CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4063, 26 January 1932, Page 67

CHESS.

Conducted by

L. D. COOMBS.

Solutions of problems, original compositions. Carnes, and analyses invited for this column All correspondence should be addressed to the 'Chess Editor, Otatro Witness Office. Dunedin.

PROBLEM No. 549. By N. Kovacs. (Black Six Pieces).

(White Eight Pieces). KB6|B|lKt3p 2 | 1 Kt p 1 r P 2 2plkpQl|2Rs|4P3|B. White to play and mate in two moves.

PROBLEM No. 550. By K. Nielsen. (Black Nine Pieces).

(White Nine Pieces). BlKp2plrp|sp2|lPlPlß 2|pQlKtkKt2| 4 p 3 | 2 P 3 P 1 | 5 r 2. White to play and mate in three moves. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. Problem No. 545 (Kubbel). —Q to R 7. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit (InTercargill), T. J. W., and J. J. Marlow. Problem No. 546 (Malachoff). — 1. B to R 3, K takes Kt; 2. Q to R S, ch, etc. If 1. . .K to K 6; 2. B to B 5, ch, etc. If 1, . .B to Q 3; 2. B to B 1, ch, etc. If 1. . .P to Kt 6 ; 2. Q takes P, ch, etc. If 1. . ,P to R 6 ; 2. Pto Kt 3, ch, etc. If 1. . .others; 2. Kt to B 4. etc. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit.

END GAME No. ISO. (Kindly supplied by Mr A. O. Gray.) (Black Five Pieces).

(White Five Pieces). B|p7|splp|P4Klk|7pP7| 6 P P | 8. White to play. What result? SOLUTION TO END GAME No. 17S. (Barbieri). 1. R takes P, ch, Kto Q 3; 2. R takes Kt, P takes R; 3. K takes P, K to Q 4 ; 4. K to K 2, K to K 5-a ; 5. K to B 1, K to Q 6-b ; 6. K to Kt 1, K to K 7 ; 7. K to R 1, drawn. (a) 4. . .B to Kt 3 ; 5. K to B 3, B to B 2, 6. K to K 2. (b) 5. . .B to Kt 3; 6. K to K 2, B to B 7 ; 7. K to B 1, etc., K to Q 5 ; 8. K to K 2. K to B G ; 9. K to B 1, etc. F. K. Kelling (Wellington) forwards the solution to No. 177. He writes that champion Gundersen and himself both got interested in this fascinating ending.

GAMES. A well-played game by Znosko-Borowsky at the Nice tournament. (Sicilian Defence.) White. Black. Znosko-Borowsky. Sir Geo. Thomas. 1. P to K 4 P to Q B 4 2. Kt to Q B 3 (a) Kt to Q B 3 3. P to K Kt 3 P to K Kt 3 4. B to Kt 2 B to Kt 2 5. K Kt to K 2 P to K 3 (b) 6. P to Q 3 K Kt to K 2 7. Cnstles P to Q 3 8. B -o K 3 Kt to Q 5 9. O to Q 2 K Kt to B 3 10. Kt to Q sq (c) Q to R 4 (d) 11. Kt (K 2) to B 3 B to Q 2 (e) 12. B to B 4 (f) P to K 4 13. B to R 6 B takes B (g) 14. Q takes B Kt takes P 15. Kt to K 3 (h) Kt takes Kt IG. P takes Kt B to K 3 17. B to R 3 (1) B takes B (1) 18. Q takes B P to R 4 (k) 19. R to B 6 Q to Q sq 20. Q R to K B sq Castles 21. Kt to Kt 5 (1) Q to B sq 22. Q to Kt 2 Kt to Q sq 23. Q to K B 2 (m) Kt to K 3 24. Kt takes Q P O to Q 2 25. Kt takes BP Kt to B 5 26. Kt P takes Kt R takes Kt 27. R takes P, ch K to R 2 28. R to Kt 5 Q takes P 29. R takes P, ch Resigns

