CHESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15948, 19 June 1915, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHESS.

" . 4 'TO CORRESPONDENTS.No. .3132.—Solved by " F.J.8." ( " F.J.B."— is qu ; possible for the-fiai move in any problem to consist of a check <>r a ca-Dturo, out eucli a key-movo is a serious offence against the modern canons of conposition, and would disqualify any problem from a. prize in a tourney, howeter -.brilliant tho after-play might be. Sam. Loyd, tie kins of composers, however, refused to be bound by any conventions, anil he composed a noted two-er of which. the key-move is 'a. check. The late James Ray tier (problem editor of the British Chess Magazine) thiis tersely expressed the idea: —" In Iwo-moveu and three-mover checking keys are decided!"? objectionable: it is impossible to set much strategy into short problems with such keys."

SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 3132. !

(By COVIN'S MAWS7IELD.) 1 Kt-QB 4.

SOLUTION OF PROBLEM No. 3135, (By C. A. L. BtJLL.) 1 P-B 4. Ii 1 ... PiP, 2 Q-B any move, 3 B-B 8 mate. Ii 1 .. . PxP e.p., 2 B-K.t 3 ch-K B 4, 3 P-Kt 4 mate. If 1... P-K 5, 2 B-Kt 3 ch-K-B 4. 3 Q-B 8 mate. If 1... B-B 1, 3 P-B 5 ch-K-Q 2, 3 B R 4 mate. If 1 B-K 1, 2 P-B 8 (0). etc. PROBLEM No. 3136. (By H. F. L. Meter and E. Mi"'"', joint composition. — From the Manchester Weekly Times tourney, 1313.)

8, 4p3, BpKt3, 2pr2pl. SPlklKtl, BRJ, 3p281. 3K4. Whits to play and mate in two moTeti

PROBLEM No. 3137. (By W. J, Wood.—From the Yorkshire Weekly Post.) i BLACK, 3.

• White, 6. 6KI. 3Kt4. Ib 6, 4p3, 3PIPk2, 7Q. 6PI. 8. .White to day and mate in three mores. The final game in the triple tie for tin ' championship of Scotland. Score and notes from the Times Weekly Edition. > ; English Opeiuxg. White, H. K. Handasyde; Black, C. Wardhaueh. . ■ 1 P-QB 4-P-K 3 (a) 19 B-K sq-R-K 3 2 P-K 3-Kt-KB 3 20-P-KR4(f)-QR-K «q , 3 P-KKt —P-Q 4. 21 B-R 3—R-B 3 4 B-Kt-2-(b)— 2 • 22 Q-K 2-BxPch 6 Kt-KB 3—Castles , 23 K-Kt R-Kt.3. , 6 PxP-PxP • '24 B-Kt 2 (gMJ-K 2 ' 7 Castles—P-QB 3 25Q-83-Bxß 8 Kt-B 3—B-KKt 5 26 KRxB-QxP : 9 P-KR 3 (c)-BxKt 27 R-KB sq-R-B 3 10 Qxß— 2 » 28 Q-Q sq-R-R 3, 11 P-Q 4-R-K sq 29 R-B 3-Q-R 7 ch 12 B-Q 2— 3 30 K-B R-ht 3 13 2—Kt-K 5 31 Q-B 2-Rxß , 14 KtxKt (dV-PxKt 32 QxR-Kt-Q 7ch 15 B-QB 3—Kt-B 3 • S3 K-B 2—Ktxß 16.P-8.4,(e)r-PxP c.p., 34 KxKt-RxP ch 17 QxP—Q-B 2 ' Resigns. 18 K-R 2— 5 ' " (a) The correct defence ! (b) Safe enough, as if Black played 4 ... PxP, 5 Q-R 4 ch-B-Q 2, 6 QxBP-, But after Black castled at , move 5 White had little choice but to take the Pat once. ': • • (c) With the ■ KKtP advanced it was questionable strategy to advance this P as well. Perhaps. 9 Q-B 2 could have been played.' and if 9 ... BxKt. 10 Biß, etc. And it must not be overlooked that the White Q at B 2 would have prevented the subsequent entry, of the . Black Kt at K 5. (d) And this presented Black with an advanced P well defended. The best alternative was ■14 Q-Q 3, QKt-KB 3. and. still Black had the superior position. ' s ' (a) 16 fiR-K was better, and then if the text variations could be brought about White stood some chance of a counter-": attack/by advancing the KP.. (£) White's last two moves were compulsory, or he lost the KKtP- The text mo 7» was no doubt intended to prevent 20 ... KtKt 4, but 20 Q-Kt'4 was far more effective. If 20 ... R-Kt 3, 21 QxKt—BxP ch, 22 Biß —Qxßch, 23 K-R sq, etc- Or. if 20 ... P- - KB4, 21 QxP—BxP ch, 22 K-R sq. and White still won the piece. 20 ... Kt-KB3'' would have been best, and then 21 Q-K 2, preventing the Kt coming to K 5 again. F. ' • (g) Playing the B back to .'where it should never have left, but the position was too far . gone for there to be any effective reply.. 25 Bxß. was perhaps as 'good as anything; 'but all that was accomplished. Shis way was to reduce the pressure on the j K ftide for a fow moves only. And, weakly," losing , the RP by not. playing ' 26 ' QKiE hastened the inevitable end.

