CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 75

CHESS.

Conducted by F. J. Mobat.

The Otago Chess Club meets for ploy at th« rooms, Liverpool street, Daaeeiin, every Monday, Wednesday, and Satarday evening at 8 o’clock. Visiting elaess players are cordially invited to the club on these evenings.

PROBLEM! 3569. By M. Marble, TJ.S.A. (First Prize-winner, La Strategic’s Knma Preti Memorial Tourney— Two-move Section.)

Q 7; GKtl; KpIBl; Spplkil; 3klr2; pIE4R; 4rkt2; B6q. White mates in two moves. PROBLEM 3570(From American Chess Bulletin. Motto: “ Reciprocity.”)

8; 6ktl; p2Pp3; P4Blb; QP2pklP; 2pSRp; 2Kt4B; 6KI. White to play and mate in three moves.

SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.

A CHRISTMAS CURIOSITY. Whiße has first move, and engages to checkmate the Black king on the square he now occupies in 15 moves. We now publish the solution, giving only White’s moves, as the Black king in every instance has only one square to move to; 1 B-K Kt 7 dis ch 9 R B 1 ch 2 K-K R S ch 10 K-K B 4 ch 3ltx Qch 11 R-Q 4ch 4 U K i; i: ch 12 R-Q 6 ch 5 R-Q ti ch 13 B-K B C ch 6 11-Q4ch 14 R K B 8 ch 7 R-KB4ch 15 11-ll 3 checkmate. 8 K-K B 2 ch FOUR CHRISTMAS PUZZLES. (1) 1 Q-K 1. You then move P-Kt 7 (of course a live opponent wouldn’t); 2 B x P (K 7), Black mated. (2) 1 K x P, P-K 8 (Q); 2 Q x Q, Black stalemated. (3) 1 Q-K 1, P x B (Q); 2 K x P, Q x Q, White mated. (4) 1 Q-K 1, P x B (Kt or B); 2 Q-B 2, K x Q, White stalemated.

NEW ZEALAND CHESS CHAMPIOSsinr.

The following game played in the recent contest for the chess championship of New Zealand between E. L. Rutherford, of Wanganui (White), and H. L. James, of 'Wellington (Black), has been entered by the winner for the brilliancy prize:-

The following game was played in the first round of the championship contest between M. Freeman, of Auckland (White), end A. W. O. Davies, of the same city (Black). Score and notes are from the Now Zealand Herald:

ch-C (a) If Q x P. White loses a ipicce. (b) 18 Kt-K 4 is a promising line of play, favourable to Black. If 19 P x P, P-B 5; 20 B-R. 4. Kt x P, followed by Kt x B. (c) With a piece to the good and everything in his favour, Black throws the game away by this useless sacrifice. He expected to recover the rook as played, overlooking White defence'; 28 P-B 5 dis ch, followed by K-B, would stop the threatened mate in two. After the text move Black’s game was hopeless, though ho made a stubborn defence for 36 moves thereafter.

CHESS ITEMS.

The prize for making' the best score against the prize-winners in the New Zealand championship tournament went to Mr C. E, Sainsbury, of Gisborne.

