CHESS.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 65

CHESS.

r CONDUCTBD BY

F. W. CLAYTON.

Solutions of problems, games, and analyses invited for this column. All correspondence should be addressed to the Chess Editor, Otago Witness Office, Dunedin. PROBLEM No. 39. By 8. Bourne. Black (Eleven Pieces).

White (Nine Pieces). 1 kt k. 5 | 1 p 2 R Kt 2 [ P 4 p 2 I 1 p 6 ] Ktrq2RpK|2 Q 2 b B B I 8 I 2 r 3 b 1. White to play and mate in two moves. < PROBLEM No. 40. By J. K. Campbell, Invercargill. Black (Six Pieces).

■White (Seven Pieces). 3Ktlkt2|2p3 B 1 | 2 B P 3 R I 4b3|lKlk4|4p3|4Plktl| White to play and mate in two moves. SOLUTIONS OF PROBLEMS. No. 35.—Q to K 2. No. 36.—R to R 1. Correct solutions of Nos. 30, 31, and 32 received from H. V. Cunliffe, Sydney. He considers No. 30 cleverly constructed, all attempts of Black to evade defeat being effectively countered by White. He particularly admires Nos. 31 and 32, especially the latter; but both are “ very ingenious.” He worked out a solution of Dr Lasker’s end game, corresponding to the solution afterwards published in the chess column of the Otago Witness. E. A. Le Petit, of Invercargill, correctly solves Nos. 35 and 36. He says that the standard maintained by this column is a high one, and remarks that the game published on March 1 (Gundersen v. Woinarski) is a splendid end-game study. The Rev. G. H. Marr, of Granity, West Coast, sends a solution of No. 34, but the move he suggests—B to R 4—is met by K takes R, whereupon should Queen check at K 4 the Black Bishop interposes, and White’s limit of two moves is exhausted. I hope to hear regularly from this correspondent, who expresses interest in and appreciation of this column. J. K. Campbell sends solutions of Nos. 35 and 36, mentioning that the last-named problem was at one time considered the most difficult ever published. TO CORRESPONDENTS. A. Le Petit. —Your original two-mover has not been overlooked. It is quite a neat problem, and will shortly appear. Mr T. J. Rossbotham, Northcote.—Many thanks for the clever verses you have sent. I hope you will recover the missing canto. GAMES. LONDON v. CHICAGO. A six-board match by cable between London and Chicago was played recently from 3 p.m. to midnight, with an interval for dinner from 7 to 8 p.m. The London team played at the Spring Gardens Galleries. In the absence through illness of the Lord Mayor of London the proceedings were opened by Mr J. R. Pakenham, C.8.E., who made the first move for London on board 2; the Mayor of Chicago making the first move for Chicago on board 1. The games, with the exception of the one on board 6, were all extremely complicated and interesting, and attracted a large number of spectators, many of whom spent hours in an adjoining room following the progress of the games on large demonstration boards and analysing the positions that occurred. Most interest was. aroused by the game on board 4. The only definite result reached was on board 6, where the game was drawn by repetition of moves at about 10 p.m. The five unfinished games will be sent to Dr Alechin for adjudication. The positions in these games at the call of time were as follows:— Chicago won the toss, and took White on the odd-numbered boards. The openings played were: 1, Queen’s Pawn Opening; 2, Ruy Lopez: 3, King’s Fianchetto Defence; 4, Queen’s Pawn Opening; 5, Four Knigbt-’s Game ; and 6, Queen’s Pawn Opening. Beard 6 (Queen’s Pawn Opening). White. Black. M. E. Goldstein O. Frink, Jun. (London). (Chicago). 1. P to Q 4 P to Q 4 2. Kt to K B 3 Kt to K B 3 3. P to B 4 P to K 3 4. B to Kt 5 (A) P to K R 3 (b) 5. B takes Kt (c) Q takes B 6. Kt to B 3 P to B 3 (p) 7. P to K 3’ Kt to Q 2 8. B to Q 3 B to Kt 5 9. Q to Kt 3 B takes Kt, ch 10. Q takes B Castles (e) 11. R to Q B sq R to K sq 12. P takes P (f) K P takes P 13. Castles . Kt to B sq 14. Kt to K 5 B to B 4 1 15. Q to B 2 B takes B 16. Q takes B Q to K 2 17. Q to Kt 3 Q R to Kt sq 18. Q to R 4 Kt to Q 2 19. Kt takes Kt Q takes Kt

