CHESS

Southland Times, Issue 22345, 9 June 1934, Page 19

CHESS

CONDUCTED BY MELVILLE MILLS. Attempt the end, and never stand in doubt; Nothing so hard but search will find it out. —Herrick. PROBLEM No. SGI. By C. T. Stuart (Gwelo). BLACK (Ten pieces).

WHITE (Eight pieces). 8 I P4Qlp I 2plKt3 | 4k3 | lrP3pP | ktlPppP2 | 5b2 | 4kt2K | White to play and mate in three moves. PROBLEM No. 562. By W. D. Ellison (Grassington). BLACK (Four pieces).

8 I 8 I GPI I 2PrkPKI | 3b4 j !BpQP3 I 8I 8 | White to play and mate in two moves. PROBLEM No. 563. By G. Page (Edinburgh). b3Kt3 | 4Ktktpß | spktl | 2P2r2 | !P2k3 I 3pP3 | 3QIPPI 1 GKI | White to play and mate in three moves. PROBLEM No. 564. By F. Fleck (Budajok). BSQI I 3ktq3 I R3plPB | 3plk2 I R4KtKtl I 5P2 | 4KIPI | 8 1 White to play and mate in two moves. END-GAME No. AG3. This pretty ending was won by Blackburne, England’s most brilliant player, in a simultaneous. The first move is almost routine, but the second is a stroke of genius. Won by Blackburne. BLACK (Thirteen pieces).

WHITE (Fourteen pieces). White to play and win. LAST WEEK’S END-GAME. End-Game No. A 62: 1. R—B7 (threatens 2 R—KKt7), B x R; 2. P x B, R—B;»3. B—KtG, R—R; 4. B—R7! and wins, as Black must give up the R to stop P. BOTVINNIK V. FLOHR. —French Defence.— In the eighth game the Frencli Defence was played by the Russian and a draw resulted after the 21st move by White. The combatants in this match seemed to adopt the plan of a fight for the first ten moves and then if the advantage was not clear enough to guarantee decision, a relapse into caution and a draw. The games between Alekhine and Bogoljuboff on the other hand go out for victory. The young masters fear to lose.

White. Black. White. Black. Flohr. . Botvinnik Flohr. Botvinnik. 1. P-Q4 P-K3 12. P-B3 Kt-K2 2. P-K4 P-Q4 13. Castles CastlesKß 3. Kt-Q2(a) P-QP4 14. R-Ql KR-Q 1 4. KPxP KPxP(b) 15. R-Ktl QR-Ktl 5. B-Ktsch B-Q2(c) 16. K-Bl P-QR 3 6. Q-K2ch Q-K2 17. KKt-Q4 QKt-Kt3 7. Q x Qch Bx Q 18. Kt-R5 Kt-B5 8. Bxßch KtxQ 19. Kt xKt PxKt 9. Px P Kt X P 20. B-K3 Kt-Q4 10. Kt-Kt3(d) 21. Kt-B3 Drawn Kt-R5! 11. Kt-K2 B-B3

(a) The usual move is Kt—Qß3, though P x P and P —K5 arg. also endorsed. Kt—Q2 is good and was probably made to avoid regular lines. (b) 4 . . . Q x P; 5. B—B4, Q—QI oilers Black a good drawing chance; but Botvinnik does not need to avoid the isolated pawn which in this variation gives him good counter play. (c) The alternative was 5 . . . Kt—B3; 6 Q—K2(ch). B—K3; 7. KKt—B3, Kt—B3. At 7 . . . P—QR 3 w'ould give White the advantage. (d) Kt—K2 was better? RUY LOPEZ.

From the championship of the Manhattan C.C.

