CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 61

CHESS.

Conducted by F. W. CLAYTON.

Solution! of problem!, guinea, and analyse! invited for thia column. All oorreipondence ahontd be addressed to the Obess Editor. Otago Witness Office, Dunedin.

PROBLEM No. 142. Composer Unknown. Black (Four Pieces).

White (Eight Pieces). White to play and mate in two moves. |2Kts|3p4|3 kt 1 R 2 I 1 Q P lklpP|CPl|lßlK4|B.

PROBLEM No. 143.

By R. L’Hermet (Magdeburger Zeitung, 1927). Black.

White to play and mate in two moves. 4Blbl|sq2|7k|sß2|B|B| Q 5 R 1 | 7 K.

SOLUTIONS OF PROBLEMS. No. 138.—Kt to K B 2. No. 139.—R (R 2) to Q B 2. Mr Le Petit, of Invercargill, forwards correct solutions of problems 138 and 139, and comments in complimentary terms on the former, composed by his fellow-townsman, Mr J. K. Campbell. Mr N. Traves, of King street, Timaru, who has been a constant follower of the Otago Witness Chess column for the last eight months, successfully solves Nos. 138 and 139. He encloses the position of an end game that actually occurred in a game played with a friend, from which he has constructed a quite good three-move problem. The solution may be somewhat obvious, but for a first attempt it is quite worth reproducing by the Forsyth notation, which is appended :—1 r2k2K|3p4| IKtlpplPl.|6B 1 | B 7 | 8 | 8 | 8. White to play and mate in three moves. Mr H. V. Cunliffe, of Sydney, correctly solves problems 132, 133, 134, and 135. This distant solver expresses his appreciation of Dr Church’s analysis of problem 115 (by H. Weeninck). by which his mind was cleared of all doubts as to the flawless soundness of that beautiful and ingeniously constructed three-mover. His doubts, however, were not fruitless, for the upshot of his re-examina-tion, in the light of the analysis, has been greatly to deepen his respect for the constructive ability of this really great composer. Mr James Dewar, of North-East Valley, forwards correct solutions of 138 and 139. Mr J. K. Campbell, of Invercargill, a wellknown New Zealand composer, favours this column with an ingenious unpublished *'task ” problem, a companion of No. 77, published in the Otago Witness Chess column on July 19 ; but instead of bringing to battle the whole number of 16 black pieces and pawns to defend themselves against the same number of white pieces and pawns (thus engaging the maximum forces available on the board, as in the case of 77) the pawns of both sides are discarded, leaving the battle to be fought between the eight major pieces of Black and the eight major pieces of White. This problem, like No. 77, is probably quite unique, and, on Mr Campbell’s assurance, very difficult to construct. It will appear in next issue. Dr Church sends the correct solution of problem 140 (by George Grant, of Christy church). He ranks this two-mover as one of ” a high standard ” and “ good chess.” Problem 141 (by B. Sommer), with 29 variations," he finds “ highly diverting ” owing to the number of good tries— " a very tricky problem.” Dr Church also - correctly solves this one. He then harks back to a previously adjourned three-mover (No. 136, by' J. A. Erskine). Evidently in doubt as to the correctness of the published solution, he now appeals for Mr Le Petit’s analysis of the problem, but before I had time to send him a copy another letter came to light in which he, metaphorically shouts " Eureka! ” and appends his own analysis, showing that he had made an oversight, and exclaiming, “It is a lovely composition, for which the author deserves great credit." His concluding sentence is: *' In my opinion this is one of the best problems you have published.” The Chess editor’s thanks are due to Mr F. K. Kelling for. his kindness in forwarding papers, including a review of the recent championship congress. GAMES. MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT. Game in the fifth round : Ruy Lopez. White, Dr Lasker. Black, Yates. 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 P to Q 3 5. Castles Kt to B 3 6. R to K sq (a) B to K 2 7. P to B 3 Castles 8. P to Q 4 Kt to Q 2 (B) 9. Q Kt to Q 2 B to B 3 10. Kt to B sq R to K sq 11. P to K R 3 PloQKt 4 (C) 12. B to B 2 P to Kt 3 13. PtoQ R 4 (p) RtoKt sq 14. Kt to K 3 Kt to B sq 15. Kt to Kt 4 B takes Kt

