CHESS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 889, 15 March 1889, Page 6

CHESS.

All communications for this department must be addressed to the Chess Editor, Mr C. W. Benbow. 8/3/89 H. VON der L. (Wiesbaden). —Your very pleasant letter is to hand, and we are extremely indebted for the enclosures covered by it. 0.P., Junr. (Feilding).—We are writing you in reference to your problems.

SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. No. 990 (Mrs W. J. Baird). 1 Q to R sq 1 Any move 2 Mates accordingly Solved by 0.P., Junr. (Feilding) ; H.B. and J.N.H. (Wellington); O.P.Q. (Foxton); ‘ Considering the great preponderance of the White forces the soundness of the composition is excellently maintained (S)Felix (Auckland) ; M.R. (Taranaki); A. 8.0. (Greytown); D.T.C. (Blenheim); Horace (Patea) ; A.L.T. (Wanganui) ; and R.J.D. (Clyde), The key is forced somewhat prominently on the solver owing to the necessity of providing for Black’s moves of 1 K x Kt and 1 Q x P, nevertheless a very creditable piece of workmanship (8). No 991 (Rev, J. Jespersen). 1 R to K B 2 IBxB 2 Q to KKt sq 2 Any move

3 Mates accordingly Solved by 0.P., Junr. (Feilding); D.T.C. (Blenheim); O.P.Q. (Foxton) ; * A masterly problem by a master (91) ;’ Felix (Auckland) ; A.X/.T. (Wanganui); and R.J.D. (Clyde) ; ‘ This position at the first glance appears to be remarkably easy, but actually it is very difficult to discover the key (9) ;’

PROBLEM No. 1000. By A. F. Mackenzie (Kingston, Jamaica). Second prize position in the St John’s Globe Tourney. Black.

White. White to play and mate in two moves.

PROBLEM No 1001. By Max Kiirochner (Nurnberg). From Sammlung leicliterer Schachaufgaben. Black.

White. White to play and mate in three moves,

NEW ZEALAND CHESS CONGRESS. Played December 28th, 1888, between Messrs William Brown and O. W. Benbow, both of Wellington. The notes are from the Canterbury Times, except those in brackets, which are by ourselves. English Opening.

White. Black. (Mr Brown), (Mr Benbow). 1 P to Q B 4 1 P to K 3 (This is generally conceded to be the best reply, though many excellent players adopt P to KB 4.) 2 P to K 3 2 Kt to K B 3 3 P to Q R 3 (Rather like lost time at the present, Kt to K B 3 would have been better). 3 P to Q B 4 4 Kt to Q B 3 4 Kt to Q B 3 5 P to Q 4 5 P to Q 4 6 Kt to K B 8 (a) 6 Q P x P 7BxQBP(b) 7 P x Q P BPxPB B to K 2 9 Castles 9 P to Q R 3 10 B to K 3 (White might have rid himself of his isolated Pawn by playing it now, or in the preceding move, to Q 5). 10 P to Q Kt 4 11 B to Q 3 11 B to Kt 2 12 R to Q B 12 R to Q B 13 Kt to K 2 13 Castles 14 Kt to K 5 (c) 14 Kt x Kt 15 P x Kt • 35 Q to Q 4 16 P to K B 3 IGQxKP 17 Q to Q 2 17 Kt to Q 4 18 B to Q 4 18 Q to Q 3 19 P to Q Kt 4 19 Q to Q 2 •20 B to R (d) 2 > K R to Q 21 Q R to Q 21 Q to Q 3 22 Kt to B 3 (e) 22 Q to Kt 3 [ch] 23 K to R 23 Kt to K 6 24 Q to Kt 2(f) 24 B to K B 3 25 B x P [ch] 25 K x B 26 Q to Kt [ch] 26 K to Kt 27R x R [ch] 27 QxR 28 R to K 28 B x Kt (This brings the game to the speediest conclusion).

29 R x Kt 29 B x B 30 Q x B 30 Q to Q 7 31 R to K 31 R to B 7 Resigns. Time, 35min. 50min NOTES. (a) This should, we think, have been preceded by 6Px QP. See next note. (b) Resulting in the isolation of a Pawn. Yet 7PxP would expose him to an inconvenient exchange of Queens. (c) Overlooking Black’s effective continuation, after exchanging Knights, oi Q to Q 4, which wins a Pawn and also something in position. (d) Holding the other diagonal by, 20 B to B 2 was better. (e) And now 12 K to R was necessary. (f) 24 Qto B 2 was very preferable. (25 Rto Q 3 would be quite sufficient to maintain Black’s advantage, supposing White had moved as suggested. "White in playing as he did threatened to attack the Black Queen with Kt and to mate with Queen at the same time, and if Black had overlooked the trap the game was won for his opponent. Ed. C.C., N.Z.M.)

STEINITZ v. TSCHIGORIN

The match between these well-knoWn masters commenced at the end of January last, and when the mail left the score stood :—Tschigorin 2, Steinitz 1. The third game played was opened by the Russian champion with the Ruy Lopez Knights Game ; it lasted 9hrs and 50minutes, and after his 83rd move, Herr Steinitz resigned.