PROBLEM 5670.

Otago Witness, Issue 3549, 28 March 1922, Page 45

PROBLEM 5670.

By

R. MARTINS.

Black.

White. White to play and win. Mr T. L. Woods, Moerewa, says lie found this in a Manchester paper with the remark : “One of the most difficult problems published.” He would like to have opinions from our readers on its merits. TO CORRESPONDENT. T. L. W. (Moerewa). —Your play last week on Boreham’s problem was very good; but you allow a Black win at 19th move where you play 26 31, which allows Black to get his men through; 26 30 is move to draw. Thanks for problems, etc. THE WORLD’S CHAMPIONSHIP. Last mail- brought the Glasgow Herald, with details of the big match up to the 30th j game. Believing readers will appreciate the | chance of studying the endings between two | such masters, we append details from the Herald. The match was to be 40 games, restricted, for a purse of £SOO. First Day.— The players took their seats, and Mr Arch. Macfarla-ne (Glasgow) acted as timekeeper for Mr Stewart, while Mr H. J. Flicker (London) did likewise for Mr Banks. A new departure was the staging of the players on the platform, while the spectators followed the moves on two large wall boards. The ballot produced a- "Denny” opening for the first game. Stewart, having the choice, took the Black men, and proceeded TTs follows: 10 14, 22 17, 7 10, 17 13, 3 7, 25 22, 14 17, 21 14, 9 25, 29 22, 11 15, the same as played by the late C. F. Barker (U.S.A.), in lus match against the late Rich. Jordan (Edinburgh), at Boston, in 1900, for the world’s championship. The game developed very quickly until after over one and a-half hours’ play the following position was arrived at: — Black (Stewart) on 4, 10, 12, 13, 21; White (Banks) on 11, 18, 19, 22, 32. Black (Stewart) to play—2l 25, 11 7, 25 30, 7 2, 30 25, 27, 10 14, 18 9, 25 18, 7 10, 18 2-3, 19 15, 13 17, 15 11, 12 16, 32 28, 16 19, 11 7, 23 27—drawn. In the second game, Banks, at the 11th move, varied from Stewart’s play of 11 15 by adopting a new l move, 10 15. Kear’s Encyclopaedia gives 10 ,14 and 11 15, but mentions nothing about this new move of Banks's. It was quite clear to the onlookers that Stewart made the correct reply, as he very soon got a strong game on, and it looked as if Banks’s new move would lose him the game, as the following position will show:—Black (Banks) 7, 10, 11, 23; White (Stewart) 30, 28, 24, king 2. White to play — 24 19, 10 14, 26, 14 17, 30 25, 23 27, 25 21, 17 22, 28 24, 27 31, 24 20, 31 27, 19 16, 27 23, 16 12, 23 19. The position here calls for very special attention, and is very critical and interesting. The spectators thought Stewart missed a win here by not playing 12 8. Instead he played 21 17, and Banks replied 11 15, 12 B,' 15 18, 8 3, 7 11, 6 10, 11 15, 3 7, 22 26, 10 14, 18 23, and the game was agreed as drawn. The evening session started at 6.30 before a large atendlance. Both sides of the first opening having been played, the ballot was called in, and it produced a “Kelso.” Banks had the White pieces. The opening moves were 10 15, 24 19, 15 24, 28 19 , 9 14, 22 18, 5 9. About mid-game Banks seemed to have built up a very strong game. to play carefully, as the following position will prove:—Black (Stewart) 1,2, 12, 14, 20, 21, 22; White (Banks) 5, 10, 13, 19, 23 , 30, 31. White to play. At this stage Banks caused some excitement by throwing a piece and going a man down, which gave him a very strong position indeed by 10 6, a splendid' move—l 10, 5 1, 24 20, 1 6,2 9, 13 6, 24 27 31 24 , 22 26, 24 20, 26 31, 6 2, 31 26, 2 6 10 15. 19 10, 26 19, 10 7, 19 15, 7 2, 15 11, 6 10, 14 17, 26, 17 22, 6 9, 22 25 , 9 14, 25 29, 14 18, 29 25, 10 14, 25 29, 30 26, 21 25, 26 23, 30 25, 23 19, 29 25, 14 9, 25 29, 19 15, 11 7, 18 14, 30 26, 9 6; and Stewart drew a splendily played game. Second Day.— In the second “Kelso,” Banks had the Black men, and the game opened as follows: 10 15, 24 19, 15 24, 28 19, 9 14, 22 18, 5 9, and here at the eighth move Stewart varied, playing 25 22 (as against 21 17 played by Banks in the previous game); 11 16, 18 15, 7 10, 22 18 now followed, and Banks varied from the line which is strongly fancied by West of Scotland experts. For some reason the American champion had the impression that Stewart hadi played weakly, especially after 22 18 at the 10th move, an impression he was to see dissipated before the end of the game, as Stewart scored a brilliant win. Position: —Black (Banks) 4,5, 10, 13, 15, 21; White (Stewart) 11, 20 , 22, 26, 28, 30. White (Stewart) to play—2B 24, 5 9, 11 7, 9 14, 7 2, 14 17, 27, 10 14, 30 25 , 21 30, 7 10, 30 23, 10 26, 17 21, 26 30, 4 8, 20 16, 8 12, 24 19, 14 17, 20 26, and Banks resigned. The ballot brought out 11 15, 22 18. Stewart, with the Black men, adopted the 12 16 line, the same as Ferrie v. Bryden match. The opening ran as follows:—11 15, 22 18, 15 22, 25 18, 12 16, and Banks took the 18 14 cut, which is considered the strongest reply to 12 16, presumably because it prevents the formation of the well-known “Flora Temple,” and other intricate lines. The game proceeded very qnickly, and, after a-n hour’s play, the position then was:—Black (Stewart) 3,5, 6,7, 8, 16; White (Banks) 14, 18, 23, 24 , 28, 32. White (Banks) to play — 24 20, 16 19, 23 16, 6 10, 16 12, 10 17, 18 15, 17 22, 28 24 , 22 26, 24 19 —drawn. In the evening Banks had! the Black men in the “Single Corner.” The opening was 11 15, 22 18, 15 22, 25 18, and here, at the fifth move, Banks adopted the old 8 11 move. Thus was the line that the late R, Jordan

