 4 Bagnalt 10 1 1& Bryant t 4 3 ' 14 V Clatke 4 101 64 . Cousins .... 2 . . 101 °i .' Duder .„ ... „ 9 1 » $ Fairs ... , 2 If. - 2 . Fox - ... 2 14 3 \ Hurndall -V< ... 4 0 17 ..Jacobsen ... ... 12 ... -U 1& Kemp ... .- -8- . ' Iff* V* Keals 9 .91 U .Pope ... „-, .... 2 11; Si Sachs ... ', ...... ' 4 •.:.',? 8 Stewart .. ' ... ' 0 f-l'a c. nVl'ischler .... ... 12- , : A . }°i ■•; II White ... ~..'-,4..,. '~ 3 lH S. .White ... ...i;,. . : ; ' 0 ;; t ':, 13 4 V: . A FINE OA-ME. '*- ;"' 'File following beautiful game, was placed in , the Shrewsbury championship. between Mr. Wainwrigiit and, Mr. Blaekburne. '"*.; v '",;".'.',' ' *. White.' Mr. .Wajnw right :' Black, Mr. Blaekburne. .1 |>:q.4—LMJ4-' : '■' .16 BxP—BsH 2.P-QB 4—IVK 3. - : • -IT Px"Q (c)—Kt-Kt 3 3 Kt-WB3—l*xP (a) .' 18R-B2—Q-K3 4 p-K 3—Kt-KB'3 f ;i9R-Kt2—B-B -5 Kt-KB 3—l*-QK 3 .20 QKt-K 4—KtxKt '6 RxP-P-QKt 4 : ' 21. (d)-P-KB 3 ' 7 B-K 2 (b)-iQKt-Q '22 QR-KB-K-R 8 Castles—B-Kt 2 23 R-Bs— Kt-B 5 9 P-QR 3-B-Q 3 - - >• 24 P-Q 5-Q-Kt 3 (e) 10 OB OK 2 25 KtxKt—PxKt 11 P-QKt 4-P-K 4 26 Q-KB 2-RxP 12 B-Kt 2—P-K 5 27 RxBP (f)-QxP (g) 13 Kt-Q 2—Castles KB 28 Rxß eh—Rxß 14 QR-K—KR-K 29 BxP K-Kt 15 P-KB 3— PxP 308-Ksdisch And Mr. Blaekburne resigned.. Notes. (a) Of late this mode of-accepting-the Queen's Gambit has cost Mr. Blaekburne many a game. (b) Probably not better than 7 B-Kt 3, or 7 BO 3. (c) Apparently safe under the circumstances, and giving White the better game. (d) Providing against Kt-85, and securing another onen file. •.. „ _, (e) If*24, KtxKP; then 25, Q-Q 3, Q-ht B: 26, BQ 4. '■-•■ , . Tt . (f) Beautiful, and evidently unexpected. It wins hv force. PxR, then 28, BxP ch. ~ „ 2: 29, '(g) If 27. PxR. then 28. BxP ell, B-Kt 2: <s9, Bxßch, K-h't 1: 30, B-K 5 dis ch, and White wins. DAN LENO AS A CHESSPLAYER. The "Life of Dan Leno," by .T. Hickory Wood, lately published by Messrs. Metlmen, is an interesting and amusing work. From it is gathered that at chess Dan, Leno was never defeated. It was at a cafe in Manchester that Dun was challenged to play a game of chess. It came about, in this way. r The smoke-room of this cafe was well provided with dominoes, chess and dranght-boa#ls, and other playthings wherewith the. busy Manchester man was wont to while away his dinner-hour. Here Dan saw a spectacled youth of earnest and scholarly appearance- poring over a chessboard and occasionally referring to a newspaper spread on the table by his side. From curiosity Dan paused and looked over his shoulder, as he had never before seen a man playing a game of chess with a newspaper as his only apparent- opponent,. The youth looked up. and seeing he was interested, naturally supposed that he know something about the game. * . .< "It's a pretty opening, isn't it? he. remarked, handing the paper to Dan. Dan accepted the paper: gravely examined the chessboard there portrayed, and agreed that it was as pretty on opening as he had ever -met in all his experience. "And it's very -well drawn, too," he added as an after-thought. • " Oh, no," corrected the other. ■ " It isn t drawn at all ' Can't von see that White wins?" "Of course," replied Dan. "how stupid of me! New 1 camp to look at it again. 1 see that White wins. 1 suppose White is a very good man." "I beg your pardon!" said the youth. "Don't apologise!" returned Dan affably. "I don't, know the man personally. ' "Do von mean Zukertort inquired the youth, looking' rather puzzled. "It was Zukertort who placed White." , ,„, .. •1 see!" said Dan. "He played White, and "No. no!" contradicted the Chess enthusiast, with growing impatience. "if you'll look at the paper you'll see that White won. It was Mason, who played Black, who lost." It was" on the tip of Dan's tongue to pursue the argument, and to point out. to his new acquaintance that if Zukertort played While, and White won, then Zukertort must inevitably have lost; and also to inquire further what on earth that had to do with -Mr. Mason, who had apparently been beaten by Mr. Black. The whole thing, however, seemed to be so very complicated that he wisely desisted, and contented himself with gazing at the paper and murmuring "Exactly" in as sapient a manner as possible. " Perhaps you have time for a game.' suggested the youth. -, , "Oh, yes!" admitted Dan cautiously, "I have time." Would von like to play? " Yes, 1 would like to play chess very much indeed!" ~ , "Come along, then! And before Dan had quite made up his mind whether lie would go