CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 71

CHESS.

Conducted by

L. D. COOMBS.

Solutions of problems, original compositions, panics, anil analyses invited lor tills column. All correspondence should bo addressed to tho Chess Editor, Otngo Witness Olllcc. Dunedin.

PROBLEM No. 415. By J. Keeble. Black (Seven Pieces).

White (Eight Pieces)

j'lblKt2Q|plßKt4|kb6| 2Rs|Plps|6pl|6Bl|6Kl. "White to play and mate in two moves.

PROBLEM No. 41G.

By W. Pauly. Black (Four Pieces).

White (Seven Pieces).2p2K2|B|P2plklp|R4P2 SP2|4PIPI|B.

White to play and mate in three moves.

SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. Problem No. 411 (Balk). —Q to K Kt 3. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit, L. P- Grigg, J. J. Marlow, G. D. Wright, and A. O. Gray, who writes: —“ The two-mover by Mr Balk is a beauty.” ■ » Problem No. 412 (Loyd).— 1. Q to KB 1 P to R 3 2. Q to Q kt 1, etc.

If 1. . .B to B 5 or K 4 ; 2. Q to Q 3, etc. If 1. . .B to K 4 or B 3; 2. Q to B 5, etc. If 1. . .P to Kt 6; 2. Kt to Kt 6, ch, etc. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit. This problem is known as "The Love Chase.”

END GAME No. 113. By H. Schwers. Black (Three Pieces).

. - "White (Six Pieces). B|S|p7|q3Kt3|klßs|P6Kt| K 1 P 5 | 8. White to play and win. SOLUTION TO END GAME No. 11l ( Mattison.) 1. K to Q 5, K—to Q 2; 2. P to R 4, P to R 4 (if 2. . .any other; 3. P to R 5. any; 4. Kt to Kt 6, ch, etc.) ; 3. K to Q B 4, K to B 3 ; 4. Kt to B 7, K takes Kt; 5. K to Kt 5, B to Kt 3 ; 6. K to R 6, K to B 3, etc., stalemate. Solution received from F. K. Kelling (Wellington) and A. O. Gray (Christchurch) GAMES. A game played in the third round of the team tournament at Hamburg:-— (Four Knights Opening.) White. Black. F. Apscheneek A. Rubinstein (Latvia). (Poland). 1. P to K 4 P to K 4 2. Kt to K B 3 Kt to Q B 3 3. Kt to B 3 Kt to B 3 4. B to Kt 5 Kt to Q 5 5. B to B 4 B to B 4 6. P to Q 3 P to Q 3 7. Kt to Q R 4 P to Q Kt 4 8. Kt takes Kt (a) P takes B 9. Kt to K B 3 B tp.Kt 3 10. Kt takes B R P takes Kt 11. P to Q 4 Castles (b) 12. P takes P Kt takes P 13. Q to Q 5 B to B 4 14. Castles. P takes P 15. Q takes BP Kt to Q 3 16. Q to B 3 P to K B 3 17. R to K sq (c) Q to Q 2 18. P to Q R 4 Q to B 2 19. P to Q Kt 3 K R to Q sq 20. B to R 3 R to Q 2 21. Q to B 6 Q R to Q sq 22. B to Kt 4 Kt to B sq 23. Kt to R 4 (d) B to K 3 24. P to R 5 R to Q 5 25. R to K 4 R takes R 26. Q takes R R to Q 5 27. Q to B 6 R takes B 28. P to R 6 R takes Kt .29. Q to R 8 P to R 3 30. P to Kt 3 R to Q 5 31. P to R 7 K to R 2 32. P to Q B 3 R to Q 3 Resigns

(a) Which could only be met in one way, for if here 8. . .K P takes Kt; 9. B takes Kt P, ch, and if 8. . .Kt P takes Kt; 9. B to Q Kt 5, ch, with the same result so soon as the Knight went back to K B 3. Therefore Rubinstein had to take the Bishop, leaving White with nothing better than taking the Knight back to K B 3, and the exchange of Knight for Bishop on the following move. , (b) Not 11. . .P takes P; for then 12. Q to K 2, and White regains the Pawn, with interest. None the less, White had committed himself by the advance, and he had nothing better than 15. Q takes B P, which gave the most freedom for the Queen afterwards.

(c) It is possible that this move was not immediately necessary, and that the procedure by P to Q R 4 and P to Q Kt 3 would have gained in force by being played immediately. That one mov.e made a considerable difference, and the error was in playing 22. B to Kt 4, for 22. B to Kt 2 was much better. (d) And this was much worse, for the reply by Black is so very evident, so soon as the Bishop gets to K 3. 24. P to Q B 4 would have been all right, or 24. P to K Kt 3, with time to advance the Q R P afterwards. The rest was easy for Black, as even if 32. Q takes Kt, B takes Q ; 33. P to R B=Q, and Black is a piece and a Pawn to the good.

A game played in the fifth round of the Hamburg tournament:— (Ruy Lopez.)

