CHESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25298, 7 August 1943, Page 3

CHESS

Conducted by E. W. B. War-time economy is liable to be regarded as an irksome necessity, but economy has long been recognised as desirable in the chess problem. Jt is considered cumbersome to use a single pawn more than is necessary to produce the required effects in the solution and in the mates, and heavy positions must compensate for the amount of timber by especially high quality or richness of variety in the mates. Here are three positions which illustrate the point, all very neat, the first two about a century old. First, by J. 8., of Bridport: 8. 6bl. 3p4. 3klP2. Ip6. 4K3. 2R5. 8, mate in tlir.ee, solved by 1 Bb2, Pb 3; 2 Rc3, Kes; 3 Rcs, an Indian theme (second movp masks the keypiece to avoid stalemate). Second, by J. Kling: 32. lB4pl4KpR. 8. 5k2, mate-in three, solved by IBe 7, Pf2; 2 Bh6, Kel; 3 Rgl, a similar effect by a different manoeuvre. But later the great artist W. A. Shinkman worked both into one ofoblem, with very little increase of material, though with a longer solution play: 16. 4p82. 2p5.-2kpP3 8, IRIK4. 8, mate in four, key Rbl. If Pd 3,2 Bal, Pes; 3 Rb2, as before, or if 1 . , . Pes; 2 Bdß, Pd 3; 3 Bb6, with an echo pinmate The doubling effect well justifies the additional black pawn necessary The above three mates, as well as the positions as a whole, are economical in that all the white pieces contribute to the mate; where this is so, with the optional exception of king and pawns, and where there is only one reason why each flight square is forbidden to the black king; me mate is said to be a model. The slender control of flights is also considered artistic, and the Bohemian school in particular considered this the main requirement in a chess problem. This week’s examples, both by J. Pospisil, a leading Bohemian in his day, show how sacrificial keys help to achieve these model effects. , Solutions.—No. 215, RxP, with 14 varitions by the rook. No. 216. Qc4, threat Ng6; or if Nfs, 2 Qf4, or Ncs, 2 Qd4, achieving’models by sacrificing the queen in two ways. Problems.—No. 217. by J. Pospisil, 1885: 28n2b1. 2b5. 7Q. 3kpN2. IRrIN3. 3p2PK. 16, mate in two. No, 218, by J. P., 1886: 8. 186. 3plp2. 8. QNpk4. K 7. 6NI. 8, mate in three.