through with it or not, the men were arranged on the board and the youth was wailing for him to take the opposite seat. ' So Dan, not wishing to spoil sport, obediently sat down, and wondered, mildly what was going to happen next. ■ The youth opened (lie proceedings by pushing a pawn "forward. That seemed fairly simple; so Dan imitating him. also pushed a pawn forward. The first player then advanced .another pawn, and Dan, following suit, again did likewise. Then the expert picked up one of his pieces (presumably a knight), and executed a manoeuvre with it that Dan afterwards described as being veiv like the zig-zag flight of a snipe. This was far beyond the powers or understanding of Leno the novice: so he, following the accented custom as he had observed it among people who played chess, planked his elbows on the table buried his bead in his hands, and gazed Bteadilv and raptly at the chessboard. This"species of passive resistance he prolonged so undulv that his opponent, growing impatient, felt himself constrained to remark;/in a tentative manner, "Your move, I believe!" "I know." said Dan briefly, and without raising his head. ... , ■ , Another period of inaction ensued, during which the youth waxed mildly sarcastic. "I suppose von 'wouldn't care to play with a time limit, would von?" he asked. „,>.,. "Oh no!" replied Dan politely. Don t worry about me. I've plenty of time, thank you. With which remark he resumed his reverie, and maintained a masterly immobility that. dedined to be shaken by impatient coughs, shuffling of feet, hints either mild or strong, or. in short, by any plan his antagonist could devise whereby to goad him into action. ; . At last the latter, being able to bear the strain no longer, looked at his watch, rose abruptly, and shortly-remarked, in a very gruff tone of voice. " Good afternoon I" „ _. "What! Must you go so soon" asked Dan, looking up in innocent surprise. "Soon!" echoed the other bitterly. "Ill) ten minutes overdue at the warehouse now, and all through you !' "Then it's a drawn game,' announced Dan, rising from his seat with a sigh of relief. "I should think you have played a good many drawn games in youi time," commented the votith. ' No." returned Dan. " this is the only one. "There's one thing certain." went on his disappointed adversary, buttoning his coat fiercely, "You'll never be beaten! Life's much 100 short lor that.'

Quite right '." agreed Dan,* with unruffled composure. 'I've never 'lost a game of chess in niv life." "I don't believe it,"*retorted the other explosively. ■" No man who could play chess at all would have »at for the best part of an hour worrying over a perfectly simple move such as that one was." ".' " I daresay you're right." returned Dan. " But then, don't you see, 1 can't play chess at all. " Ton—can't—chess?" exclaimed the youth, now goaded to the fiercest indignation. " Then why on earth didn't you say so at first*" "I'm not- quite sure." was Dan's reply. " but I think it must have been because it never occurred to you. to ask me." . Mr. Sam Lovd. the celebrated problemist, has had a severe stroke of paralysis, from which he Vts tallied. He is in his,6sth year. Efforts are being made by the New South Wales Chess Association to arrange a match between the State champion, Mr. S. Crakenthorp. and Mr. W.S. Viner, who recently won the title of chess champion of Australia. It is proposed to play the match in Sydney, to which Mr. Viner has no objection, he being quite willing to start at once. The Sydney Daily Telegraph remarks:—Mr. W. S. Viner'* friends in West Australia ate evidently determined to spare no effort to give the Australian champion full opportunity to acquire fresh laurels both at homo and abroad. At a meeting of contributors to the Viner Chess Championship fund held last mouth in Perth it was moved by Mr. Siebenhaar, and seconded by Mr. J. A. Green, "That the money raised for the original purpose of enabling Mr. W. S. Viner to contest the championship of the Commonwealth be merged into a general fund to lie raised from contributions throughout Australia, to enable the champion to take part in the international tournament to be held next year at Ostend. or any other international tourney which may appear more convenient ; also, that the Viner Committee be authorised to cany out all the details of the undertaking, including the issuing of an appeal for contributions to all patrons of chess throughout the Commonwealth."