CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3833, 30 August 1927, Page 61

CHESS.

Conducted by

F. W. CLAYTON.

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

PROBLEM No. 88. By S. Heetmann. Black (Thirteen Pieces)

White (Eleven Pieces). Kt7I62KP3|S p 2 | R R P 2 p 2 | IKtk2P2|lp 2 Q 3 | 1 P p p kt 1 r 1 | 2 kt q r b 1 B. White to play and mate in two moves. PROBLEM No. 89. By O. Nemo, Vienna. Black (Five Pieces).

White (Five Pieces). Slb7|S]4k3|r 1 P 3 Q B | kt 1 Kt p 4 I 8 1 5 K 2-. White to play and mate in three moves. SOLUTIONS OF PROBLEMS. No. 84.—Q to K R 2. No. 85.—8 to Kt 4. Mr H. V. Cunliffe, of Sydney, sends solutions of problems 78, 79, 80, and 81. He is correct with regard to Nos. 78, 80, and 81, but his try for No. 79 could be defeated by p takes queen. Dr Church correctly solves problems 84, 85, 86, and 87, and with that true knightliness connoted by the popular phrase, “ He's a good sport,” gracefully acknowledges his failure to fathom the deeps of No. SO, the .key of which was not obvious.

Correct solutions of Nos. 84 and 85 received from Mr E. A. Le Petit, of Invercargill.

GAMES. FESTIVAL AT SCARBOROUGH. Game in the eighth round of the premier tournament : Queen’s Pawn Opening. White, W. A. Fairhurst; Black, E. D. Bogoljubow. 1. P to Q 4 Kt to K B 3 2. Kt to K B 3 P to K 3 3. P to B 4 B to Kt 5, ch 4. B to Q 2 B takes B, ch (a) 5. Q Kt takes B Castles C. P to K Kt 3 P to Q 3 7. B to Kt 2 Kt to B 3 (n) 8. Castles P to K 4 (c) 9. P to Q 5 Kt to K 2 ' 10. Kt to R 4 Kt to Kt 3 11. Kt takes Kt R P takes Kt 12. P to K 4 B to Q 2 13. P to Q Kt 4 P to R 4 (D) 14. P to Q R 3 Q to Kt sq 15. Kt to Kt 3 P to R 5 16. Kt to B sq Q to R 2 17. Q to B 2 K R to B sq 18. R to Q sq P to Q Kt 4 19. P to B 5 P to B 3 20. Q r takes P R takes P 21. Kt to Q 3 B to K 3 22. Q to Kt 2 Kt to Q 2 23. P takes P B to Kt 6 24. K R to Q B sq R takes P 25. Kt takes P Kt takes Kt 26. Q takes Kt (e) R to Q 7 27. R to B 5 (F) Q R to Q sq 28. B to B sq Q to Q 2 29. B takes P Q to R 6 30. R to K B sq R to R 7 31. Q to K 7 R (Q sq) to Q 7 (g) 32. Q to K 8, ch K to R 2 33. R to B 8 Q takes R (it) 34. Q takes Q B to K 3 35. Q to B 5 R takes R P 36. R to B sq R (R 6) to R 7 37. B to B sq P to R 6 38. P to Kt 5 P to Kt 4 39. P to Kt 6 R (R 7) to Kt 7 40. Q takes R P R takes B P 41. P to Kt 7 Resigns. (A) Q to K 2, introduced by Niemzo■wltsch, is considered better. (b) Here 7... Q to K 2, followed, it 8. Castles, by 8. . .P to K 4 ; 9. Q to B 2, Kt to B 3, would have been better. (c) Q to K 2 might still have been played. (n) The operations on the Queen’s side started by this move do not turn out well. Better would have been Q to B sq, threatening B to R 6. (e) White has cleverly out-manoeuvred his distinguished opponent, and is now a pawn ahead with the better position. (f) A good move, defending and counterattacking at the same time. (G) A mistake which results in the loss of the Queen. Better would have been 31. . . R to K B sq, though White, after 32. B to Q 7, Q to R 3 (if 32. , . B to K 3, then 33. B takes B followed, if 33... Q" takes B, by the exchange of Queens, or, if 33... P takes B, by 34. R to B 7, Q to R 3 ; 35. Q takes K P, ch) ; 33. P to Kt 5 would still have had a marked advantage. (H) Black might as well have resigned. A finely played game by Mr Fairhurst, but his opponent seems to have been completely out of form.

