Chess.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 422, 13 March 1880, Page 3

Chess.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. Original problems, games, particulars of tournaments, matches &c, are always welcome.

PROBBEM No. 93. By Mr. H. F. L. Meyer.

Black,

White. White to play and mate in two moves,

Solutions are invited,

PROBLEM SOLVING.

Two move problems are popular enough, but three or four movers are regarded with aversion as a rule. Now it is within the reach of every "tyro" almost, to solve a "twoer" as the most difficult problem of this class can be exhausted, but the initial and second moves in three and four move problems are sometimes very difficult to find, and considerable ingenuity is required to eliminate the xin the question. We often hear chess players say —"they would not be bothered trying to solve problems, it is so much waste of time, and does not improve general play." This is a popular fallacy, which may have gained strength from the tact that the great problem composers are seldom known as match players. On the other hand, Anderson many years ago composed a problem which for beauty of idea and construction has never been equalled. There is little doubt that the study of good problems tends to improve general play by giving a deeper insight into the intricacies of difficult positions, especially towards the finish. It is well known that end games are seldom played well except by first-class players,, and not always even by them. A great attention to problem chess would, no doubt, remove much or this weakness in general players. For the proper conception and execution of firstclass problems, great ingenuity and considerable genius is required, and so problems have been well called the poetry of chess. We might almost compare them to the sonnet,_ as containing beauty and difficulty of construction within circumscribed limits.

We have written these few lines to encourage our young players to more strenuous efforts in this direction ; for there is no part of chess which those who wish to master the game should neglect. At the •■ same time, we deprecate any wish to excite our readers to an undue attention to chess, but we cannot always be at hard work, Nee semper arcum tendit Apollo, and most of us have a spare hour now and then when we have nothing particular to do, and "don't care to whistle," which can always be devoted to this most enjoyable and intellectual of all games. __ * , ' John Wisker, in " The Week."