White. Black. „C. Ahues. , E. Gilfer (Germany). (Iceland). 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 B 3 5. Castles -£ Kt takes P 6. P to Q 4 P to Q Kt 4 7. B to Kt 3 P to Q 4 8. P takes P B to K 3 9. P to Q B 3 B to K 2 10. B to K 3 (a) Castles 11. Q to Q 3 Kt to R 4 12. Kt to Q 4 Kt to B 4 13. Q to B 2 Kt (B 4) takes B 14. P takes Kt P to B 4 (b) 15. Kt takes B P takes Kt 16. Q to Q sq P to B 5 17. Kt to Q 2 P takes P 18. Kt to B 3 (c) Kt to B 5 19. B to B sq Q to B 2 20. Kt to Q 4 Q takes P 21. R to K sq Q to B 3 22. Kt takes K P (d) Q takes K B P, ch 23. K to R sq R to B 2 24. B to B 4 P to Q 5 25. R to K 2 Kt takes P 26. Q to Q 2 P takes P (e) 27. Q to Q 5 Q takes R 28. Q takes R, ch B to B sq 29. Kt takes B R takes Kt 30. Q to Q 5, ch K to R sq 31. Q to Q B 5 R to Q sq 32. P to R 3 Kt to R 5 33. Q to B 7 R to K sq 34. Q to B 7 Q to K 3 Resigns

(a) The comparison is interesting with the game between Sir G. A. Thomas and O. Hovind, for in that game Sir G. A. Thomas (White) played 10. Q to K 2, and Q Kt to Q 2 on the next move. The method adopted by Ahues in this game is not so good, as 11. Q to Q 3 forces him to lose a move .so soon as the adverse Knight gets to B 4. (b) Well judged, as the Knight has to go somewhere, but whether it was wise to give Black the open file is distinctly doubtful. 15. Kt to K 2 seems the best alternative, though the trouble remains on the Queen’s side, for once Black plays P to B 5 White must play Kt to Q 2 in order to give 'he Rook some freedom. 16. Q to Q sq was forced, or else 16. . .P to Q 5, which must be prevented. (c) If here 18. Kt takes P, Kt to B 5 would still have been the reply, and Black wins one of the Pawns, nor was it safe to play 19. Q takes P. for then came 19. . ... Q to B 2 ; 20. B to Q 4, R takes Kt ; 21. P takes R, Kt to Q 7, regaining the exchange. Perhaps 21. Kt to B 6 was no worse, and it was certainly better than removing the guard from the K B P. (d) Not 22. P to K B 3, for then 22. .... B to B 4, threatening the most uncomfortable continuation by 23. . .P to K 4. It was just these centre Pawns that were the real danger, for Black could drive the Knight all over the place once he was allowed to play P to K 4, and therefore White was justified in playing this move, though it was a poor resource.

(e) To which there was no reply’ that mattered, for White had too many pieces in the air, and the rest was easy for Black. Considering this was the first appearance of Iceland in -the international area, it was something of a feat to so outplay the German champion.

A short game from the match between Latvia and Norway in the Hamburg tournament :—

(Queen’s Pawn Opening.) White. Black. Feigin (Latvia). Halversen (Norway). 1. P to Q 4 Kt to K B 3 2. Kt to K B 3 P to K Kt 3 3. Kt to B 3 B to Kt 2 4. P to K 4 P to Q 3 5. P to K R 3 Castles 6. B to K B 4 (a) P to B 4 (b) 7. P takes P Kt to R 4 (c) 8. B to Q 2 P takes P 9. P to K 5 B to R sq (d) 10. B to Q B 4 Kt to Q B 3 11. Q to K 2 Kt to Q 5 12. Kt takes Kt Q takes Kt 13. P to K Kt 4 Kt to Kt 2 (e) 14. Kt to Q 5 Kt to K 3 (f) 15. P to Q B 3 Resigns (g) (a) A good alternative is B to K 3, followed by Q to Q 2. (b) Q Kt to Q 2 is better. If, in reply, Q to Q 2, then P to B 4. or, if P to K 5, then Kt to K sq, threatening P to Q B 4. (c) Not good, for the Knight is afterwards in danger. Q to R 4, threatening Kt takes P, should have been played. If, in reply, P takes P, then Kt takes P, followed, if P takes P, by R to K sq with a good game.

(d) White was threatening P to K Kt 4. (e) This loses. Kt to B 5 should have been played-—e.g.. 13. . .Kt to B 5; 14. B takes Kt, Q takes Q B; 15. Kt to Q 5, Q to Kt 4 (not Q takes K P because of Kt takes P, ch) ; 16. P to B 4, Q to R 5, ch : 17. K to B sq, P to K. 3. (f) If R to K sq, then P to Q B 3, winning the Queen. (g) If Q takes K P, then Kt takes P, ch, winning the Queen. OTAGO v. OAMARU. “ A team from the Otago Chess Club will visit Oamaru by motor car on Saturday, October 18, and play the local club there in the evening. At least one car will leave Dunedin early in the morning, as a game of bowls has been arranged for the afternoon. The whole team will return to Dunedin on the Sunday, making a stop either at Hampden or Palmerston for lunch. OTAGO v. OAMARU IN 1894. Mr D. Harris Hastings, who took part in the first Chess match between the Otago and. Oamaru Clubs, and who is still the I treasurer and a regular attender at the Otago Chess Club, relates that the match was played at Palmerston. The Otago team left I by an early and very slow train, and to while away the time Chess without boards was

played. Some of the players were able to carry on for over 30 moves, but the majority, if they reached 10 moves, did well. The match was played in the Athenaeum, and a dinner was held at the Empire Hotel, then kept by a Mr and Mrs Duncan. At the conclusion of the match the majority of the players climbed up Puketapu, and. as it was a lovely afternoon, this trip added greatly to the enjoyment. The teams departed with an agreement to make the match an annual Labour Day fixture, but this decision was carried out for but two or three years.