played .against Stewart in their match at Edinburgh. Play then proceeded very cautiously, each player taking his time to play each move, and as the game was nearing the end it looked as though both were working for a- grip on the ending. Position: Black (Banks) 3, 12, 20, king 32; White (Stewart) 28, 30, 31, king 2. Black (Banks) to play—32 27, 31 24, 20 27, 26, 30 25, 27 31, 28 24, 16 20, 24 19, 26 31, 19 15, 3 8, 6 10, 8 12, 10 14, 20 24, 15 10, 24 27, 14 9, 27 31. The game was eventually drawn. Third Day.— For the seventh and eighth games the opening was 10 15, 23 18 “Kelso.” Stewart, with the Black, led off as follows: —lO 15, 23 18, 7 10-A, 27 23, 3 7, 24 20, 9 13, 28 24, and Stewart took the cut 15 19, and the game proceeded slowly. After one and a-half hours’ play the position was—Black (Stewart) 2,4, 5, 13, 19, king 29; White (Banks) 26, 27, 28, 30, king 1. Black (Stewart) to play. Stewart continued 4 8, 27 24, 5 9, 24 15 , 26, 1 10, 9 14, 10 17, 13 31, 28 24, 31 27, 24 20, 27 24, 15 10—drawn.

(a) In recent big matches 12 16 has been mostly favoured here for Black. The next game opened as follows: 10 15, 23 18, 12 16, end at the third move Banks varied from Stewart's 7 10. The game soon proceeded on a line Banks played against Alf. Jordan in November, 1914, in America, but at the 23rd move Banks played 3 7 instead of 1 6, as he played against Alt. Jordan. Closing position: —Black (Banks) 2, 7, 10, 13, 14, 20; White (Stewart) 21, 22, 23 , 24 , 27 , 31. White (Stewart) to play. The game proceeded—22 18, 14 17, 21 14, 10 1 1 • 18 15 —drawn. The ballot in the evening produced 11 16, 24 20 “Bristol,” and Stewart had the Black meii. The opening play was 11 16, 24 20, 16 19, 23 16, 12 19, 22 18, 9 14, 18 9,_ 5 14, 25 22, and Stewart adopted the 10 15 line, which is well known to most experts, and alter one hour’s plav the position was as follows:—Black (Stewart) 1,3, 6, H, 12, 15, 21; White (Banks) 13, 14 , 20, 24, 27, 28, 31. Stewart to plav. The game continued: 15 18, 14 9 , 6 10 , 24 19, 18 22, '27 24, 10 14— agreed drawn. Banks, with the Black men, opened! with 11 16, 24 20, 16 19, 23 16, 12 19, 22 18, and at the seventh move varied from the previous game’, where Stewart played 9 14. Banks played 10 14, and went straight for the line where a piece is thrown away, and White has early to give it back to save a difficult game. This line Wyllie (the famous “Herd Laddie”) lost to W. Gardiner (Leeds), with the White men, in the 1894 International at London. It is a very old line, and the finish was:—Black (Banks) 2,3, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14; White (Stewart) 19, 20, 21 23 30 31. Black (Banks) to play — u’ 157 30 26, 15 24. 22 18, 3 7, 18 9, 13 17, 21 14, 10 17, 23 19, 24 28, 19 16, 17 21, 16 l‘~ drawn. Fourth Day.