The Lasker-Steinitz Match.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 38

The Lasker-Steinitz Match.

(a) As suggested in note (a) to the fourth game, Lasker reverts to the orthodox 8...8-Kt 3.' (ft) In the fourth game Steinitz played here BXt 1 with the intention of capturing the Q P at a given moment. The text move threatens the sam,e capture, and seems to be an improvement, since he take 3in the same time the open file, providing the retreat of B to Xt 1 (if attacked with I£t-Q Xt 5) without shutting in the Q R. "(c) Jc is questionable whether 13 P-K R 3, to provuQt the X Xt being pinned, woijld npt have be in pref c alle. (rf) lbi-s i< weakening, in fxiite of the B.Kt 2 secures th--. kii g'e position. But the inoyoiscompu'soty, Lecause of tho threatened Kt-K 5. O) Koepinp a prea lire upon White's Q P, thus preventing White's Kt-B 3. Bt sides, it allows Kt-'J 3 and B 5.

(;) The sacrifice of the exchange is forced, and White w,»B evidently prepared for it. Otherwise he would ha\c had a vury bad game.

0/) Obviously if 26 13 xP, then 26.. .R xB. (ft) 27 Bxß, R x Xt ; 28 BK 3, Rx P ; 29 Q-B 5, and White would have a better position than that obtained }n the sequel. (i) If 3J...R x V then 33 Q-B 8 eh, Kt-Bl ; 34 XtB 4 P-Kt 4 ; 35 QKt J, and White would have no difficulty in, at least, drawing in this position. (j) Mr Showalter suggested after the conclusion of the game 45. . .Q-B 4 as more favourable than the text move. Lasker said that "he could not take advantage of such a line of play, being pressed for lime." (ifc) Albin pointed out that White could have won the game here with 48 Q-K 3. Steinitz, however, had the gain of the dangerous passed pawn in view, which was of paramount importance. (0 If 52 P-Q 6, Black would have drawn the game. (»i) This secures a draw. (n) White cannot win with the extra pawn (see Kling and Horwitz, or J, Berger'q " Book of. End GWW")'

To the Chess Editor Otago Witness.

Sin.,— Re the remarks in the London Times which you referred to a couple of weeks ago, the thanks of the colonials are due to you for the able manner in which you championed their cause ; and the time seems opportune to me to indulge in a little counter-attack at the expense of some of the old world players. The other evening one of the members of the Wellington Chess Club (not a colonial born by the bye) set up the following position (taken from the Weekly Scotsman of the 14th April last), with the proposition for White to play and win. He said the ending as actually played was exceedingly brilliant and ho wanted to see if any of us could discover it. The position is :-White : king KB/, queen Q R 7, rooks KBI and Q 7, knight KR2, and pawn K Kt 3. Black : king K4, queen Q R 4, rooks X Xt 4 and Q Xt 5, bishop Q 1, and pawns Q R 3, Qll 7, and K5. It is certainly a mott remarkably strange position to nave come about in actual play, and on one of us remarking this, the gentleman who set it up Baid it occured between two Russian player?. At this we laughed, but each held up a warning finger to the other not to enunciate the witticism. If the joke hinted at be too deep for any of your readers. I will bo most happy to forward a complete analysis of it on receipt of addressed envelopes (containing sixpence in stamps). . On referring afterwards to the Weekly Scotsman, which Acknowledged as its source the Newcastle Weekly Couranr, I found the players were (White) V. HrechkofF and (Black) E. Potteechkin. Well, two of us (real colonials) tackled the position, and were not long in discovering that Q-K B 2 wins in every variation. QX 3 threatening, Q x R eh, (B x Q, Xt mates, will not do, for a reason which will appear later on ) In reply to 1 Q-K 82. if Black plays 1 PK 6, then 2 Q x P eh (Kt-B 3 eh is even more effective) ; 2 R-K 5 ; 3 Kt-B 3 eh, K-B 4 • 4 Xt R 4 dbl eh, K-K 4 ; (if 4 K-Kt 5, Q checks and rook mates) ; 5Q x R eh, Bx Q; 6 R-B 5, mate. We suspected though that our solution was not brilliant enough to be tho " Eureka," and such proved to be thecase. MrHrechkoff'sthunderbolfc was IQxP, Q x Q ; 2 XtXt 4 eh, R x Xt ; 3 R-B 5 eh. X xR; 4 R mates— "Excelsior" 1 1 We thought this so brilliant that we started to go through it again— l QxP; at this stage we I stopped and said, " Suppose I Black does not take the queen | at once, but plays something else," and sure enough we found that if Mr Pottcechkin bad not been so ready to "pot" each piece, but bad been himself a little generous and brilliant, and had sacrificed his rook at KKt 2 eh, he could indeed have made a wreck of (this is a good one, and worth one shilling in stamps) Mr Hrechkoff, because whether White takes the rook or moves out of check, Black then takes the queen and wins the game ! 1 ...R-Kt 2 eh also knocks 1 Q-K 3 on the head, because after KxR Black queens his pawn and threatens a discovered check. Now here we have a brilliant ending going the rounds of chess columns in the old world without its un soundness being pointed out or even suspected; but as soon as it falls into the hands of some colonials its time is up, and it passes in its "checks." But observe our action has not been iconoclactic, as we provided a sound win for White before annihilating the brilliancy. Having brought the counterattack on the remarks of tho Times up to this point, I refer it to you for adjudication. I am not selfish, and if you should decide honours even and award a draw, I am quite satisfied. — I am, Ac. i R. J- Baiines. Wellington, June 9, 1894.

