CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3828, 26 July 1927, Page 61

CHESS.

Conducted 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.

By

PROBLEM No. 78.

J. TOTH

(Recommended, British Chess

Problem Society). Black (Six Pieces)

"White (Six Pieces). kt 7 I B 1 1> 2 R 2 I 1 kt Kt 5 | 4 p 3 | IR2p3|3k4| 8 | 1 Kt 1 K 4. White to play and mate in tv.o moves. PROBLEM No. 79. By Dr F. Rnucir (Third Prize Budapest Chess Club, 1924). Black (Eight Pieces).

"White (Five Pieces). White to play and mate-in two moves. 4b3!rlplßl K 1 I 5 Q 2 | p 1 Rs|B|k7|pKt 6 | b 2 kt 4. ( ( SOLUTIONS OF PROBLEMS, ETC. < No. 74. —R to Q B 4. { No. 75. —Q to Q It 1. , Dr R. Church forwards correct answers - to both of the above problems. Referring , to No. 74, by G. 11. Clutsam, he says that ] this composer, George Howard Clutsam, and . a brother, Frederick George Clutsam, entered ] the Otago Roys’ High School in 1881 —the , came year as he (Dr Church) entered. Both < of tiie brothers became distinguished musicians—one in London, and the other in . Melbourne. He adds that, among others ] who joined the Otago Boys' High School in ( the same year, were: Mr Frank Armstrong, , the Rev. Adam Begg, M.A.; Dr Fitchett, Dr Marshall Macdonald, Dr J. 11. Reid, Dr Torrance, Mr A. C. Hanlon, Mr A. E. Gascoigne, Mr A. H. Fisher, Mr D'Arcy Haggitt, Mr Janies Milne, Colonel W. J. Strong, and Colonel J. 11. Moir—an interesting reminiscence and tribute to the Otago Boys’ High School. Mr W. 11. G. Habershon. of Portobello, forwards the correct solution of problem No. 74. Mr Lo Petit has correctly solved problems No. 74 and 75. He particularly praises problem No. 74 (by G. 11. Clutsam) as a ’’ beatutiful bit of work," and refers to the key move of problem No. 75 as being a delightful feature of this problem, the Queen moving to a square where she is " enprise ’’ to anyone of Black’s five major pieces, the King alone offering no threat. GAMES. INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT AT MERAN. Game in the third round : Rcti’s Opening. White, Dr Tartakower; Black, Kostich. 1. Kt to KB 3 Kt to K B 3 2. P to B 4 P to B 3 3. P to K Kt 3 P to Q 4 4. B to Kt 2 B to B 4 5. Castles P to K 3 6. P to Kt 3 Q Kt to Q 2 7. B to Kt 2 (a) P to K R 3 tn) 8. P to Q 4 B to Q 3 9. Q Kt to Q 2 Castles 10. Kt to K 5 P to Q R 4 (c) JI. Kt takes Kt (n) Q takes Kt 12. P to B 3 (E) K R to K sq 13. P to K 4 P takes K P 14. Kt takes P (r) V B to K 2 15. Q to K 2 P to R 5 16. K R to Q sq P to Q Kt 4 17. Q R toll sq (G) R P takes P 18. R P takes P R to R 7 19. Kt to B 3 (H) R to R 4 20. R to R sq R takes R 21. B takes R P takes P 22. P takes P R to R sq (i) 23. B to Kt 2 Q to Kt 2 24. BtoKII sq (J) Q to Kt. G 25. R to Q 2 (K) B to Q Kt 5 26. Q to Q sq R to R 6 (i.) 27. B takes R Q takes B 28. Kt to K 4 (M) Q to K G. ch 29. R to B 2 (N) Kt takes Kt. 30. P takes Kt. B to K 8 31. Q to K 2 B takes R, ch 32. Q takes B Q takes Q, ch 33. -K takes Q B takes P 34. K to K 3 B to R S 35 P to B 5 (o) P to Kt 4 36. P to R 4 B to Q 4 37. P takes P P takes P 3s' B to Q 3 P to B 4 39. B to K 2 K to Kt 2 40. B to R G K to B 3 41. B to B 8 P to K 4 42. B to Q 7 P to B 5, eh 43. P Hakes P Kt P takes P. ch 44. K to Q 3 P to K 5. ch 45. K to K 2 K to Kt 4 46. K to B 2 K to 16 5 47 B to B 8 P to K 6. ch 48. K to K 2 K to Kt G 49. B to R 6 K to Kt 7 50. B to Q 3 B to B 6. ch 51. K to K sq K to Kt 8 52. P to Q 5 (?) B takes P 53. B to K 2 K to Kt 7 (Q) 54. B to R 5 P to B 6 55. B takes P, ch K takes B (n) R’signs (s) (a) The position is now the same as tn a game between Reti and Dr Lasker In the New York tournament (1924).

(B) Dr Lasker delayed making this move (which is designed to provide a retreat at R 2 for the Bishop, if attacked by Kt lo R 4) and played 7...8 to Q 3, the continuation being: 8. P to Q 3, Castles; 9. Q Kt to Q 2, P to K 4; 10. P takes P, P lakes P; 11. R to B sq, Q to K 2 ; 12. 11 to B 2, P to Q R 4; 13. P to Q R 4, P to R 3.

■ -(c) Black has built up a good solid position, and now starts an attack on the Queen’s side.