(a) In this line of play against the “ Sicilian Defence ’’ White adopts a close formation and does not play Pto Q 4. The idea is not to allow the opening of the Queen’s Bishop's file, which gives Black counter-chances. (b) With a two-fold purpose: (1) to strengthen his Q 4; (2) to establish an advanced post at his Q 5 by playing K Kt to K 2, Kt to Q 5, and K Kt to B 3. (c) Preparing to dislodge the Knight by P to Q B 3. (d) Preventing P to Q B 3 (because of the reply Kt to Kt 6) and threatening Q takes Q, followed by Kt takes Kt, ch. (e) Here, we think, Black should have Castled, for then he could have replied to B to B 4 with R to Q sq. (f) Not loss of time. He wishes to force a weakening of Black’s Q 4. (g) Kt to K 3 was, perhaps, better. Apparently Black underestimated the strength of White's fifteenth move. (h) A fine move. If now 15. . .Kt takes R, then 16. Kt to B 4, Q to Q sq (the Queen’s Pawn cannot be saved) ; 17. Q to Kt 7, R to K B sq ; 18. Kt takes P, ch. K to K 2 ; 19. Kt takes Kt P, Q to Kt sq; 20. Kt to Q 5, ch, K to K sq ; 21. Kt takes P, threatening either Kt to B 6, ch, or R takes Kt. (i) A good move. By forcing the exchange of Bishops it makes Black’s Q 4 unguarded. (j) Black cannot Castle because of the reply R takes P. (k) To lessen the weakness of his K R (l) The tempting move, P to K Kt 4, is answered by Q to B sq. (m) Threatening R takes P, ch. The following game was that of the playoff for the Chess championship of New Zealand at the recent Napier congress:— (Sicilian Defence.) White. Black. G. Gundersen. J. A. Erskine. 1- P to K 4 P to Q B 4 2. Kt to K B 3 Kt to K B 3 3. Kt to B 3 P to Q 4 4. B to Kt 5, ch B to Q 2 5. B takes B. ch Q takes B 6. P takes P Kt takes P 7. Kt takes Kt Q takes Kt 8. Castles P to K 3 9. P to Q 4 Kt to B 3 10. B to K 3 P takes P 11. Kt takes P B to K 2 12. Q to Kt 4 B to B 3 13. K R to Q 1 P to K R 4 14. Q to B 3 Q takes Q 15. Kt takes Q R to Q 1 16. R takes R, ch K takes R 17. R to Q 1, ch K to B 1 18. P to B 3 R to Q 1 19. R takes R, ch B takes R 20. K to B 1 P to R 3 Time, 18 minutes Time, 53 minutes 21. K to K 2 K to Q 2 22. Kt to Q 2 P to B 3 23. P to K B 4 Kt to K 2 24. Kt to K 4 K to B 3 (a) 25. Kt to B 5 K to Q 4 26. Kt takes Kt P B to B 2 27. Kt to B 5 B takes P 28. Kt takes R P B takes P 29. K to Q 3 (b) Kt to B 4 30. B to B 2 B to B 5 31. P to Q Kt 4 K to B 3 32. P to R 4 B to Q 3 33. P to B 4 K to Kt 2 34. P to Kt 5 P to K 4 35. P to B 5 B to K 2 36. P to B 6, ch K to B 1 37. P to Kt 6 Kt to Q 3 —Notes on the Play.— (a) This is the move that invited trouble. (b) The three passed Pawns appear to ensure a win for White. (c) The flag dropped just as this move was being made. Black thus lost by exceeding the time limit, but in any case he had a lost game.

CHESS TOURNAMENTS. To the Chess Editor. Sir, —There can be no doubt about the correctness of your correspondent’s contention, in last week’s column, that the socalled New Zealand championship congress is really an “ open ” event, but why have the present conditions been persisted in for so long? It can be taken for granted that none of our players have any objection to meeting oversea players, no matter how strong they may be, but it should be in an open tournament, and not when the New Zealand title is at stake. Entries for the title should be limited strictly to New Zealand players. We would not then have a continuance of the present position. The New Zealand title has been won by overseas players six times in the last eight years, which cannot be very encouraging to our own players, and it is surely time the rules governing the congress were revised. The later holding of the congress could also be considered with advantage (two weeks of hard Chess is quite enough to keep the players warm), but when, as at present, they also have to contend with the festive season and the midsummer heat, I should think it is rather too much, and could quite easily affect the play. I would like, with your kind permission, and if space permits, to make one or two suggestions to the New Zealand Chess Association and the various Chess clubs. There are probably hundreds of Chess enthusiasts in New Zealand who for one reason or another do not belong to any club; and with a view to stimulating interest in Chess, and therefore the clubs, I would suggest that provincial open tournaments be held every year. They could be run by the clubs under congress rules, but with evening and week-end play. A nominal entrance fee could be charged, also a small charge per game to provide for the necessary expenses, which should not be heavy, and for prizes. I feel sure a large number of entries would be received, even if only to obtain the practice and experience such a tournament would give. The clubs also would benefit by increased membership, because some, at any rate, of the entrants would be sure to join up, and Chess itself in New Zealand would receive a much-needed boost on account of the added general interest in the game. Another suggestion is a Correspondence Chess Association, with the usual tourneys, etc. In Australia they have a strong one. Has anything of the sort ever been attempted by the New Zealand Association? The above friendly criticism and suggestions are made solely in the interests of the best of all games, Chess, and if others of your correspondents will follow suit, it may result in a big forward move in Chess matters in New Zealand. With many thanks.—l am, etc., A. O. Gray. 8 Antigua street, Christchurch. January 18.

NOTES. B. W. Stenhouse.—The B.C.M. of December reports that B. W. Stenhouse won the Western Australian championship. The Australasian Chess Review of November gave a fuller report, stating that he won with a score of 8 wins and two draws. Boris Kostich. —At the Bled tournament, ’during the progress of his game with Kashdan, Kostich was absent from tho board for some time, and was found by the director of the tournament analysing the position in the hall of the hotel. He now writes, reports the 8.C.M., that the incident is totally untrue. He explains that the position he was studying was not that of the current

game with Kashdan, but of an adjourned game with Bogoljuboff, which he had to continue the following day, and was possibly one he might resign without replay. He also states that the committee could not establish that he had contravened the rules. Los Angeles Chess League.—The Los Angeles Chess League consists of 14 clubs that have a total membership of about 2500 subscribers. There are over 200 players in the match teams. Every interclub match is of eight boards. Los Angeles Congress.—The Los Angeles Chess congress is to take place on August 15 to 29, following the close of the Olympic Games. There are to be over oOOdol in cash prizes, and in addition there will be cups and other trophies. In Russia.—The Russian Chess magazine Chakmatni Listok is now said to have 12,000 subscribers. Napier Congress Prize Money.—-At the Napier congress the prize money was divided as follows :—Gundersen and Erskine each £l5, Purdy £5, Gyles £3. Kelling £1 Is, and a special prize of £2 2s, donated by the Napier Chess Club, for the best score by a non-prize-winner against the five prizewinners, went to Fairburn. H. G. Lee, —H. G. Lee, at one time a member of the Otago Chess Club, has recently won the championship of the Daunevirke Chess and Draughts Club for the second year in succession.