CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3802, 25 January 1927, Page 61

CHESS.

Conducted by

F. W. CLAYTON.

.Solutions of problems, games, and analyses invited for this column. All correspondence should lie addressed to the Chess Editor, Otago Witness Office, Dunedin.

' PROBLEM No. 26. By J. Cumpb (Casopis Ceskoslovenkysch Sachistu, 1923). - Black (Six Pieces).

White (Five Pieces).

White to play and mate in two moves. I kt 1 k; 1 r b 5; 4 b Kt 1 B; 4 Kt 3; 1 kt 1 Q 4; 8; 3 K 4; 8.

PROBLEM No. 27. By E. A. Le Petit, Invercargill Black (Five Pieces).

White (Nine Pieces). Mate in two. 8 ; B kt 5 q ; R 7; 3 k p 3 ; P 3 Kt 3 ; R 2 K p B 2; 1 Kt 1 P 4; 8.

F SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. No. 22.—8 to Q Kt’s 5. No. 23. —B to K R’s 8. Dr Church has solved Problems 22 and 23. Mr Le Petit has solved Problem 22, and Bends me a pretty problem (.hat is published herewith. Mr James Dewar, solves Problem 23. NOTES. We append a game by Forgacs (White) and Maroczy (Black), played at Budapest in 1902. This game has been selected by Dr Church as being entrancingly entertaining, abounding in positions of great subtlety and uncertainty, in which the action is carried on by a swift succession of “ thrust and parry ” and counter-thrust till the interest of the chess enthusiast is raised to a high pitch of intensity. Wc can confidently recommend this game as one that •will amply reward chess players for the time necessary to study carefully its exciting development and culmination. The chess editor regrets that in a short description of a tramp up the beautiful Lochie River, published on p. 48 of the last number of the Otago Witness, “ Lochie ” is made to read “ Lachie,” and the variety of beech that clothes that lovely, valley is given as “ Fagus Cliffartioides ”, instead of " Fagus Cliffortioides.” The fault was due to the fact that the writing was done immediately after a day’s hedge-cutting—hence the unsteady hand !

■ GAMES. A BLACKBURNE BRILLIANCY. From the Spartanburg (U.S.A.) Herald we quote the following comments and notes regarding the subjoined game played by Blackburne in the St. Petersburg tourney of 1914 :— One of the nicest things that was ever done in the old Russian capital, St. Petersburg, was the presentation of a purse to Joseph H. Blackburne at the conclusion of the 1914 tourney. Fifty years is a long time for a man to play chess. At the age of 18 Blackburne drew a game on even terms with Paulsen, and, we are told, was further stimulated by taking part in one of Morphy’s blindfold exhibitions. Horace Cheshire tells us that “ within a month J. H. B. was successfully playing 10 blindfold games simultaneously, an accomplishment at which he is without a rival in this country.” That was written in England when Blackburne was 52. He brought much honour and glory to his native land, and he goes into our hall of fame along with Anderssen and Tchigorin, for he detested a dull game, and was an aggressive attacking player. He tied Steinitz for first place at Vienna in 1873, and swept everything before him at Berlin in 1881. Starting with a loss, he wound up two games ahead of the nearest competitor. Dr Zukertqrt, with Tchigorin and Winawer followed closely. Naturally, at the age of 71 a man could not be expected to set the world afire against such a field as that which assembled at St. Petersburg : Lasker, Capablanca, Rubinstein, Alekhine, Niemzowitsch, Marshall, Tarrasch —every contestant a grand master. But Blackburne was generally beloved by the chess world, and the Russians invited him evidently just to be nice to him, and to make a fuss over the old gentleman. They expected nothing of him except, perhaps, to draw a game or so; but he astonished the natives by showing a flash of the old fire, and by winning the third brilliancy prize in a game with no less a warrior than Nlewzowitsch. Here it is:— iWhite (Blackburne). Black (Niemzowitsch). 1. -P to K 3 P to Q 3 2. P to K B 4 P to K 4 (a) 3. P takes P P takes P (n) 4. Kt to Q B 3 B to Q 3 5. P to K 4 (c) B to K 3 6. Kt to B 3 P to K B 3 7. P to Q 3 Kt to K 2 8. B to K 3 P to Q B 4 9. Q to Q 2 Q Kt to B 3 10. B to K 2 Kt to Q 5 (D) 11. Castles K R Castles 12. Kt to Q 1 K Kt to B 3 13. P to B 3 Kt takes B, ch 14. Q takes Kt R to K 1

