CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3972, 29 April 1930, Page 71

CHESS.

Conducted by

L. D. COOMBS.

Solutions of problems, original compositions, games, and analyses Invited for this column. All correspondence should bo addressed to the Chess Editor, Otago Witness Office. Dunedin.

PROBLEM No. 367. By C. Mansfield.

Black (Nine Pieces).

White (Ten Pieces)

bI)Q 5 | 5 p 2 ] 4 Kt 2R | R 2 q r 1 p ] 2Kts|2pPlpP K | 4 P 3 | 1 B 6. White to play and mate in two moves.

PROBLEM No. 368, By H. Rubesamen.

Black (Eight Pieces)

White (Five Pieces). b7|3Qp3|ktlp3Bl|sP2| 4p3|3Ktb3| 7 p | 5 K 1 k. W’hite to play and mate in three moves. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. Problem No. 363 (Rice). —P to 87. Solution received from Dr Church (Portobello) and E. A. Le Petit (Invercargill). Problem No. 364 (Kubbel). —1. K to B 3, Qto B 6, ch; 2. K to Kt 4, etc. M 1... Q to Kt 2, ch ; 2. K to B 6, double ch, etc. If 1. . .P to B 6; 2. Q to K 1, ch, etc. If 1. . ,Q takes B ; 2. Kt to B 6, double ch, etc. Solution received from Dr Church and E. A. Le Petit.

END GAME No. 89. By Henri Rinck. Black (Six Pieces).

W’hite (Five Pieces). 8 I 4 p 3 | 1 pP 5 | p2 P 3 R |3k 1 K 2 | B|5P2 1 4 r 3. White to play and win.

SOLUTION TO END GAME No. 87 (Troitsky.)

1. R takes B P, R takes R ; 2. K takes P, R moves; 3. Kt checks and wins Rook and draws.

GAMES.

Game played in the match between the Reform Club and the Queen’s Club, in the Hamilton-Russell Cup Competition :—

(Queen’s Pawn Opening.) White. Black. Sir John Simon. G. M. Thomas. 1. P to Q 4 P to Q 4 2. P to Q B 4 P to K 3 3. Kt to Q B 3 . Kt to K B 3 4. B to Kt 5 Q Kt to Q 2 5. Kt to B 3 B to K 2 6. P to K 3 Castles 7. P takes P P takes P 8. B to Q 3 P to Q Kt 3 9. Castles B to Kt 2 10. R to B sq P to B 4 11. B to Kt sq R to B sq 12. B takes Kt Kt takes B 13. Kt to K 5 R to K sq 14. Q to B 2 B to Q 3 15. Kt to Kt 4 P takes P 16. P takes P Kt takes Kt 17. Q takes P, ch K to B sq 18. Q to R 8, ch K to K 2 19. K R to K sq, ch K to Q 2 20. B to B 5, ch K to B 2 21. Kt to Kt 5, ch K to B sq 22. Q R takes R, ch B takes R 23. R takes R Q to Kt 4 24. R takes B. ch K to Kt 2 25. Kt takes B, ch Resigns Black’s mistake in taking the Knight at move 16 enabled Sir John Simon to produce a delightful ending, played with admirable precision. Possibly 19. . .Kt to K 4 would have delayed matters a little, but then 20. Q takes Kt P, with Q to R 6 and B to R 7 afterwards, supposing Black tried to drive the Queen away, did all that was necessary. Had Black played 16. . .P to Kt 3, then the position was altogether different, the choice lying between 17. Kt to R 6. ch. K to Kt 2; 18. Q to Q 2, or 17. Kt to K 3. •

A miniature from the match between Cambridge University and the United Banks :— (Giuoco Piano.)

