CHESS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1352, 27 January 1898, Page 22

CHESS.

All communications for this department must be addressed to the Chess Editor, Mr C. W. Benbow. 27/1/98. * # * The Wellington Chess Club meets every Tuesday and Friday evening at 7.30 in Eoom No. 11, Exchange Buildings, Lambton Quay. Visitors are cordially welcomed. H.B.J. (Telau). Yours of the 15th ulto. is to hand. Many thanks for the enclosures, and also for the good wishes expressed therein, which are heartily reciprocated. Problem No. 1856 cannot be solved in the way suggested by you. for pxample : -lB to B sq, Kt to B 4; 2, Kt xKt ch, Ktoß 4 ; 3, P to Kt 4 ch, P x P en passsnt, and (there is no mate. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. No. 1894 (George J. Slater). 1 R to'B 8 1 Any move 2 Mates accordingly SolvedbyH.B , F.A.L.K. and J.N.H. (Wellington) : U.P.Q. (Foxton); " A errand problem full of interest™ g variations. There is a very near try bv 1, B to B 6, but defence of 1 B to K/B sq defeats it (ofr) :" T.E. (Pioton); Felix (Auckland); A.B.C. (Masterton) ; H.D. (Bulls); and Beginner (Woodville). Mr B. G. Laws' criticism of the position reads :—" An excellent key, followed by animated variety. A thoroughly good and interesting problem, with nice construction and marked ideas." No. 1895 (G. Liberali). / - 1 K to R 6 1 K x Kt 2 B to Q 3 ch 2 any movo 3 mates accordingly ■„,,— ■,*. * Solved by H. 8., F.A.L.K. (Wellington); T.E. (Picton); R.P. (Gisborne); " A composition full of merit;" and Felix (Auckland). The key is a good one, and one not easily seen (81). PROBLEM No. 1906. By Philip H. Williams (London). ' First Prize in Birmingham News Problem Tourney. • Black.

White White to play and mate in two moves

PROBLEM No. 1907. By Henry B. Jackson (Telau, Fiji).

Black.

White. White to play and mate in three moves.

NEW ZEALAND CBESS CONGRESS. The following game was played on December. 31,18i>7, between Mr R. J. Barnes, the champion, and. Mr J. W. Mellor, one of the Otago representatives. Ruy Lopez. White. Black. (Mr R. J. Barnes) (Mr J. W. Mellor). IPtoK4 IPtoK4 2KttoKB3 2KttoQB3 3BtoKts 3KttoKB3 Maaon thinks that 3 P to Q R 3 is slightly stronger than the move in the text. 4 Castles 4 Kt'xP 5 P to Q 4 5 Kt to Q 3 6BxKt 6KPxB 7 p x p 7 Kt to Kt 2 The Kt could also go to B 4 without any harm. 8 R to K sq If 8 Bto KKt5, B to K2; 9BxB, Q x B .IOEtoKBC,,&c. gBtoK2 9 Kt to B 3 9 Kt to B 4 10 Kt to Q 4 10 Castles 11 Kt to B 5 11 P to Q 3 12 P x P 12 B x P 13 Kt x B 13 P x Kt 14 8 to B 4 14 P to Q 4 15 Qto Q 2 , 15 Kt to K 3 16 Q R to Qsq 16 Q to Q 2 Tins seems to be lost time, as the Q goes back to her original squire next move. 17 B to Kt 3 17 Q to Q gq 18 Kt to K 2 18 Q to Kt 3 19 PtoKt3 19 Btoß3 20 P to K R 3 White, no doubt, had a reason for this, but ' it is not easily to be discovered.

20 Kt to B 4 21 *KttoQ4 2! KttoKs 22 Q to B 4 22 B to B sq Black's defence is vacillating. Why shut in the QE? A slight examination will shew how much better his opponent's game is developed. 23RtoK3 23Pt0Q84 24 KttoßS 24 QtoK tf 3 If this is the best at his command he is in dire distress. 25 R x P 25 Kt x B 26ExKt 26 BxKt 27 Exß 27 Qto E 8 ch 28KtoE2 28QxP Evidently overlooking the strength of White's game. 29 Q to E 6 This is good enough, no doubt, as > f to E 5 will follow if Black makes provision by P to Kt 3 for the threatened mate ; but it afterwards dawned on White that 29 > x Kt t ch would have been a more brilliant and artistic finish. 29 Resigns CHESS JN ENGLAND. The following -pretty game was played on board I in the contest for the vvoodhouse Cup on Saturday, lNovember 6fch,' 1897, at the Leads Club Eooms : - Ruy Lopez White Black. (ilr Eayuer), (Mr Turnbnll), Leeds. Sheffield. i 1 P to K 4 1 P to K 4 2 Kt to K B 3 2 Kt to Q B 3 3Bto Kt 5 3Pto Q 3 4 B to E 4 4 B to Q Kfc 5 Alapin's move, to which White usually replies with P :o B 3. 5 ' 'asfcles 5 K Kfc to K 2 6 P to B 3'l 6 B to R 4 7PtoQ4 7.Kt to Kfc 3 Black has determined on a bold course, sacrificing a Pawn for position ; and he obtains an excellent game. 8 BxKt 8 QPxP 9 KtxP ' 9 KtxKfc 10 P x Kt 10 Q to E 5 11 P to K B 4 11 B to Kt 3. ch 12 Kto Esq 12 BtoK Kt 5 13 Q to K sq 13 Q to K, 4 Black has obtained a capital attack requiring much skill and circumspection to frustrate. He here threatens B to K 7, for which vVhite has to prepare. 14 Q to Kt 3 14 Castles Q E 15EtoKsq 15KEtoKsq Threatening R to K 3, R to R 3, and B to K 87. 16 K to R 5 16 B ta K 7 17 B to K 3 17 R to Q 6 18 Kt to B 4 White's timely development just saves him. The play has been very pretty. 18 Bx B ' 19 Kt x B 19 K R to Q sq 20Qt082 20RtoQ7 21KttoB5 21BtoKt5 22QtoR7 22 BxKt 23 P x B 23 Q to Kt 5 , White is not yet out of the wood. 24 R to K Kt sq 24 K R to Q 6 25PtoK6 White now begins to breathe a little. Black must attend to home affairs. White displayed good judgment in not giving the check at R 8 with his Q. The waiting play was infinitely superior. 25 P x P 26 P x P 26 Q x P 27QEtoKsq 27RtoK7 28 P to B 5 28 Q to K 5 29 KxK 29 Q x R 30 Q to E 8, ch 30 n to Q 2 Now Whita can breathe freely; but perhaps from here the game should have been drawn. 31 Q x Kt P 31 R to Q 7 32 Q to Kt 3 32 R to Q 4 33 Q to R 4 33 Q x Kt P This was a little hasty,- as it afterwards turned out, and was a move Black probably regretted making. See move 40. 34 Q to K Kt 4 White has now bid well for a win, and the play is very interesting which accomplishes it.

34 P to K R 4 35QxKtPoh 35KtoBsq 36Pt086 3iQ takes BP 37 Q to Kt 8, ch 37 R to Q sq 38Pt087 38QtoKsq 39 QtoKt 6 . 39 KtoKt 2 40 R to Kt sq, ch 40 K to R 2 41 Q x Q B P 41 Q to Kt 7 42 Q x B P ch 42 Resigns. —Leeds Mercury