(n) A needless exchange of a well-posted piece. Better would have been R to K sq, threatening P to K 4. (E) Again R to K sq would have been better. The text-move ' s the disadvantage of shutting in the King’s Bishop. (1) Better, although not completely satisfactory, would have been P takes P, e.g., 14. P takes P, B to K Kt 5; 15. Q to B 2, P to K 4 ; 16. P to Q 5. (G) Loss of time, as the Rook has to return to R sq almost immediately. As White had shut in his King’s Bishop it would, perhaps, have been better to play B to K B sq, as suggested by Dr Tartakower in Wiener Schachzeitung, in the hope of making use of the Bishop on the diagonal from K B sq to Q R C. (H) Better would have been R to R sq at once. The text-move shuts in White’s other Bishop, and weakens the support of his Queen’s pawn. (I) Threatening 23... R takes B: 24. R takes R, Q takes P, ch. (j) Not 24. R to R sq, because of 24... R takes R. ch ; 25. B takes R, Q to R 2. Better than the text-move wouid have been Kt to K 4.

(k) If 25. R to R sq, then 25... R to Kt sq, followed, if 2G. R to R 2, by 26...8 to Kt 8, if 2G. Kt to Q sq, by 2G...8 to B 7, or, if 26. Kt to R 4, bv 26... R to Kt 5 ; 27. R to R 3, Q to B 7. (e) A very pretty move. (M) White would probably have been able to offer more resistance by avoiding the exchange of this piece and playing Kt to R 2, e.g., 28. Kt to R 2. B takes R ; 29. Q takes B, Q takes P ; 30. B to Kt 2. (N) In reply to 29. K to Kt 2, Kostich had planned the following very line combination : 29... Kt takes Kt; 30. R to K 2. B to R 6, ch ; 31. K takes B, Q takes B P (threatening K* to B 7, ch), and wins for, If 32. Q to Kt sq. then 32. . Kt to Kt 4, ch; 33. K to R 4, P to Kt 3; 34. P to Kt 4, B to Q 3 (threatening 35... Q to R G, ch ; 36. B takes Q, Kt to B 6, mate), and White is without resource. (o) This move gives Black a square on which to post his imprisoned Bishop. Better would have been K to B 4, although Black could eventually have freed the Bishop and broken through with his pawns. (p) If 52. BtoK 2, then 52...8 takes B ; 53. K takes B, K to Kt 7 and wins or. if 52 B to B 4, then 52. ..B to Kt 5 followed by 53... P to BG, and wins. The text-move sets a little trap for Black. (q) Here is the trap. If, instead. 53. ..P to B 6 then 54. B takes P, B takes B, stalemate.

(k) Again avoiding the stalemate trap. (s) A highly interesting game, very finely played by Kostich.

HOUSE OF COMMONS v. AUSTRALIAN PAR LIAM ENT AR lANS. A six-board match between the House of Commons Chess Circle and a team of Australian parliamentarians was played on Monday, May 9, to commemorate the opening of the new Australian Federal Parliament buildings at Canberra. The House of Commons team played in Committee Room No. 14, and the Australians at Canberra, the moves being transmitted by “ beam ’’ wireless. The first move for the Australian player at Loard No. 1 was made by the Duke of York, and the first for the House of Commons player at Board No. 2 by Mr Stanley Baldwin. It had been originally arranged to play from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (English time) on the Monday and Tuesday. Owing to unexpected difficulty in the transmission of the moves on the land line from Melbourne to Canberra the rate of play was so very slow that it soon became evident that there would be no possibility of finishing the match, and at 8 p.m. on the Monday it was agreed as a draw, none of the games having been finished. The players for the House of Commons were : Major Sir Richard Barnett, Lieutenant-colonel Sir Asslv’ton Pownall, Captain J. G. Fairfax. Right Hon. Sir John Simon, Sir Mervyn ManninghamBuller, and Mr R. Hopkin Morris, while the Australian parliamentarians were represented by Senator Josiah Thomas (N.S.W.), ex-Senator A. Gardiner (N.S.W.), Mr W. Hamilton (South Australia), Senator J. Miller (Tasmania). Mr F. Cooper (Queensland), and Dr Maloney (Victoria). The Australians had white on the odd-numbered boards. .

OTAGO v. AUCKLAND. In reference to the telegraphic chess match between Otago ami Auckland, which was played on the 4th and 11th of this month, nine games were unfinished at the conclusion of the second night's play. These have now been settled by negotiation between the two clubs, and it will be unnecessary to submit them to an adjudication board. The result, is that Otago wins by 11 games to 9. The following are the complete scores:— Otago. Auckland. Pihl, D 0 Grierson, J. C. 1 Balk. 0 1 Jones, A. J. .. 0 Coombs, L. 1). .. A Madden, ]{. N J Stenhonse. W. G. 1 Arapolf, M. .. 0 Hamel, J. IL F. 1 Fotheringham, A. 0 Cohen. L A Smith, 11. 11. .. -A Wright- G. D. A Sullivan, F. J. A Grigg, L. D. .. 0 Lees, H 1 Marlow, J. J. . A Adkins, J. .. A M’Dermid. I{. . . A Barker, J. IL . A Barnett, Dr G. A Miller, A. . .. A Clavton, F. W. 1 Earle. E 0 Tibbles. W. .. A Barker, IL . .. J Watt, W 0 Roskilly, M. .. 1 Gale, W. G. .. 0 Edwards, G. .. 1 Barnett, C. M. . 1 Marchand, W. . 0 M'Caskill, F. W- 0 Osmond, C. H. 1 Ahern, C 1 Butman, IL . . 0 Herbert, W. .. J Adams. E. C- .. A Kendall, W. B. 1 Jeffe, E <) Total 11 Total 9