— The opening drawn was 10 15, 22 18 “Kelso.” It ran as follows (Stewart playing the Black men):—lo 15, 22 18, 15 22, 25 18 (j 10-A The game proceeded, and m about one and a-half hour's play a very interesting position arose. Some spectators thought that Stewart would lose the game, as he had played what was known as a book loss. Instead he drew a well-played game. Position: Stewart (Black) 2,3, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; Banks (White) 17, 20, 21, 22, 23 27 28, 31 32 Stewart (Black) to play—l2 16, 2,1 16 03 * 27 9, 15 19, 31 26, 11 15, 9 5, 10 14, 17 10 714 28 24, 19 28, 26 23, 27, 51, 15 19, 23 16,’ It 17, 21 14, 7 11, 16 7, 3 26—drawn. (a) Banks played 9 13 m his match with Henderson in America. „ In the second game of the 10 15, 22 18 “Kelso” Banks had the Black men. The opening ran as follows:-10 13, 22 18, 15 22 25 18, 6 10, 29 25, 9 14, where Hyncl_ played 9 13. After fully an hour and a-half s play, the position was:—Black (Banks) 2, £. 6, 7 10 12, 14, 15, 16; White (Stewart) 17, 21, ot 04 ofi 27, 23, 30, 31. White (Stewart) to niav—°4 70, 69, 20 11, 7 16, 17 13, 16 19, 13 6 29, 23 16, 12 19 , 27 23, 19 24 , 28 19, 15 24 26 22, 38, 22 18, 8 11, 30 25 , 24 28, 25 22, 10 15, 22 17, 15 22, 17 10- —drawn. Play was resumed in the evening before a large attendance of spectators, and the ballot brought out 11 16, 22 18 (another form of “Bristol” opening) for the next two games. Stewart moved the Black pieces, and the opening was:-11 16. 22 18. 8 11, 25 22 4 8, 22 17 and then Stewart took the 16 19 cut. This’game, for a good portion of the time, want on well-known lines, and after an hour’s play the position was -.-Black (Stewart) 2.5, 0,7, 12, 13. 15- W lute (Ranks) iQ oi 09 24 27, 28, 32. Black (Stewart) to’play— l3 17,’21 14, 6 10. 18 11, 10 26, 24 20, 7 16 20 11, 26 30, 11 8, 30 26, 8 3, 12 16, 3 8, 16 20, 8 11, 5 9, 11 15. 9 14, 15 19, 20 22, 19 15 —drawn. , After a short interval play was resumed on the other side of the “Bristol, 11 16, 22 18 opening, and was as follows: 11 16, 20 18 8 1). Stewart varied by playing 24 20 « a’o-ainst 25 22 played by Banks in the previous game. About mid-game Banks, _ although a man down, got a very strong end game. ° Stewart, forcing matters, secured a beautiful draw. Position :—Black (Banks) 2, 3. 9, king 23: White 6, 11, 15, 16, _ 28. White ’(Stewart) to plav—6 1, 9 13, 15 10, 93 19 28 24 19 12, 24 19, 26, 10 7, 3 10, 15, 13 17, 11 7, 10 14, 72, 69, 26, 9 13, 6 9! 14 18, 9 14—drawn. This was a splendidly played game. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. Problem 5666 (author not given).—Black on 12, 13, king 24; White on 23, 26, king 6; White’ to play and draw. 26 22 23 19 610 10 15 15 18 24 27 27 31 -A 31 26 26 17 Drawn. (a) If 27 23 , 6 10, 23 16, 10 15—drawn.