CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 66

CHESS.

Conducted by F. J. Mouat.

Tijs Otago Chess Club meets for play at the rooms, Liverpool street, Dunedin, every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evening at 8 o'clock. Visiting chess plavers are cordially Invited to the club on these evenings.

PROBLEM 3768 (Tournoy Problem from Hampstead and

High ga to Expreea.)

6RI; b2K4; Qplß4; 3pi; 3k4; 2pP3p; K 1 PIP; kt2qKtlktl. White to play and mate iu two moves.

PROBT.KM 3769. (Tourney Problem from Hampstead and Highgato Express.)

Iktlql; r2p3b; 2pPPIPr; 4PE.Ip; IPPIkS; Ip2Kt3; pP6; KIBQ-1. White to play and mat© in three moves.

.SOLUTIONS TO nfOOLKMV Problem 3766. Key move: R-K 3. Problem 3737. Key move: Q-Kt 8.

G A MI'S. 'The following is tho score of the first game played between C. G. Steelo (White) and J. Higgs (Black) in (he contest between the two for the chess championship of Victoria ;

Scotch Game. White. Black. 1 P-K 4 i P-K 4 2 Kt-KB 3 2 Kt QB 3 3 P-Q 4 3 P x P 4 Kt :c P 4 Kt-KB 3 a 5 Kt :c Kt 5 KtP x Kc B Q 3-b 6 P-Q 4 c 7 P-K 5 d 7 Kt-Kt 5 8 0-0 8 B QB 4 9 Q-K 2-e 9 Q-K o f 10 b-KB 4 o 10 Kt x BP 11 B-Kt 3-h 11 Kt-K 5 dia ch 12 Rcsigi s-l Notes from Weekly Times. (a) This move was brought into notice by Lukerlort. There can be i<o doubt that it greatly simplifies the game, and avoids the compOication of the usual continuation—namely, 4 . . . B-B 4. (h) Tin's move has the sanction of Blackburno’s high authority, and has been played by him with marked success in games against the greatest players. The alternatives are Kt-B 3 or P-K 5. (c) Obviously the best move. (d) A bad move, as the sequel proves. The proper one is 7 Q-K 2. as strongly advocated by the groat English player just named, who in this particular opening is an acknowledged past-master. (k) Too lalo now! 9 B-B 4 is imperatively called for. (f) After this telling move, White’s game is hopeless. (g) Of no avail now. (h) 11 R-Kt would be of no use, as Black would then play Q x Is change off, and he left with an easy winning game. (i) Because if 12 K-R 1. Kt x B male! and if 12 R-B 2. Black wins the exchange, and as before changes off, etc. Here is an example of the brilliant style of the German chess master, Anderssen. The game was played against a member of the Academy Chess Club, at Breslau, where Anderssen was professor of mathematics. Kjesehitzky Gambit. White. P’Hck. Herr Prof. Andeissen. 1 P-K 4 1 P-K 4 2 P-KB 4 2 P x P 3 Kt-KB 3 3 P-KKt 4 4 P-KR 4 4 P-Kt 5 5 Kt-K 5 5 Kt-KB 3 6 B-B 4 fi P-Q 4 7 P x P 7 B-Q 3 8 P-Q 4 8 Kt-R 4 9 B-Kt 5 ch ? 9 P-B 3 in P x P 10 P x P 11 Kt x QBP 11 Kt x Kt 12 B x Kt ch 12 K-B 1 13 B x R 13 Kt-Kt 0 14 K-R 2

White's bast defence was K-B 2, but Black would still have obtained a strong and enduring attack. 14 B-KB 4 15 B Q 5 15 K Kt 2 18 Kt B 3 It) R-K 1 ch 17 K-B 2 17 Q-Kt 3 18 Ki ll 4 18 Q-R 3 19 Kt-B 3 If. instead, he play the plausible move of 19 P-Q B 4, Black’s reply is Q x Kt! And if White capture the /queen, mate follows in three moves. 19 B-K 4 £0 P-QR 4 Intending to play Kt-Kt 5, to shut off the quean and also defend the Q P. If, instead of tire text move, he capture the bishop, of course Q-Kt 3 ch wins at once.

POSITION AFTER WHITE’S 20th MOV!

