CHESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16570, 1 November 1921, Page 5

CHESS.

(By

W. S. KING.)

Items of interest are invited, and the editor will be pleased to answer questions concerning any branch of the game of chess. Short games having point of merit will be welcomed for publication. Solutions of a problem should be sent in within a week of appearance of the diagram. SOLUTION. Problem No. 25, by A. O. White. Position (Forsyth notation): r 3 Q 1 kt K, k 1 B R 1 r p 1. 3 Kt R. 8. 1 p 6, 1 Kt p 5, 8. 8, 6 b b. White to play and mate in two moves. Key, R K 2. SOLVERS. Correct solution of Problem No. 25 received from H., St Albans; Rook, Christchurch; K., Christchurch; H.H., Kaiapoi;i and M., Timaru. , PROBLEM No. 27. By H. Waddington. Black (eleven men).

White (nine men). 1 kt r q 4, B 7, 1 P p p Q 1 p 1, K p k BlpPl.lKtP p 4 : 2 Kt 5,8, 4 kt 3. White to play and mate in two moves. This problem was published in the “ Morning Post." to commemorate the author’s eighty-seventh anniversary, and was composed for the occasion. THE MUZIO GAMBIT. The Aiigust number of the American “ Chess Bulletin ” directs attention to a variation of the Muzio Gambit. White in the variation in question sacrifices two pieces for a big attack. The game in the “ Bulletin ” was plaved by correspondence between A. 11. Baldwin (White) and A. T. Leise (Black). IP K 4 IP K 4 2 P K B 4 2PxP 3Kt—KB3B P K Kt 4 4 B 5 Castles 5 P x Kt 6 Q x P 6Q B 3 (a) 7 Kt - R (b) 3 7 Q Q 6 ch 8K Rsq BQxB 9 Kt - Q 5 9 Q x R ch (o) 10 G x Q 10 Kt Q R 3 11 P Q Kt 4 (d) 11 B Kt 2 12 R Kt sq 12 Kt K 2 (e) 13 P Kt 5 13 Kt x Kt 14 K P x Kt 14 Kt B 4 15 P Q 4! 15 Kt R 5 (f) 16 B x P 16 Castles (g) 17 B x P VI Kt B 6 (h) 18 R K sq 18 Kt x Q P 19 B Q 6 19 R Q s<l 20 Q Q B 4 20 Kt Kt 3 21 Q Kt 3 21 Resigns (i) (a; *ll tins is as old as the hills; the usual continuation being 7 P K 5, although 7 P Q 3 is also recognised as a strong move. (b) A variation of which Mr Baldwin has made a particular 6tudy. Whether it is original with him is, however, another Question, in 1917 we quoted a game won by Curdel with it in ISB9, but although not mentioned in the last edition of his book he had already directed attention to it in ( >rough calls the opening the Bello Gambit. (c) The idea is to break up the attack, and yet to reihain with sufficient material advantage to win. If 9 ... B R 3 we get by interchange in order of the moves a position in a game won by Dadian, of Mingrelia. with the White pieces. (d) Improving on a previous correspondence game where he played 11 Q x P, P - Q 3; 12 P Q4, B K 3 and Black (e) P Q B 3 is probably better. (f) If 15 . . . B x P; 16 Q B 4, B B 7; 17 Q x P, winning a piece. (g) The result of 16 ... P Q 3 might bo as follows:—17 R K sq ch, K B sq; IK Q - K 2. B - R 4; 19 Q - K 7 ch, K - Kt sq; 20 Q K 8 ch. R x Q; 21 R x R ch. B B sq; 22 B R 6, and mate next move. (h) The remainder is a good objet lesson of the result of delayed development of the pieces. (i) There is no defence against R—K 84. CHESS CHAT. A national tournament held at Nijmegen, to decide the championship of Holland, has ’ been won by Max Euwe; -the young Dutch player who distinguished himself by tying for first place in the recent tournament at Broadstairs, Kent. Of the ten players participating in the 1921 championship of South Africa, four have qualified for the final by scoring 50 per cent or more r>f the highest possible (9) in the preliminary tournament. The following are the four, with scores made in the qualifying tourney A. J. A. Cameron and H. Meihuizen, each 7*; O. S. Bain, 