15. Kt to R 4 (E) B to K B 1 (r) 16. Kt to B 5 K to R 1 17. P to K Kt 4 Q to Q 2 18. Kt to B 2 P to Q R 4 (a) 19. P to Q R 3 P to Q Kt 4 20. Q R to Q 1 Q R to Kt 1 21. R to Q 2 (H) P to Kt 5 U,. 22. R P takes P R P takes P 23. P to Q B 4 R to Q R 1 K 24. Q to B 3 R to R 7 25. P to K Kt 5 P to Kt 3 26. Kt to Kt 4 I (i) P takes Kt 1 27. Kt takes BP Kt to Q 5 28. Q to B 2 Q to B 3 *’ " 29. Kt takes R ' Q takes Kt ’Sy30. B takes Kt K P takes B ’• 31. P takes P B to Q 2 32. R to K 1 Q to B 2 ?-■' 33. Q to R 4 (J) R to R 1 34. R to K B 2 B to B 3 .ft: 35. Q to Kt 4 R to K 1 36. R takes R Q takes R 37. R to K 2 Q to Q 2 ■ 38. R to K 6 B to R 1 ( K ) 39. P to Kt 6 P takes P 40. R takes P Q to K R 2 41. Q to Kt 3 (L) Q to R 4 42. RtoKt 4 (M) Resigns. (a) Thus early Blackburne puts the Russian on his own resources, there being no book moves on record covering this opening. (b) Black has the better position. He has a pawn in the centre, and his pieces are more free.—(Ed. Lasker.) (c) Now White has also a pawn in the centre, but he is a move behind. — (Ed. Lasker.) (d) The first aggressive move on either side. It should be noted that Blackburne has an open file for his rook after he castles, so he Is really not as far behind as Ed. Lasker says. (e) Black has been playing to win White's K P, which he could have done if White had continued P to Q 4. (f) But he goes back realising that Blackburne is not interested right now in pawns. (g) Evidently thinking he is safe enough on the king’s side. (h) A good move to serve future purposes of offence or defence. (i) But that made Niemzowitsch bat his eyes! (J) A beautiful move. Black dare not take the bishop’s pawn. (k) in order to prepare a mating threat by Q to Kt 2. (l) Threatening the check at K 5. (Ml This threatens R to R 4, and there is no answer. . FRENCH DEFENCE. A -well-played game from the 1926 British championship, held at Edinburgh. The notes are from the Field, and, as pointed out, Black could have drawn by varying his twenty-eighth move. Both players hold a high position in English chess, and have played many fine games in their long careers, j White (F. D. Yates). Black (R. P. Mitchell). 1. P to K 4 P to K 3 2. P to Q 4 P to Q 4 3. Kt to Q B 3 B to Kt 5 (a) 4. P takes P (b) P takes P 5. B to Q 3 Kt to Q B 3 6. Kt to K 2 K Kt to K 2 7. Castles Castles 8. P to Q R 3 B takes Kt (c) 9. P takes B (d) Kt to B 4 (e) 10. Kt to Kt 3 Kt to Q 3 11. Q to B 3 Kt to K 2 12. R to K 1 P to Q B 3 13. Q to R 5 Kt to Kt 3 14. B to K Kt 5 P to B 3 15. B to R 4 Q to Q 2 16. B takes Kt P takes B 17. Q takes P Q to Kt 5 18. Q takes Q B takes Q 19. P to B 3 B to Q 2 20. Kt to B 1 K R to K 1 21. P to R 4 Kt to B 5 22. P to Kt 4 ’ P to K Kt 4 23. B to B 2 R takes R 24. B takes R B to K 1 25. P to R 4 B to Kt 3 26. P takes P P takes P 27. R to B 1 R to K 1 28. K to B 2 K to Kt-'2 (f) 29. B to Q 2 K to B 3 30. B to K 3 Kt to R 6 31. P to B 4 P takes P 32. B takes P Kt takes P (g) 33. Kt to Kt 3 Kt to R 6 34. R to K R 1 Kt to B 5 35. K to B 3 K to B 2 36. Kt to B 5 B takes Kf 37. P takes B K to Kt 2 38. K to Kt 4 R to K R 1 (ii) 39. P to B G, ch K to Kt 1 40. P to B 7, ch K to Kt 2 41. R takes R Resigns. (a) This move was for a long time considered weak, but has recently come into , favour.