The sixth game : > Giuoco White. Blaok. (Steinitz.) (Lasker ) 1 P-K4 P-K4 2 Kt-KB3 Kt-Q B 3 3 BB 4 B-B 4 4 P-B 3 Kt-B 3 5 P-Q 4 P x P 6 P-K 5 P-Q 4 78-QKt5 KtK5 8 P x P B-Kt 3a 9 Kt-B 3 0 0 LO B-K 3 PB 4 LI PxP/».p. KtxßP 12 R-Q B 1-6 Q-Q 3 L 3 0-0-c B.Kt 5 L 4 B-K 2 Q RK I L 5 P-K R 3 BxKt L 6 B x B Kt-K 2 17 Kt-K2 Kt-Kt3 L 8 P-K Xt 3d P-B 3 19 B-Kt 2 Kt-K 5 10 Q-Kt 3 QB 3.-« Jl P.Q E 4 Kt-Q 3 22 Q-Kt 4 Kt-Q B 5 Jl R x Kt-/ P x X 24 P-R 5 B-Q 1 26 Qx Xt P B x P 26 Q x R P<; B-Q 7 J7 Q B 5-A Bx B 28 P x B Q-K 3 29 Rxit eh R x R JO P-K 4 Q-B 2 31 K-K 2 R-Kt 1 J2 QxP(B6)Kt-K2-i 53 Q-B 7 R x P 34 Kt-B 4 P-Kt 4 35 Kt-Q 5 Xt x Xt 36 Q-Q Bch K-Kt 2 Piano. White. Black. (Steinitz.) (Lasker.) 37 QxP eh K-R 1 38 Px Xt R'K 7 39 Q-Q Bch R-K 1 40Q-Kts Q-Kt2» 41 Q-Q 2 QB 3 42 Q-B 3 R-Q B 1 43 BB 3 R-Q Xt 1 44 B-Kt 2 R-Q B 1 45 PR 4 Q-Q3J 46 B-R 3 R-B 2 47 B-K 6 Q-B 1 48 K-Kt 2-k Q-B 3 49 Q-R 5 R-K 2 50 Q-B 5 R-K 1 51 Q x P R-K B 1 52 Q-K 2 I Qx P 53 P-Q 6 R-Q 1 54 P-Q 7 RxP-nt 55BxR Qxß 56 Q-K sch K-Kt 1 57 P-R 5 Q-Kt 2 58 Q-K Bch QB 1 59 QxQ eh KxQ 60 K-B 3» K-B2 61 K-Kt 4 K-Kt 2 62 K-Kt 5 K-B2 K3 K-R 6 K-Kt 1 64 K-Kt 5 K-B2 65 KB 4 K-Kt 2 66 K-fi 5 K-B 2 67 P-Kt 4 P-R 3 68 K,K 5 K-K 2 6.9K-Q5 K-B 3 70 K-K 4 K-K 3 71 K-Q 4 K-B 3 Djawn gamp.