20 Q-B 8 ch I 21 Q x Q 21 B x P ch 22 J5-K a 22 R x B ! 23 K-Kt 1 23 li-K 8 mate CAPABLANCA ON TOUP. Sen or Joao Oapablanoa, the young Cuban master, played 28 strong players simultaneously at the City of London Chess Club recently. He won 16 games, drew 3, and lost 9. Capablanca afterwards encountered 26 players simultaneously at the new Imperial Chess Club, Curzon Hotel, and vanquished 23 of them, one game being drawn. Spectators and players alike were impressed by Capablanoa’s boyish appearance and the quiet and apparently effortless manner in which he won his games. Capablanoa’s subsequent visit to the Birmingham Chess Club is described) ns a. great success. The following account ■of ;t appears in the Birmingham Post: “ Having boon suitably introduced by Mr Hnnbury to a Large assembly, which later in the evening reached almost unprecedented proportions for a club engagement, Capablanoa began his tour of the 28 boards shortly before 7 o’clock. After three and aquarter hours’ play Mr A. H. Griffiths was able to announce the result of 24 wins for the simultaneous performance, two draws against Miesana P. H. Morris and) W. J. PartrWge, and two losses to Messers P. H. Terrill and P. Feeny. The team, which included Sir Oliver Lodge, was a very strong one, and but few of the leading players in the city were missing from its numbers. The young master created a most favourable impression, and all present agreed with Mr Griffiths that a second visit on the first convenient occasion would bo highly esteemed ■and eagerly anticipated. We were privileged to follow closely the whole of" the games ‘ from the inside,’ and were particularly struck with the marked simplicity and correctness of his play. Beyond a slight ■slip or two, the safest and best move in the positions was almost invariably made. He took few, if any, real risks, though he never missed what looked like anything of an opening to his opponent’s game. Scarcely any games were actually brought to a speedy conclusion, though of course witli a sprinkling of weak players present their games would not be long in becoming practically over. Still, the majority of the games must have run to 40 or 60 moves, and as the average time per game was seven minutes, some idea of the rapidity of his moves can be gathered. The day will bo marked with a red letter in the annals of the Birmingham Club, which is to ho warmly congratulated on its enterprise in bringing about such a remarkably successful display. “ Capablanca two do vs aftefftards left Southampton for New York. He was to spend 10 di.aya or so there, and mss Christmas and the New Year at his homo in Cuba. He has received a reply from Hr Lasker to his challenge for the world’s champion shin. The doctor accepts ‘on principle.' and though terms and details may not be easy of arrangement, Senor Capablanca believes that a common cement of the match may be made inside of the next 12 months.” CUPS'? IT PUS. C. G. Steele (Melbourne) baa defeated J. Higgs (Echnca) in the contest between tho two for the chess championship of Victoria. Steele beat his opponent by six points to four, having wen five games, lost three, and drawn two. The victor retains the title of chess champion of Victoria, and also receives a £2O trophy. Dr Emanuel Lasker, world’s chess champion, arrived in London unexpectedly in December. He was cordiallv welcomed at tho City of Lcndon Chess Club, where lie took part in games of Kriegspiel, which, it seems, has some attraction for members of tho metropolitan club. Mr A. Bonar Law. who has made such phenomenal progress in Parliament, and has now attained to actual leaedrship of the Opposition in snccesion to Mr Balfour, has always been a very enthusiastic chess player lof the first grade in strength) during the la.st 30 years (remarks the Falkirk HeraldV Fr.r nearly that period he has been a very prominent meml>er_ of Glasgow Chess Club and is a past president of the club, as well as of the Scottish Association. Formerly lie used to play in all matches and the championship of the club, a.nd he is still a regular visitor to the chib, and indulges in many a quiet off-hand game when ho is in Glasgow, and has anv spare time. The committee of the club sent their distinguished friend a telegram of hearty congratulations on his having readied the highest post in the counsels of the Opposition. The two strongest chess players in Parliament at present are Mr Bonar Law and Mr W. IV. Rutherford (ex-Lord Mayor of Liverpool, and a. very prominent member of the Liverpool Chess Chib). Both gentlemen are front-rank ch*ss players, both sft on the same aide of the House, —but. in politics, it appears that the Glasgow man can giro his Liverpool friend “ odds.”