6s; C. Murray, 5. Mr Cameron was the holder of the title. AUCKLAND v. CANTERBURY. The telegraphic, chess match, Auckland versus Canterbury, was commenced on Saturday evening, the local team playing in the Canterbury Chess Club Rooms, Inglis’ Buildings, where a telegraphic instrument was installed with a through wire to the opposing team in Auckland. Play commenced at 6.30 p.m. and continued till eleven o’clock, very fair progress being made with most of the games, which with one or two exceptions are generally in an even position. Auckland won the toss and elected to play White at the odd-numbered boards. The following are the teams engaged, with the opening adopted at each board, the Canterbury player bging mentioned first in each case:— Board I—II. L. Andersen (captain) v. J. C. Grierson (captain). French defence, even position. Board 2—H. Kennedy v. P. N. Stewart. Irregular opening leading to heavy exchanges, game well advanced, even. Board 3—Rev N. Friberg v. Coulthard. Centre Counter Gambit, stubborn contest, even at adjournment. Board 4—T. Hawkins v. Pickett. Sicilian Defence, even game. Board S—II. J. Armstrong v. Miles. A Fianchetto defence, even game with Canterbury pawn down. Board 6—L. J. Darwin v. Smith. Ruy Lopez. An interesting game with slight Auckland advantage. Board 7—Dirk. Pilil v. Roberts. Queen’s pawn opening. A stubborn fight, Canterbury slight advantage. Board S—H. J. Quarrell v. Wright. Guioco Piano. Careful game, even position. Board 9-*F. Woodford v. Addis. Ruy Lopez led to a very interesting game with both sides attacking. Unfortunately Woodford made a weak move which led to a loss of a minor piece without any compensation in position. Forced exchanges quickly brought, about the end of the game, leaving Canterbury in a hopeless position, and Woodford resigned at the close of play. Board 16- R. Lovell-Smith v. - Arapoff. Guioco Piano opening, breaking away from the book early in the game. Canterbury two pawns down but with complicated position which favours Auckland slightly. Board 11 R. S. Shillito v. Barker. Ruy Lopez. A very stubborn game with possibilities on either side. Board 12—J. E. Stevens v. Sullivan. Sicilian Defence. Even position at adjournment, Stevens attacking. Board 13—F. H. -R. Neville v. Hayward. Petroff’s Defence. Game developing on strictly book lines to the fourteenth move, even position. Board 14—J. O. Chapman v. Andreae. Ruy Lopez. Game slowly working up to a strenuous middle game fight, even at adjournment. Board 15--W. B. Buckhurst v. Jones. opening. Even game at adBoard 16—E. Dalton v. Putman. Irregular opening. Dalton by exchanging Queens and Bishops gained a pawn, while retaining the attack. Slightly favours Canterbury. Mr W. F. Robinson umpired for Auckland at the Christchurch end, where Mr J. Gillespie operated the wires, and the duties of scrutineering were under the control of Mr C. L. Hart, assisted by Messrs Spencer, Henderson and Joyce. The match will be concluded on Saturday next. CANTERBURY v. MASTERTON. The unfinished games in this match have been adjudicated upon, giving wins for Canterbury at Board 1 (H. L. Andersen), Board 3 (Rev N. Friberg), while the games at Boards 6 (Pi hi), 7 (Quarrell) and 13 (Stevens) were drawn. Canterbury therefore wins the match by ten games to six. canterbury v. otac-o. The three unfinished games in this match I have been adjudicated upon, the decisions 1 being as follows: —Board 10 (Quarrell), win for Canterbury; Board 12 (Chapman), win > for Canterbury; Board 15 (Wilson), drawn. The final score of this match is Otago 10, Canterbury 6.