of two guineas as a prize for the most brilliant game played in the recent contest for the -Dominion chess championship. Hr E. Lasker, chess champion of the world, defeated I). Jonowski, the French champion, in a recent match of ten games by the overwhelming score of seven wins to one, with two draws. Messrs F. C. Ewen, C. Little, and A. H. O’Loughlin have been appointed adjudicators on iha games entered for the brilliancy prize at the championship tournament just concluded at Auckland. The presence of E. Hicks, the South Wellington champion, at the recent tournament for the New Zealand chess championship proved disastrous to the Auckland' competitors. The young debutante defeated Davies, Miles, and Freeman, and drew with Grierson —all players of the northern city. The final result of the senior tournament at the Auckland Chess Club (reports the New Zealand Herald) is .as follow; :—Mr E>. .7. Miles wins the tournament, with 11J wins out of a possible 14, Mr Grierson taking second place with 10. Other scores were— Miller 9£, O'Loughlin 8, Ewen 51, Priestly 5, Wingfield 2i. Mr Little retired after playing seven games. The prize-money at the New Zealand championship tournament was distributed as follows:—-Messrs J. Mason and J. C. Grierson agreed to divide first and second money prizes (ffach receiving £15); third prize. £5, Mr A. W. O. Davies; fourth, A 3, Mr It. 7. Barnes; fifth, £-2, divided between Messrs IT. L. James and E. J. Milos. Mr J. C. Grierson, runner-up in the recent contest for the chess supremacy of New Zealand, announced at the close of the tournament that he would not make another attempt to win the championship. He further stated that though he would have liked to wind up his attempts with a successful effort, he felt satisfied that his score in the present contest was sufficient answer to those who might have thought that his win on a former occasion was due to a fluke. As an estimate of the comparative values of the pieces in chess, the following - is as nearly correct as possible:—Taking a. pawn as the unit, a Knight is worth three, a Bishop is worth three and a-Lalf. a Book five, and a Queen nine. In the early part of a genre the Queen may be said to be of more value than two Books, but towards the end two united Books, if not stronger than the Queen, can effectually oppose her .ad infinitum. The Ousen may nearly always be exchanged to advantage for three pieces, provided one is a Book; often for two Bishops and a. Knieht; but perhaps not 'for two Knights and a Bishop. This calculation is based, on the long range of the Bishop, and of course these remarks depend entirely upon the skill of the manipulator and the general position on the board. At a meeting of the Otago Chess Club on Monday it was resolved -that the membars record their deep regret at the death of their late esteemed member Mr David Forsyth, and desire to convey their sympathy to his relatives. A message of condolence was received from the members of the Chess Congress at Auckland expressing their regret at the loss the Otago Club, and the chess world in particular, has suffered owing to the death of Mr Forsyth. The members of committee all expressed regret, pointing out the many good qualities the late gentleman possessed, also the .great amount of good he had done to chess in giving to the chess world the Forsyth notation, a. new notation for recording games, endings, etc., that will keep the inventor’s name green for many years to come.

Queen’s Counter Gambit. White. Black. Whit". Black. 1 P Q 4 P-Q 4 11 BQ2 B x Kt ' 2 P-Q P, 4 P K 4 12 P x B Kt-K 2 :! P x K P P-Q 5 13 Q-B 2 R x B ch 4 M3 B QKtSch 14 Kk x R P-Q 1 Kt-Kt 5 5 P-Q 2 P x P 15 B Q 3 (i Q-H 4 oh Kt-Q B 3 If! 15-15 r> ch Kt x 15 7 15 x 15 V-R 5 17 Q x Kt ch K-Kt 1 » Kt-K 15 3 Q x P ch IS K-15 1 Q x lit ch 9 10 K-Q i B-K 2 15-Kt 5 O-U-O ch 19 liesigrs-

Four Knights’ Game. White. Black. White. Black. 1 P-K 4 P-K 4 15 0-0 P-K 5 i i Kt-K B 3 Kt-Q B 3 Ifi Kt-Q 4 Kt-B 5 P-B 4 ;; B-B 4 Kt-B 3 17 PxP 4 Kt-B ;i B-B 4 IS P-QB4-A P X P-B 5 P-03 P-Q 3 19 K B x P Kt-K 4 (5 B-K 3 B-Kt 3 20 ll-B Q-Q 2 ' V P-K R 3 B-K 3 2! Kt-Kt 3 K P-Q 8 Kt-Q 3 P. x Kt 22 P-K B 4 Kt x B 9 P x 13 Kt-K 2 23 R, x Kt Q-K 3 U) B-Kt 5 ch P-B 3 24 Q-Q B Bx V P-Q 7 n P x P P x P 25 R, x B 12 B-Q B 4 P-Q 4 24 B-K Q-Q 4 Kt x Kt 13 B-Kt 3 Kt-Kt 3 27 Kt-K 4 14 P-B 3 0 O 28 R(B4)xKt R x Kt P