20. P to Q R 3 P to R 3 21. Q to Q sq R to K 3 f 22. P to Q Kt 4 R to Kt 3 i’ 23. Q to B 3 R to K sq *. 24. P to Q R 4 R to B 3 (g) ' 25. Qto K 2 ii R to Kt 3 26. Q to B 3 Uf- R to B 3 27. Q to K 2 R to Kt 3 -i t 28. Q to B 3 R to B 3 ’ 29. Q to K 2 Drawn. ' (a) Kt to B 3 would have been preferable. The text-move and the subsequent exchange of Bishop for Knight tend to free Black's game. (b) This move may quite well be played If White has omitted to play Kt to Q B 3 before developing his Bishop. (c) If, instead, 5. B to R 4, Black can effectively capture the Bishop’s pawn—e.g., 5. B to R 4, B to Kt 5, ch ; 6. Kt to B 3, P takes P. (d) An alternative is 6...8 to Kt 5, as played by Marshall against Bogoljubow in the Moscow tournament (1925) —e.g., 6...8 to Kt 5; 5. Q to Kt 3, P to B 4; 8. B P takes P, K P takes P; 9. P to Q R 3, B takes Kt, ch; 10. Q-takes B. (e) In a game between Grunfeld and Kmoch in the Semmering tournament (Field, October 28), the latter played in this position 10... P takes P, the continuation being 11. B takes P, Castles; 12. Castles (K R), P to B 4 ; 13. K R to Q sq, P takes P. (f) Mr Goldstein stated after the conclusion of the game that he considered he could have obtained a very good position by playing 12. Kt to K 5, but refrained from making that move as he was afraid of becoming short of time in the complications which might have ensued. (g) The game was now drawn by repetition of moves. Black might, however, have tried to obtain a King’s side attack by R (K sq) to K 3 or K 5. SPARKLING. t The following game is from the recent 'tourney at Meran. The great problematist D. Przepiorka shows that he can apply his fine knowledge of problems to produce brillant play. Opening: King’s Fianchetto Defence. White, D. Przepiorka; Black, A. Patay :— 1. P to K 4 P to K Kt 3 (A) 2. P to Q 4 P to Q 3 3. Kt to K B 3 B to Kt 2 4. B to Q 3 P to K 3 (n) 5. Castles Kt to K 2 6. B to K 3 Castles 7. Q to Q 2 R to K 1 8. B to R 6 B to R 1 (c) 9. Kt to B 3 Q Kt to B 3 10. Kt to K 2 P to Q 4 11. P to K 5 Kt to B 4 12. B to K B 4 P to B 3 13. P to B 3 P to K Kt 4 (d) 14. Kt takes P (e) P takes Kt15. B takes P Q to Q 2 16. P to K Kt 4 P to K R 3 17. P takes Kt. P takes B 18. P to B 6 (f) K to B 2 (g) 19. B to Kt 6, ch ! K takes B (u) 20. Q to Q 3, ch K to R 3 (i) 21. Q to R 3, ch’ K to Kt 3 22. Kt to B 4, ch ! P takes Kt (J) 23. K to R 1 (K) B takes P 24. R to Kt 1, ch K to B 2 (l) 25. Q to R 7, ch Resigns. (a) Never a popular defence, and, judging by’ the present game, not a good defence. (b) Better is P to K 4. As it goes Black's game gets far too cramped. (c) 'Wasting precious time. (n) Gives White an opportunity which he avails himself of in startling fashion. (e) The sacrifice justifies itself by the difficulty Black has in getting his forces into position for the defence of his king. (f) The mortal blow preventing Black defending by Q to K Kt 2. (g) There is no defence. Black’s last hope is that the game may go 19. Q takes P, R to K Kt 1, but "White has a glorious surprise on hand. 1 (H) K to B 1 or Kt allows Q takes P, with a speedy win. (i) If K to B 2 mate in three. (J) If K to B 2 mate in two. (k) A quiet move to end the thrilling story. Now’ R to Kt 1, ch, threatens. (l) If 24...8 to Kt 4: 25. R takes B, ch, K takes R ; 26. R to Kt 1 mate.