16. P takes B Q to B sq 17. P to Q 5 Kt to Q sq 18. P to Kt 5 B to K 2 19. Kt to R 2 P to K B 3 20. P takes BP B takes P 21. B to Q 3 P to B 4 22. P takes P e.p. Kt.(B sq) to K 3 (e) 23. P takes P P takes P 24. Q to Kt 3 K to R sq 25. B takes P Kt to Q B 2 (f) 26. P to Q B 4 Kt takes P (g) 27. Q to K B 3 B to R 5 28. B takes Kt R to B sq 29. Q to K 2 Kt to K 3 (n) 30. Kt to B 3 R takes Kt 31. Q takes R Kt to Q 5 32. Q to B 7 Kt takes B (i) 33. B to R 6 Q to Kt sq 34. Q to B 7 Resigns (J) (a) P to B 3 is somewhat better in this position as it provides a retreat for White's important King’s Bishop, the exchange of which, after the text-move, Black could have forced by 6.. .P to Q Kt 4 ; 7. B to Kt 3, Kt to Q R 4. (b) Tchigorin’s defence, which has for its object the strengthening of Black’s hold on his K 4. Better would have been B to Q 2(c) This move does not fit in well with the defence adopted, as Black’s Queen’s side pawns become a mark for attack while his pieces are badly cramped. Better, perhaps, ■would have been P to K Kt 3 or Kt to B sq at once. (d) A strong move which give- Black a very difficult game on the Queen’s side. (e) If 22... Q or Kt takes P, then 23. P takes P, P takes P; 24. Q to Kt 3, ch, with advantage to White. (f) Better would have been Kt takes P at once, but Black had much the inferior game whatever he played. (g) If, instead, 26... Kt takes B, then 27. P takes Kt, Kt takes P; 28. Q to K B 3, winning a piece. (h) B takes P, ch, might have prolonged the game, but Black was lost in any case. (i) If 32... Q takes B, then 33. Rto R 7, and wins. (j) For, if 34. . .R to Q B sq or 34. . .Kt to Q 5, then 35. B to Kt 7, ch, winning easily. STRATFORD-ON-AVON CONGRESS. Round 6: Queen’s Pawn Opening. White, W. Gooding ; Black, W. Winter. 1. P to Q 4 Kt to K B 3 2. P to Q B 4 P to K Kt 3 3. Kt to Q B 3 B to Kt 2 4. P to K 4 P to Q 3 5. P to B 4 Castles 6. B to K 2 Kt to B 3 7. Kt to B 3 B to Kt 5 8. B to K 3 B takes Kt 9. B takes B P to K 4 10. B P takes P P takes P 11. Pto Q 5 . Kt to Q 5 12. Q to Q 2 (a) Kt to Kt 5 13. Castles (Q R) (B) Kt takes Q B 14. Q takes Kt (K 3) Q to Q 3 15. K to Kt sq P to Q R 3 16. P to K Kt 4 P to Q Kt 4 17. B to K 2 K R to Kt sq 18. P to K R 4 P takes P 19. B takes P Q to Kt 5 20. B to Kt 3 Kt takes B 21. P takes Kt Q takes Kt P (c) 22. R to Q 2 P to Q R 4 23. P to Kt 5 P to R 5 24. Kt to Q sq Q to Kt 5 25. R to B sq P to R 6 26. K R to B 2 P takes P 27. R takes Kt P Q to R 5 28. R takes R, ch R takes R, ch 29. Kt to Kt 2 R to Kt 6 30. R to B 2 . R takes Q 31. Kt takes Q R takes P 32. Kt to B 5 R to Kt 5, ch (n) 33. K to B sq R takes P (E) 34. Kt to Q 7 R to R 8, ch 35. K to Kt 2 P to K 5, ch 36. Kt to B 6, ch B takes Kt, ch 37. P takes B R to K B 8 (F) 38. P to Q 6 (G) P to B 4 39. P to Q 7 R to Q 8 40. R takes P P to R 4 41. R tpJB 8, ch K to R 2 42. P queen’s R takes Q 43. R takes R P to Kt 4 44. K to B 2 K to Kt 3 45. R to Q 6 P to R 5 46. K to Q 2 P to R 6 47. K to K 3 K to B 4 48. R to Q 5, ch K to Kt 5 49. K takes P P to R 7 50. R to Q sq K to R 6 51. R to Q 3, ch K to R 5 (h) 52. R to Q sq P to Kt 5 53. K to B 4 P to Kt 6 54. R to Q 8 K to R 6 55. R to R 8, ch K to Kt 7 56. R to R 7 K to B 7 57. R to R 3 Resigns (1) (a) If 12. B takes Kt, then 12... P takes B ; 13. Q takes P, Kt takes K P, regaining the pawn with advantage for Black. (b) Better would have been K B takes Kt, e.g., 13. K 3 takes Kt, Q to R 5, ch; 14. Qtoß 2, Q takes B (not 14... Kt to B 7, ch, because of 15. K to Q 2, winning a piece) ; 15. Castles, and White would have had a bette • position than he obtained in the actual game. (c) Black has now gained a pawn with the better position, and with care should have won. (n) Much better would have been the simple move of RtoQ 5, e.g., 32... R to Q 5; 33. Kt to Q -7, R takes Q P; 34. R takes P. P to R 4, followed, if 35. P takes P, e.p., by 35... R to Kt 4, ch, and 36...8 takes P, winning easily. (e) Again R to Q 5 would have won easily. (f) A fatal blunder. Either R to Q 8 or P to R 4 would have won for Black. (g) A pretty move, which wins for White. (h) If, instead, 51. ..K to Kt 7, then 52. R to Q 2, ch, K to R 6 ; 53. R takes P, ch, K takes R ; 54. K to B 5 and wins. (i) For, if 57... P queens, then 58. R takes Q, P to Kt 7; 59. R to R 2, or, if 57... P to Kt 7, then 58. R takes P, White winning in either case by advancing his King and capturing the King’s Bishop’s pawn.