An amusing little skittle same, played recently at the Cafe de la Eegence, Pans. Score from the Australasian- » Centre Gambit. White, L. Tauber; Black, W. Bienstock. 1 P-K 4-P-K 4 5 B-QB 4-P-Q 4 2 P-Q 4-P-KB 4 6 ?-Kt-B 3 3 PxBP—P-K 5 7 Q-B 7 ch-K-Q 3 . 4 Q-R 5 ch—K.-K 3 8 B-B 4 mati Our contemporary remarks—" Probably Black thought he had played this same too quickly." ■ PATKONY3IICA. What's in a name? That which we call » rose By any other name would smell as sweet. —Shakespere. ,

But. when a name is duplicated it is apt to be confusing. For instance, in English chess circles _ there arc two Blackbumes. One, • J. H., is the celobratcd blindfold player, and for the last 50 years one of the leaders of "the game. The other, S. S., is the renowned problem composer and expert, whose classical work, "Terms and Themes 1 of Chess Problems." is invaluable to problemists, Then there was the case of the two McDonnells. One—Alexander McDonnell, of Belfast— probably the strongest player thaj Britain, has produced, and was second only to his great contemporary, De la. Bourdonnais. He died in 1835. at the early age of 37. His namesake—the Itev. G. A. McDonnell, A., ficar of Stamford—wis also an Irishman. He was born in ISJO and died a few years ago. At 22 ho came to London, and his remarkable skill as a chess-player and his social qualities soon brought him into prominence. In 1862 he took fourth prize m the London Chess Congress, beating Steinitz, and in off-hand play made equal scores with'Anderssen. As "Mars" h# conducted the chess column in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. As an afterdinner speaker lie had no superior. The following extract from his writings shows his genial witty style. It only needs the brogu® to give it the puro Doric flavour:—" In 1867 a grand tourney was held, at Dundee, and among the competitors were Messrs. Neumann . and-McDonnell. Their game excited great interest, was prolonged for eight hour!, and eventually resulted in a draw. ■ Whereupon. Neumann started up from his seat, and. calling Steinitz aside, exclaimed: ' I had "no, idea he was so strong; why. he is strongerthan when he played with La Bourdonnais ' Steinitz immediately burst out laughing and said: 'My good fellow, he is not that McDonnell!' 'Oh!' said N.; 'he is not. Alexander McDonnell or, as we say, A. McDonnell!' 'Certainly not; he is the McDonnell!' Laughing still more vehemently, Steiniu rushed up to G. A. McDonnell, recounted th« conversation, enlarged upon his joke, and wound up by observing: ' They are always confounding you with the other McDonnell.' ' Yes,' said G. A. McDonnell, ' that other McDonnell has been living upon my reputation ever since he died!' " Dr. Emanuel Lasker 1 , the champion, was taught chess by his elder brother. Dr. B. Lasker, who would probably have made nearly as great a player if h» had not. wisely, subordinated the game to his profession as a physician. Of late year* there has arisen a third Lasker, unrelated to the other two. viz., Eduard Lasker. who last year won the championship of the City of London Chess Club, and has proved himself to bo on© of the best players of the day. His book, entitled " Chess Strategy," is one of the best and latest works on the game. We have before us, for review, a second enlarged edition of it, up to date, and translated by J. Dumont; On the outbreak of the war Mr. Lasker withdrew to America, and will compete in the forthcoming chess congress. Three descendants of Adam—lineal presumably, for they had not changed their surname—' in European chess circles a few years ago. There have been two chess-players in Leipzig named Mieses: many elsewhere named Smith, Jones. Taylor, Winter-Wood. Lee, Macdouald. Mackenzie! and Pierce, besides T- M. and John Brown. "J. 8.. of Bridport." There have been several, chess-playing Loyds. two Samuel Golds in America, and there' are two Cr«w<| fly.ips in SydftsrSrAdeHids Objctior,