White. Black. W. E. Sandbach. L. C. Dewing. (Cambridge U.) (United Banks.) 1. P to K 4 P to K 4 2. Kt to K B 3 Kt to Q B 3 3. B to B 4 B to B 4 4. P to B 3 Kt to B 3 5. P to Q 3 P to Q 3 6. B to K 3 B to Kt 3 7. Q Kt to Q 2 B to K 3 8. B to Kt 3 Q to K 2 9. Q to K 2 Castles 10. P to K R 3 B takes B 11. P takes B P to Q 4 12. B to Kt 5 Q R to Q sq 13. P takes P It takes P 14. Kt to K 4 Q to K 3 15. B takes Kt P takes B 16. P to Q Kt 4 Q R to Q sq 17. P to Kt 4 P to B 4 18. K Kt to Kt 5 Q to Kt 3 19. P takes P Q takes P 20. Q to R 5 P to B 3 21. R to Kt sq Q to Kt 3 22. Kt to B 3 Resigns In this case 11. . ,P to Q 4 appears to be the positional error, for it gave White the square K 4 for the Knight, and the consequent break up of the King’s side. The ending •was very well played, for if 21. . .K to R sq; 22. Kt to B 7. ch, R takes Kt ; 23. Q takes R, and the mate cannot be prevented. The following remarkably fine game was awarded the brilliancy prize at the recent international tourney at Rogaska-Slatina, where Rubinstein scored first prize :— (Opening—Caro Kann Defence.) W’hite. Black. A. Brinckbann. B. Houlinger. 1. P to K 4 P to Q B 3 2. P to Q 4 P to Q 4 3. Kt to Q B 3 P takes P 4. Kt takes P B to B 4 5. Kt to Kt 3 B to Kt 3 6. P to K B 4 fa) P to K 3 (b) 7. Kt to K B 3 B to Q 3 (c) 8. B to Q 3 Kt to Q 2 9. Castles Kt to K'2 10. Kt to K 5 (d) B takes Kt (e) 11. B P takes B Q to Kt 3 (f) 12. K to R 1 (g) R to Q 1 (h) 13. B takes B R P takes B 14. B to Kt 5 (i) Kt takes P 15. Q to K 2 Kt to Q 2 (j) 16. Kt to K 4 Kt to Kt 1 (k) 17. B takes Kt K takes B 18. R takes P, ch K to K 1 (I) 19. Kt to B 5 R to Q 3 20. R takes Q Kt P Q to Q 1 21. Kt takes P Q to B 1 22. Kt takes P, ch K to B 1 23. Q to K 7, ch And mate in two more moves. (a) Played by Marshall against Capablanca, New York, 1927. The move is advocated by Maroczy, but strongly condemned by Alekhine. (b) Or 6. . .Kt to K B 3 tempting 7. P to B 5, B takes P ; 8. Kt takes B, Q to R 5, ch, and Black wins a P. (c) This, followed by K Kt to K 2, hindering the advance of the W’hite K B P, is the proper play, according to Alekhine. (d) A decided improvement on K to R 1, played in the above-mentioned Marshall v. Capablanca game. (e) Playing to win a Pawn. The safe line was B takes B, followed by castles. (f) Attacking both the advanced White Pawns. (g) Prevents 12. . .Q takes Q P, because of 13. B takes B, Q takes Q ; 14. B takes P ch etc. ’(h)’ If 12. . .Castles Q ; 13. B takes B could be followed by R to K B 7. Black now threatens 13. . .B takes B, and if 14. Q takes B. Kt takes K P.

(i) White offers Black a Pawn (K P or Q Kt P), in order to have time to play B takes Kt, and thereby keep the Black King under-fire in the centre of the board. If 14. . .Q takes Kt P ; 15. Kt to K 4 is deadly. (j) The only alternative is 15. . .Q takes Q P- 16. Q R to Q 1, Q takes Kt P (if Q to B 4 ; 17. Kt to K 4) ; 17. R takes R, ch, K takes R ; 18. Q to Q 2, ch, K to K 1 (if Kt to Q 2 ; 19. R to Q 1) ; 19. Q to K 6, P to B 3 ; 20. Q to Kt 8. ch. (k) To prevent Kt to Q 6 ch. If 16. . . Q to B 2 ; 17. B to B 4. If 16. . .Kt to B 1, there follows the pretty variation, 17. B to B 6. K R to Kt 1 ; 18. B takes Kt P, R takes B ; 19. Kt to B 6. mate. (l) If 18. . .K takes R; 19. Kt to Kt 5, ch, K to B 3 (otherwise mate in two) ; 20. Q to K 5, ch, and mate in two more.

OTAGO CHESS CLUB. —ANNUAL REPORT 1930.

Your committee, in presenting the fortyfifth annual report, has again to congratulate members upon a prosperous year. The attendance on club nights has been satisfactory, and the interest in the usual firnpetitions well maintained. We regret that for the second year in succession we have to report the loss through death of the patron of our club. The late Mr S. S. Myers has, during the last 30 years, been probably more identified with Chess activities of the city than any other member of the club. He was seldom absent on club nights. His personality was attractive to all members, and his financial and active support were always at the disposal of the club. One of the outstanding features in connection with his interest in the club—the annual trips to Oamaru Chess Club — he organised for many years. Mr Myers’s death is a distinct loss to the Otago Chess Club, and we offer our sincere sympathy to the relatives and intimate friends, by whom he will be greatly missed. Our lease of the premises In Hannah’s Buildings, George street, having expired, we have been able to secure satisfactory accommodation in the Allbell Chambers, Stuart street. The new room is admirably suited for our purpose, being centrally situated, comfortable, and well lighted, and we think the change will be beneficial to the club. Three telegraph matches were played during the year. The Otago Club won the match against Auckland, and lost to Canterbury and Wellington. We congratulate Wellington on again annexing the Dominion Club championship. We regret that we were not represented at the New Zealand Chess Congress, held in Wanganui during the Christmas-New Year holidays. The club competitions resulted as follow :— Senior Championship—W. G. Stenhouse. Junior Championship—R. Hanning, Jun. Handicap Tournament (1) —R. Watt. Handicap Tournament (2) —R. Hanning, Jun. We have to thank our worthy member Dr Dirik Pihl for the gift of a handsome set of Staunton Chessmen and board, which will be competed for during the coming year. The finances of the club show an improvement this year, but it must not be forgotten that in order to establish it on a sound basis there must be a large increase in our playing and honorary membership. E. N. Merrington, President. G. D. Wright, Hon. Secretary.