(b) The best reply. Dr Lasker, against Maroczy in the New Y’ork tournament (1924), played P to K 5, and had soon a very difficult game. (C) Either Kt to B 4 or B to K B 4 might well have been played, and would probably have given Black an easier game than he actually obtained. (d) As compensation for his damaged Queen’s side —which would tell against him in the end game—White has two Bishops against Bishop anp Knight, with attacking chances on -the King’s side. (e) B to B 4 would have practically forced the exchange of White’s King’s Bishop, and appears better than the text move, the object of which is to play the Knight to Q 3, and exert pressure on White’s Q B 4. (f) Here Black misses an opportunity to draw the game. Instead of the text move he should have played 28... R to K B 1, threatening 29...8 to K 5. If, in reply, White plays 29. K to Kt 2, then 29, . .R to K 1, threatening 30... R to K 7, or if 29. Kt to R 2, then 29. . . R to B 2, threatening 29. . . R to R 2. (g) Black has recovered his Pawn, but only at the cost of taking his Knight away from the scene of action on the King’s side. (h) Under pressure of time Black here makes a mistake which results in the immediate loss of the game. He was, however, already at a great disadvantage, as his Knight could not easily be brought into effective action. FRENCH DEFENCE. Rubinstein suffers a reverse in the International tournament held at Budapest. White (Nagy). Black (Rubinstein). 1. P to K 4 P to K 3 2. P to Q 4 P to Q 4 3. P takes P P takes P 4. B to Q 3 i B to Q 3 5. Kt to K 2 Kt to K 2 (a) 6. Castles Castles 7. P to Q B 3 Q Kt to Q 2 8. B to K Kt 5 P to K R 3 9. B to R 4 P to K B 4 10. P to K B 4 Kt to K B 3 11. B takes Kt R takes B 12. Kt to Q 2 P tp K Kt 4 13. Kt to B 3 P takes P 14. Kt to K 5 (B) Kt to Kt 3 15. Kt takes P (c) B takes Kt 16. P takes B Kt takes P 17. B to B 2 P to B 3 18. Q to R 5 Q to Q 3 19. Q R to K 1 B to Q 2 20. Q to R 4 R to B 2 21. R to K 3 Kt to Kt 5 22. R to Kt 3 R to Kt 2 23. P to K R 3 Q to B 4, ch 24. K to R 1 Kt to K 6 25. Kt to R 5 ! (d) Resigns. (a) Both players adopt a rather unusual position for their knights. B 3 would be much more effective in each case.

(b) White has a strong post for his knight, or if it is taken the pawn becomes very ft-oublesome. In addition, Black’s pawn position is bad. (c) White, however, proceeds on a more daring plan. (d) A surprise for Black. If 25... R takes R ; 26. Q. takes R, ch, etc.

An extraordinary game, exhibiting tense situations and skilful chess. Played at Budapest in 1902 between Forgacs (White) and Maroczy (Black). White. Black. 1. P to K 4 P to Q R 3 2. P to Q 4 P to K 3 3. P to K’ B 4 P to Q 4 4. P to K 5 P to Q B 4 5. P to B 3 P to Q Kt 4 6. B to Q 3 Kt to Q B 3 7. Kt to B 3 B to Q 2 8. B to K 3 Kt to R 3 9. P takes P ' P to Kt 5 10. Kt to Q 4 Q to R 4 11. P to Q R 3 P takes B P 12. Kt takes Kt P takes P, ch 13. Kt takes Q P takes R (Q) 14. P to B 6 - B to B 1 15. Q to R 4 Kt to B 4 ! 16. B to R 7 B takes P 17. P to B 7, ch B to Q 218. B to Kt 8 B takes Q ! 19. Pto B 8 (Q), ch K to K 2 20. Q to Kt 7, ch K to B 1 21. Q takes R B to Kt 5, ch 22. K to B 1 P to Kt 4 I 23. B to B 7, ch K to Kt 2 24. Q takes R P Q to Kt 7 25. B to Kt 6 Q to B 8, ch 26. K to B 2 Q takes R 27. B to B 1 Q to R P 28. Resigns.