Alechin’s Defence. White, Nlemzowitsch; Black, Reti. 1. P to K 4 Kt to K B 3 2. Kt to Q B 3 P to Q 4 (A) 3. P to K 5 K Kt to Q 2 4. Kt takes P (b) Kt takes P 5. Kt to K 3 Q Kt to B 3 6. P to Q Kt 3 P to K 3 7. B to Kt 2 B to K 2 ' 8. P to K B 4 Kt to Kt 3 9. B takes P R to K Kt sq 10. B to Kt 2 (c) Kt takes P -> 11. P to Kt 3 Kt to Q 4 12. B to Kt 2 Kt takes Kt 13. P takes Kt B to Q 2 (n) 14. Q to B 3 B to Kt 5, ch (e) 15. P to B 3 B to B 4 16. P to Q Kt 4 B to Kt 3 (F) 17. Kt to R 3 Kt to K 4 18. Q to K 2 B to B 3 19. B takes B, ch P takes B 20. R to Q sq Q to B 3 21. P to B 4 Kt to B 6, ch (g) 22. K to B 2 Kt to Q 5, ch 23. KTo Kt 2 Kt takes Q 24. B takes Q R to Kt 3 (n) 25. B to Kt 2 P to Q R 4 26. P to B 5 B to R 2 27. P to R 3 . P takes P . j-f,, 28. P takes P 1 R to Kt 5 29. K R to K sq R takes P -is30. R takes Kt (i) B takes P ’-i’-..: 31. B to B 6 B to Q 3 32. P to K 4 R to Kt 4 33. R (K 2) to Q 2 P to K 4 AW; 34. Kt to Kt 5 P to R 3 .’!s 35. Kt to B 3 R to R 5 36. R to K 2 R to R 6 ' - 37. P to Kt 4 R to R sq ’ 38. B to Kt 7 K to K 2 39. B takes R P P to Q B 4 40. R to Q B 2 R to R 5 41. Kt to Q 2 R (Kt 4) to Kt 5 42. B to K 3 P to B 5 43. K to B 2 K to Q 2 44. R (Q sq) to Q B sq Resigns. (A) Simpler, and probably better, is 2... P to K 4, leading to the Vienna Game. After the text-move White has the option of bringing about a variation of the Centre Counter favourable to him by 3. P takes P, Kt takes P; 4. B to B 4. (b) This simplifies the game. The alternative was 4. P to Q 4, P to Q B 4 ; 5. P to B 4, P to K 3, when a well-known position in the French Defence would have been reached.

(c) It would hardly have been safe for White to abandon the long diagonal with his Bishop and place it instead in an exposed position at R 6 in an endeavoqr to maintain the extra pawn. (d) Better would have been 13... Q takes Q, ch ; 14. R takes Q, B to Q 2, followed by 15... Castles, with about an even game. (e) Played to provoke P to B 3, temporarily closing the diagonal for his opponent’s Bishop. The manoeuvre, however, loses time.

(f) This leads to the Bishop being shut out of play. Much better would have been B to K 2.

(G) This loses a piece, but Black -was in a very difficult position because of his Knight being pinned and his Bishop being in danger by P to B 5. If, instead of the text-move, Black had played 21... P to Q R 4, then 22. P to B 5, B to R 2; 23. R to K B sq, Q to R 3 ; 24. B takes Kt, Q takes Kt; 25. Q to B 3, with a winning attack. (ii ) If 24. ..B takes P, then 25. K to B 3, winning a piece. (i) White has now an easily won game.

