CHESS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1321, 24 June 1897, Page 23

CHESS.

All communications for this department must be addressed to the Chess Editor, Mr C. TV. Benbow. ! 24/6/97. * # * The Wellington Chess Club meets every Tuesday and Friday evening at 7.30 in Room No. 11, Exchange Buildings, Lambton Quay. Visitors are cordially welcomed.

SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. No. 1835 (Rev J. Jespersen). 1 Q to B 3 1 Any move 2 Mates accordingly.

Solved by H.B. and J.N.H. (Wellington); O.P.Q. (Foxton), " A grand problem, notwithstanding there is a dual when Black plays* I P to Q 13 4 (9) ;" T.E. (Picton) ; Felix (Auckland) ; H.'D. (Bulls) ; M.R. (Taranaki), R.P. (Gisborne)', '"The mates are very fine (9);" and A.B.C. (Greytown). Two of the judges, in the tournament criticise the problem as' follows :—Mr B. G. Laws remarks—" It is by no moans a position which can be solved at a glanco, and doubtless to devise _an _ even passable key to such a novel combination of play was a difficult task. It is, all things considered, a capital problem." Mr Hume sa y 3 —" x very beautiful problem, both cleverly and carefully constructed. The two Bishops are made of excellent use in evolving some fine play." "A sparkling key is followed by some excellent fighting, the brunt of which on the attacking side is borne by Q and a Kt. The problem as a whole is masterly given."

No. 1836 (Henry B. Jackson) 1 Q to R 4 1 R x Kt 2 Q to B 2 eh 2 K moves 3 Mates accordingly.

Solved by H.B. (Wellington); T.E. (Picton); O.P.Q. (Foxton), "This is a problem which has many good points (8) ;" Felix (Auckland); and R.P. (Gisborne), "A good initial move, and neat matos (8)." Mr Jackson is making distinct improvement in his problem composition (S).

PROBLEM No. 1817. By Eustace King (Christchurch)

Black

White

White to play and mato in two moves

PIiOBLEM No. IS4B. By J. Cairns (Liverpool)

Black.

White

White to play and mate in four moves.

In connection with the above problem, the chess editor of the Weekly Mercury says : This is the problem we submitted to Lasker and Teichrnann at Simpson's Divan, at the same time laying- a small wager that neither, nor both, would solve it in an hour.' The date was Juno, 1892, the time of Lasksr's waiting for Blackburne's health to re-es-tablish itself for the great match. Lasker professed inexperience with regard to problems, said ha could usually solve them if he #ave his mind to the matter, but that he bad no great vocation that way. Now right here, as the Americana say, we would make a remark which has long been waiting to bo made, and which wo venture to think will meet a long-felt want. Now and then some composer sends forth a problem to the world j with tho announcement that Steinitz was ! half-an-hour over it, though only a two- I mover ; that Pillsbury declared it could not be solved; that the great Brown- Jones, champion of Little Pcdlington, declared it a blazing coruscation of briiiiant conceptions, too dazzling for ordinary intellect. Who, that knows, thinks any better of a problem because Steinitz was half-an-hour ovor it, or because Pillsbury declared it unsolvable ? These great players are not problem experts, do not know the business, have devoted their j attention to a department of tho game radically different. We would back F. 1:1. | Gittins, of Birmingham, to solve more proo- j lems in a week than cither Steinitz or Pi!k- j bury could solve in a month. In ail proba- j bility he would solve more and discover more j cook's and duals than both these great j masters combined. Tell us that B. Q. Laws ; found the position difficult; tells as/that | G. Hume, of Nottingham declared the problem

unsolvable; and then, if it be but a two» move, and there really be a solution, we w>ii take a second look. But the two-mover is not made, never will be made, that will hold back any of the above mentioned triq, tor half-an-hour, perhaps not for five minutes. Some vears ago a solver, all unknown to fame, but a good solver for all that, offered in our hearing to undertaka to give "cho key-moves of any sixty two-movers in. art hour, thus allowing himself an average ot one minute each. He offered to lay odds, but nobody took the challenge. Blaokburno is the only master we who is a rcallv first-rate solver, thoughi Gunsberg is good, and Teichmann tolerable. Masters of play are not often masters of the problem world. The icason why is obvious enough. Problemists who know how problems are made scent the idea at once, or in a. space of time comparatively short. J-he master who knows nothing of problem construction (which is the caso_ with most* because there is no money in it) has to re«y on sheer chess ability, while the expert problemist devines the plan, recognises the. theme, is down on the design in a moment. There is luck in problem-solving, no doubt. It is possible to get on a wrong tack, and lo stay there, which partly accoonts for varying judgment as to difficulties. But as a rule, the practised problemist has no no trouble with problems or two or three moves. Twomovers are literally solved at a glance, and three-movers fall victims in five minutes or less. Only over four-movers djes he hoid his head and sit profound, with corrugated brow, dead to the thing 3 of earth, his head ia the clouds, his feet nowhere in particular. Which brings us back to onr muttons. Lasker is now the world's champion, and likely to remain so, unless Pillsbury some day beats him. And to chess amateurs his little doings are interesting. His doings, we say advisedly, for, unlike Steimtz. Lasker hardly ever says anything worth repeating. On the occasion in question we submitted t.ie> four-mover given above, Lasker and Teicnmann having it set on separate boards, Lasker undertaking to solve it in less than one hour sterling; no experiments to on made, no p : eces to be moved, Teicbmanu cutting in for mere love of snort. We compared watches and went to work, the humb;» representative of the Mercury looking ou amid clouds of nicotinous vapour for winch Simpson's is famed. In seven minutes Lasker said " I have it," and at once reeled off the solutions. We printed this position some time smco, and received no solutions. On the contrary a number of experienced solvers asked byletter for the solution, while two or three problemists of. high estate asked wherein Uy the error of our printing. The position was rightly printed, but the solutionis decidedly puzzling. At the same time we think our Ifriends will find in it a charm, above that "conferred by its adventure with the Chess Champion of the World. Wo do not expect the problemists to think much of this problem. It is of an old type, and lacks variety. Nevertheless it is conceived with cleverness and constructed withmuoh ingenuity. As a baffler of double-demon power we have found it unequalled. Men who would stand up to anything quailed beforefthis, which knocked thsm. over like a hundred-ton gun. Than, when they recovered their senses sufficiently to be shown the solution, they always reviled the problem ; said it ; waa ridicuously and fatuously easy, and so forth. Well, well, thore is a lot of human nature in mankind !