PROBLEM 776.

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 29

PROBLEM 776.

By K. J. Winter-Wood. (2nd prize Bristol Mercury problem tourney.)

Gunsherg v. Tchigorin. We publish below two more games, taken with notes from the Field. Played in Havana on January 5 : French Defence. White. Black. (M. Tchigorin.) (I. Gunsberg.) 1 P to X 4 PtoK3 2 P to Q 4 P to Q 4

3Ktto QB 3 Xt to Kfl 3 4 P to If 5 X K% to.o 2 5 P to B, 4 P to Q B 4 6 P tks P Itt to Q B 3 7 B to Q 3-d Xt tks B P 8 Xt to B 3 Q to Xt 3-6 9Pto Q X 3-C. •Bto Q 2 > 10 R to Q Xt sq-rf Xt tks B eh 11 Q tkSvKt P to Q R 3 12 Bto X 3 Qto B 2 ' 13 Castles-a Xt to E 4-/ 14 P to B h-g Xt to B 5 15 B to Q 4-A B to B 4 16 P tks P B tks X P 17 B tks £ Q tks B oh 18 X to R sq P to R 3 19 PtoQ Xt 4-s Qto B 2 20 Xt tks P-7 B tks Xt 21 Q tks B Xt to X 6-ft 22 Q to Q 6 Q tks Q 23 P tks Q Xt tks B 24 R tks Xt Castles (Q R) 25 Xt to X 5 X R to B sq 26 H to Q sq & to B 3 27Ktt084 PtoQKt4 28 Xt to Ift 2 KRto Xsq 29 P to R 3 R to X 7 30 R to Q 5 R tks £ P 31 Rtoßsoli Hfcksß 32 T tks R X to Q 2 33 X to Xt sq R to X sq 34 X to B 2 P to Q R 4 35 X to B 3 R to X 8 36 Xt to Q 3 R to Q R 8 37 X to X 4 R tks P 38 Xt to X sq X to X 3 39 Xt to B 2 R to n 5 eh 40 X to X 3 I R to Q B 5 41 Xt to Q4 eh R tks Xt 42 X tke R P to R 5 43 P to Xt 4 P to R 6 44Kt083 PtoKtßch 45 X to Xt 3 P to Xt 3 46 P to R 4 P to R 4 Resigns. NOTES a Identical with the opening moves of the fjame, played in the Breslautournamentbetweenßlackburne and Dr TarrasCh, and published in the Field in July la»t. Blackburne played here B to ,Xt 5, which seems better than either B to K2,orßto Q3. The KBis as ft rule of little use in this form of the French ; therefore, exohanging it for the Q Xt is the right course b Had White played 7 B to Xt 5, Black could not now have made his powerful queen's move, and would have been reduced to 10.. .8 to X 2, as in the Breilau game alluded to above; thus giving White time to castle, with good prospects for an attack. c Necessary, as he intends to play 10 Xt to Q Xt 5, which cannot be done now because of 9...Kt tks B eh ; 10 Oj tks Xt, Xt to Xt 5, Ac. d Nor can he play ndw 10 Xt to Q Xt 5 because of 10...Kttk« fl eh ; 11 Q tks Xt, Xt tks P j 12 Xt tks Xt, B tks Xt, &a, c 13 Pto Q Xt 4 seems necessary, to prevent the threatened 13,..Ktt0 B4 f This powerful move gives Black the advantage. Mr Gunsberg played the opening very; well. As a rule, , the French Defence is not his/orfe. g This advance is now premature, as it weakens the X P, which will be attacked by 15...Kt to B 5. Under the circumstances he should have remained on the defensive, and tried 14 Q R to X sq or Q sq, and in answer to 14.. .Kt to B 5 ; 15 Btoßsq. If Black plays 14... 8 to B 4, the position becomes somewhat more complicated, but by no means indefensible. h And here would have beon better 15 P tks P, Q B tks P ; 16 X to R sq ; or even 16 X R to X Rq. Also 15 B to B 4 leads to interesting variations, which, however, are very complicated ; but might be tried by a player of Tchigorin's ingenuity. i All this has the appearance of having been played with undue reflection, and with the intent of winning the Q P, without considering the ultimate result. It loses the exchange. j This is simply a blunder. As hinted above, White must have worked out the last series of moves, and then played on rapidly without re-examination. He might have played 20 Q R to X sq, R to Q sq; 21 Xt to Xt sq, &c, of coune, with the inferior game. k The remainder is only a matter of time. I Obviously if *0 Kb to Q 4, eh, then 41. ..R tks Xt eh, ard wins easily, even by leaving the position op the queen's side in statu quo, till he has established a passed pawn on the king's side.

The following is the fourth game, played on January 7. Four Knights' Opening. White. Black. (Gunsberg.) (Tchigorin.) IPtoK4 PtoK4 2Ktto QB 3 Xt to QB 3 3 Xt to B 3 Xt to B 3 4BtoKts BtoKts 5 Oastlei Castles 6 B tks Kfc-a Q P tka B 7 Xt tks P B tks Xt BQPtksß KttksP 9 P to B 3 Qtoß3 10 Xt to Q 7-6 B tks Xt 11 Q tks B Qto Q 3 12 Q tks Q-c Xt tks Q 13 B to B 4 and Mr Gunsberg proposed adraw, which wae accepfced-rf. a Leading up to a drawn game. The variation 6 Xt to Q 5, although more complicated, may also be simplified as follows : 6 Xt to Q 5 Xt tks Xt 7 P tks Xt P to X 5 (Gunsberg's move.) BPtksKt QPtksP-A 9 B to X 2 P tks Xt 10 B tks P, &c. A Steinitz played here against Zukertort 8...P tks Xt ; 9 Q tks P, Q P tks P ; 10 BtoQ 3 ; the latter move being very inferior, Black won the game 10 Bto X 2 should have been played. b More drawn than ever, as the exchange of pieces is forced. c A pretty variation for the student is the following : Had White played what seems a plausible move, viz., 12 E to Q sq. Black would win with 12.. .Q to B4ch ; 13 Q to Q 4, Q R to Q sq, &c. d The game is perfectly even, although Black has a knight against a bishop, and adraw should be a legitimate result. Gems from Steinitz. For the selection of following '_' Gems from Steinitz " we are indebted to our esteemed contemporary the Albany Sunday Express. As long as the three pawns on either wing remain unmoved, there is no weak square, or ' ' hole," on the side that takes that precaution. The term " hole " means a square on the third or fourth row, in front of a pawn after the two adjoining pawns have been moved or captured. Answers to Correspondents. Solution of Problem 77 \. White. Black. 1 Q to B 6 Any move \ 2 Q. R, or B mates accordingly. Solution of Problem 772. 1 B to X B 6 R tks It , 2 Xt to X 7, dia eh X to Q 3 3 Q to Q B 6, mate. !