Queen’s Pawn Opening. White, Sir George Thomas ; Black, Yates. 1. P to Q 4 Kt to K B 3 2. Kt to K B 3 P to K 3 3. P to B 4 P to Q 4 4. Kt to B 3 B to K 2 5. B to Kt 5 Castles 6. P to K 3 Q Kt to Q 2 7. R to B sq P to B 3 8. Q to B 2 P to Q R 3 9. P takes P (a) K P takes P 10. B to Q 3 R to K sq 11. Castles Kt to B sq 12. Kt to K 5 Kt to Kt 5 13. B takes B Q takes B 14. Kt takes Kt B takes Kt 15. P to K R 3 B to K 3 16. Kt to R 4 Q R to Q sq 17. Kt to B 5 B to B sq (b) 18. B to B 5 (c) B takes B 19. Q takes B Kt to K 3 (n) 20. P to Q Kt 4 R to Q 3 21. R to Kt sq Kt to Q sq 22. P to Q R 4 P to K Kt 3 23. Q to Q 3 (E) Kt to K 3 24. K R to B sq P to P 4 25. P to Kt 5 R P takes P 26. P takes P Kt takes Kt 27. R takes Kt R to K 3 28. P to Kt 3 Q to Kt 4 29. P to R 4 Q to B 3 30. K to Kt 2 R to K 5 31. P takes P P takes P 32. Q to B 3 P to B 5 (f) 33. K P takes P Q to B 4 34. R to K B sq R to K 7 35. R takes BP R (K sq) to K 5 36. Q to Kt 4 R (K 5) to K 6 37. Q to Kt 7 Q to K 5, ch 38. K to R 2 Q to B 6 39. R to B 8, ch R to K sq 40. R takes R, ch H takes R 41. K to Kt sq R to K 7 . 42. Q to Q 7 P to R 4 43. Q to R 3 K to B 2 44. Q to Kt 2 Q takes Q, ch 45. K takes Q R to Q 7 46. K to B 3 R takes P 47. R to K sq (g) K to B 3 48. R to K 5 R to Q 7 49. K to K 3 R to Q 8 50. K to K 2 R to Q 5 51. P to B 3 K to B 2 52. P to B 5 K to B 3 53. P takes P K takes P (h) 54. R to Kt 5, ch K to B 3 (I) 55. R takes R P K to K 3 56. R to Kt 5 R to R 5 57. R to Kt G, ch K to B 4 58. R to Kt 8 R to R 7, ch 59. K to Q 3 R to R 6, ch 60. K to Q 4 K to K 3 61. R to Kt 6, ch K to B 2 62. R to Kt 4 K to K 3 63. R to B 4 R to R 5, ch 64. K to B 5 R to R 4, ch 65. K to Kt 4 R to R 8 66. P to R 5 R to Kt 8 67. R to Kt 4 R to Kt 8, ch 68. K to B 5 R to B 8, ch 69. K to Q 4 R to B 5, ch ■ 70. K to Q 3 R to B sq ! 71. Pto R 6 R to KR sq 72. R to K R 4 R to R 2 73. K to Q 4 K to Q 3 74. R to R 5, K to K 3 1 75. PtoKt £ Resigns (j)

(A) This is now generally considered to be White’s best continuation after 8... P to Q R 3.

(b) Much better would have been 17... P to K Kt 3 to prevent the entry of the hostile Bishop at B 4. (c) Taking immediate advantage of his opponent’s omission. (p) R to Q 3, at once, would have been preferable. (E) As pointed out by Sir George Thomas, not 23. Q to B 8, because of 23... P to B. 4 ; 24. Pto Kt 5, R P takes P; 25. P takes P, P to Kt 3, and wins for, if 26. Kt to Q 3, then 26. . .Kt to Kt 2, or, if 26. Kt to R 6, then 26... Kt to K 3, White in either case losing his Queen. (f) Black could not avoid the loss of a pawn, e.g., 32... R (K 5) to K 3 ; 33. R to Kt 6, R to Q B sq; 34. R takes Q P, winning a pawn. He, therefore, by the textmove initiates a counter-attack on the King’s side

(g) A long and difficult end-game, played by Sir George Thomas with his usual pre- • ision, now ensues.

(H) Obviously, not 53... K takes R, because of 54. P to Kt 7, and wins. (l) If, instead, 54. . .K to R 3, Sir George Thomas points out the following instructive win for White; 55. P to Kt 4, P takes P ; 56. R takes Kt P, R to Q B 5 ; 57. R takes R, P takes R ; 58. P to B 4, and wins. (J) An interesting and hard-fought game.

OTAGO v. CANTERBURY. The annual telegraphic match between Otago and Canterbury, which commenced on August 20, was resumed on Saturday evening. When play ceased at 11 o’clock five games out of 19 were unfinished. These will probably be disposed of. by negotiation between the clubs or submited to an adjudication board in Wellington or Auckland. Judging from the positions of the unfinished games, the Otago Club has a good chance of winning the match. Mr T. M. Gillies umpired for the local team, Mr J. B. Dunlop acted at captain, Messrs M'Dermid and Hall scrutineers. Mr A. Smith operated the wires in his usual capable manner. The following are the results to date: —

Otago. Canterbury. 1 Dunlop, J. B. . . King, A 0 * Pike, D Quarrell, H. J. .. * 0 Balk, O Darwin, L. J. . . 1 A Stenhouse, W. G. Neville, F. H. R. A * Hamel, J. H. F. Adair, 11 * * Cohen, L Hawkins, T. .. * 1 Wright, Q, D. . . Lovell Smith, R. 0 1 M'Dermid, R. .. Joyce, W. H. . , 0 1 Barnett, Dr G. .. Harding. W. F. 0 * Fulton, Dr N. .. Dodds, W. S. * * Grigg, L. D. . . Dalton, S. P. .. * A Allen, W. H. .. Shillito, R. S. . . A A Tibbles, W Khouri, S A 0 Clayton, F. W. Khouri, W. D. .. 1 1 Watt, R Shillito, B 0 0 Merrington, Dr Summers, A. . . 1 4 Ward, A. E. . . Hart. L. B. .. A 1 M'Lean R. M. . . Harding. J. C. .. 6 * Rendall, W. B. Parkin, G * 8 ~5 * Unfinished.