BRILLIANCY PRIZE. The following game was awarded the prize for the most elegant game played in the * New Zealand championship tourney, played at Auckland, Christmas, 1926. Opening : Ruy Lopez. White, Mr J. A. Moir, of Auckland ; Black, Mr E. H. Severne, of Nelson. 1. P to K 4 P to K 4 2. Kt to K B 3 Kt to Q B 3 3. B to Kt 5 P to Q R 3 4. B to R 4 Kt to K B 3 5. P to Q 3 (A) P to Q 3 6. P to B 3 B to K 2 (n) 7. Castles B to Kt 5 (c) 8. R to K 1 Castles 9. Q Kt to Q 2 Kt to Q 2 (d) 10. P to K R 3 B to R 4 11. Kt to B 1 Kt to B 4 (E) 12. B to B 2 Kt to K 3 (f) 13. PtoK Kt 4 (c) B to Kt 3 14. Kt to Kt 3 (g) Kt to Kt 4 15. K to R 2 Kt takes Kt, ch 16. Q takes Kt B to Kt 4 17. Kt to B 5 B takes B 18. Q R takes B R to K 1 (H) 19. K R to Kt 1 P to R 3 20. R to Kt 3 Q to Kt 4 21. Q R to Q 1 Q to Q 1 22. Q R to K Kt 1 K to R 1 23. R (Kt 1) to Kt 2 Q to Q 2 24. P to K R 4 Kt to K 2 25. P to R 5 B to R 2 (l) 26. B to Kt 3 R to K B 1 (J) 27. Kt takes R P (k) P takes Kt 28. Q to B 6, ch K to Kt 1 29. P to Kt 5 Resigns (L) (a) Anderssen’s favourite continuation, but Castles is stronger. (b) Most critics give the preference to P to K Kt 3, but Grunfeld considers the text move the better.

(c) Tartakover recommends 7... Castles; 8. R to K 1, P to Q Kt 4 ; 9. B to Kt 3 (if 9. B to B 2, P to Q 4), Kt to Q R 4 ; 10. B to B 2, P to B 4. The text mo\t only aids White’s king side attack. (d) At Teplitz, Schonau, the game, Wolf v. Spielmann, continued 9... P to Q Kt 4; 10. B to B 2. P to Q 4. (e) Better than B to Kt 3, which occurred in the match, Copenhagen v. Stockholm, 1916. Black cannot play 11... P to B 4; 12. P takes P, R takes P because of 13. P to K Kt 4. (f) He still cannot play P to B 4, nor is an attempt to achieve it b* playing B to Kt 3 first of any use, because White replies P to K Kt 4. But P to Q 4 promises to free his game. (g) Black’s seventh move enables While to gain time to prepare his king side attack. (h) From now onward Black’s game drifts. He fails to find a satisfactory defence to the threatened attack. (i) If 25...8 takes'Kt; 26. Kt P takes B, R to K Kt 1 ; 27. P to B 6, etc. (J) If 26... P to K B 3; 27. Kt takes R P, P takes Kt; 28. Q takes P mate. If 26... Kt takes Kt; 27. Kt P takes Kt, It to K Kt 1 (if P to K Kt 4 ; 28. B P takes P i.p., P takes P ; 29. P takes P, B to Kt 1 ; 30. B to B 7 wins) ; 28. P to B 6„ P to K Kt 4; 29. P takes P i.p., B takes P; 30. Q to K 3, K to R 2; 31. R to R 3, P to K R 4 ; 32. Q to Kt 5. Or if 26... P to Q 4 ; 27. B takes P, wins a pawn. Black’s game is hopeless. (k) Finishing matters off in elegant style. (l) For whether Black plays P takes P, to which White replies P to R 6, or whether

he allows White to play P. takes P, White’s threat to mate by Q to K Kt 7 is compelling. ITEMS. The match for the world’s championship between Capablanca and Alechine is now said to be definitely assured, though the date of play has not yet been fixed. The latest scores in the correspondence match between Victoria and New South Wales are: Victoria, 20 wins; New South Wales, 15 wins, and 7 games have been drawn.. There are still about 30 games to be recorded. The scores in the Hastings Christmas tourney were: Dr Tartakover, 7 ; E. Colle, 6 ; F. D. Yates, 5* ; R. Reti, 5 ; G. M. Norman, 5 ; E. G. Serjeant, 4 J ; V. Buerger, 4 ; A. Teller, 4; Sir George Thomas, 3; R. Mitchell, 1. At the last meeting of the Melbourne Chess Club the resignation of Mr S. Marks, who for over six years has served in unparalleled. fashion the club as treasurer, was received. After expressions of the greatest regret at the club’s loss, Mr F. Jones was elected to fill th\j position until the next annual meeting. At the same meeting Dr Parker volunteered to repeat his donation of last year for a prize for a handicap tourney limited to members who had not previously won a prize in a club tourney, the competition to be known as the Cottesbrooke tourney. What promises to be on’e of the world’s greatest chess events is to be held in July this year in London under the auspices of the International Chess Federation. Fifteen units are sending representatives to take part in a team tournament. The nations represented are Argentine, Austria, Belgium, Czecho-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Jugo-Slavia, Each unit will send a fully representative team of four players qualified by birth or naturalisation to contend for the honour and success of their respective countries., in a tournament of unprecedented interest to the whole chess world. Needless to say, a British team will compete. There will also be arranged by the British Chess Association a general congress, but the tourney for the British championship will not be held this year.