White. Black. White. Black. Jackson. Kuochik. Jackson. Kupchik. 1. P-K4 * P-K4 16. B-Kt3 B-K3 2. Kt-KB 3 Kt-QB 3 17. PxP(e) PxP 3. B-Kts P-QR 3 18. Q-Q2 Q-B2 4. B-R4 P-Q3 19. Kt-K3(f) Kt XKt 5. Castles B-Q2 20. BxB(g) KtxKtPl 6. P-B3 Kt-B3 21. BxPch(h) Qxß 7. P-Q4 B-K2 22. Kt xKt Q-Q4(i) 8. QKt-Q2(a) PxP 23. R x Rch RxR 9. Px P Castles 24. K-Kt3 R-KBI 10. P-KR3(b) R-Kl 25. B-B4(j) B-R3(k) 11. B-B2 B-KBI 26. BX B R x Ktch 12. R-Kl P-KKt3 27. K-R2 Q-KR4 13. Kt-Bl B-Kt2 28. B-B4 RxßPch 14. P-Ks(c) Kt-Q4(d) 29. Resigns (1). 15. B-Kts Q-Bl

(a) Prefer Q—K2, for protection of the KP, with QI as a promising square ready for a R. (b) Typical in certain phases of the Lopez; it stops Black’s B—Kts, and prepares for P—KKt4 after building up the K side. (c) Black’s fianchetto emplacement of his KB is the usual preparation against P—KKt4, Kt—Kt3, etc., which is still the logical way for White. Mr Jackson changes his plan for a rather premature attack. (d) Not P x P, 15. P x P Kt—KR 4, IG. P—KKt4! (e) Otherwise (if, say, Q —Q2) Black will play P x P, 18. P x P Kt—Kt3, and the White KP will remain a weakness. (f) Inferior. B—R6 may be the best, to try to get off Black’s objectionable KB. (g) R x Kt should be played, so as to meet B x B with R x B. Black, however, would probably continue 20 . . P —Q4. (h) Or he must submit to the loss of a P. (i) Really the decisive move. The QP is attacked, while R—KBI is also a threat. (j) Or Q—Q3, Kt x P, when White’s best play loses a second P by 26. Kt x Kt, B x Kt; 27. Q—Kt3, B x BP ch. (k) A pretty device. (l) Kupchik mates in two moves. The championship was won by Willman, who was second to Kupchik In the previous year’s competition.

SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. No. 553 by A. C. Challenger (3-move). Key: R—RG. This is an excellent problem, the principal variation K —Q5 leading to three model mates. Details: If

Correct solutions from:—E.A.L. (In'gill). and W. McF. (Timaru). No. 554 by C. G. Holroyd (2-move). Key: R—Kt2. A varied mutate. There are good tries in R—Bs and B—KtB and by R x Kt. Correct solutions from: —E.A.L. (In’gill), W. McF. (Timaru). "Quixote" (In’gill), "Novice" (In’gill), R.L. (Ashburton), "Tryer n (In’gill), ZZZ (In’gill), "Chester"

(Ch. Ch. No. 555 by W. Jacobs (3-move). Key: Kt—KKt3. Th.: P—KR6. White's moving threat decoys the Bishop io a square where further threats bring about a Grimshaw unpinning at Kt on QKt5. The two principal lines are:

No. 556 by C. Mansfield (2-move). Key: Q—K2. A beautiful and difficult key with a cross check theme. Correct solutions from:—E.A.L. (In’gill), W. McF. (Timaru), "Quixote” (In’gill), "Novice” (In’gill), "Chester" (Ch. Ch. R.L. (Ashburton).

B. W. B. W. K—Q5 R—Q6(ch) Kt x R Q x Kt ■ 1 ■ - K—B4 P x P I. K—K4 Q—R2 K—B4 Q—QKt6(ch) K—Q4 R—R5 P—K7 R—R5(ch) K—Q5 Q —Q2 K—K4 K—B4 Kt (ch) Q x Kt • ■ Kt else Q or R mates P X P K—B3 etc.

w. B. B. W. B—Q2 R—QKt3 B—Kt4 Kt—KG ■III 1 1 —— ... P—Q6 R X KtP B—K3 B—K2 B—Q4 Kt—Q3 — else R—KB1