CHESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18940, 10 December 1929, Page 15

CHESS.

tßy W. S. KING). interest are Invited and the tinnl* be Pleased to answer ques-e-atviA any branch of the noinfo * ch€ss * Short games having merit will be welcomed for SSSm k°“* Solutions of a problem •nee. sent within a week of appear* PROBLEM NO. 429. By Dr E. Lasker. Black (seven men).

White (six men). 5b2, 6kt 1,2 bplp2, 7p, R 2 Kt 1 k 2, 5 Kt 2, 5 P Q 1, K 7. Whtie to play and mate in two moves. Dr Lasker, the ex-world’s chess champion, did not give much of his time to problem composition; but what he did create in_ this department of the game has certainly enriched chess lore for all time. The problem given above has several points of intense interest from the viewpoint of the lover of the poetic side of our royal game. SOLUTION. Problem No. 428, by A. C. White, two moves. Key move, R— Q S. TO CORRESPONDENTS. King's Pawn (Christchurch), J. H. (Christchurch) and Rook (Christchurch)—Solution correct. RICHARD RETI’S SKILL.

•>v vj *. i xtesigns v* j. (a) Accepting Reti’s gambit is now regarded by some authorities as qiiite a good reply. (b) This has a tendency to let the game drift into the regular Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Other moves adopted on other occasions by Reti were Kt R 3 and Q R 4 ch. (c) Or Kt KB 3, but not 3 P Q Kt 4; because of 4 P Q R 4, P Q B 3; 5 P x P, PxP;6P Q Kt 3, which is to White’s advantage. ;(d) Now an orthodox Queen’s Gambit. (e) The game Lasker v. Duras at Petrograd, 1909, continued 6 P Q R 3; 7 Castles, P Q Kt 4; 8B Q 3, Q Kt Q 2. Steinitz in his world’s championship match with Zukertort. Piayed 6 P x P; 7 P x P, B K 2; S Castles, Castles; 9 Q K 2, Q Kt Q 2. . (f) P Q R 4, to prevent P - Q Kt 4, is also good. Cg) This may perhaps better wait, and B— Kt 2 played instead. The text sets White’s Q B free. <h) 10 Kt x Q P; 11 Kt x Kt, Q x Kt; 12 B K 3, Q Kt 5; 13 P B 3, is to White’s advantage. <l) Now if 11 Kt x Q P; 12 Kt x Kt, Q x Kt; 13 B x Kt, Q x B? 14 B x P ch! (j) Hoping by exchanges to bring about an end game wherever Whit© has a weak Q P. (k) Better to Castles first. (l) If 17 B x Kt; IS P x B, R x P; 19 P Q R 3, Kt B 3; 20 B K 3, wins the exchange. <m) Doubtful, as the pawn at White’s K 5 becomes very” troublesome. (n) With d/eadly effect. He threatens Q xKtP, as well as R x Kt. Also if Black Castles there is the reply 24 B R 6. (o) Finely played. (p) A vain endeavour. (q) Another fruitless effort. White again refuses the gifts. (r) For after 30 K K 2; 31 Q Q 6 ch, K Q 1; 33 Q B 6 ch, K Q 2; 34 Q x B wins. CHESS CHAT. C. J. S. Purdy (Sydney), an ex-New Zealand chess champion who is expected to take part in the Dominion championship commencing at Wellington on Boxing Day, is evidently in very fine form this season. Ho won the New South Wales State championship at the tournament recently held in Sydney, defeating the ex-State and present Australian champion, S. Crateant.horp, decisively, and quite outstripping his other opponents. Purdy should prove a worthy rival for J. A. Erskine (Melbourne), the present Dominion champion, and the other leading players lie will meet at the coming trial of skill.

Andre Cheron has won the French chess championship for the third time. The tournament was held at. St Cloud, and Cheron scoi'ed 7£ out of a possible

Fifteen entries have been received for the thirty-ninth Dominion chess championship tournament. The list of names, which will be given next week, includes J. A. Erskine (present champion) and G. Gunderson (Melbourne), and C. J. S. Purdy (Sydney).

The accompanying game, played in thfr London tournament of 1927, is another example of the chess genius of the late Richard Reti: Queen’s ? Gambit. White: R. Reti. Black: W. Winter. 1 Kt — K B 3 1 P — Q 4 2 P — B 4 2 P x P (a) 3 P — K 3 (b) 3 P —QB4(c) 4 B x P 4 P — K 3 5. P — Q 4 (d) 5 Kt — K B 3 6 Kt — B 3 6 Kt — B 3 (e) 7 Castles 7 P — Q R 3 8 Q — K 2 (f) 8 P Q Kt 4 9 B — Q 3 9 P x P (g) 10 P x P 10 B — Kt 2 (h) 11 B — K Kt 5 11 B — K 2 (i) 12 Q R — Q 1 12 Kt — Q 4 (j) 13 B — B 1! 13 Q Kt ■ — Kt 5 (k) 14 B — Kt 1 14 R — Q B 1 15 Kt — K 4! 15 Kt — KBS 16 Kt B 5 16 B — Q 4 17 Kt — K 5 17 Q — Kt 3 (1) 13 P — Q R 3 18 Kt — B 3 19 P — Q Kt 4 19 Kt x Kt (m) 20 P x Kt 20 B — Q B 5 21 B — Q 3 21 B x B 22 R x B 22 Kt — Q 4 23 Q — Kt 4 (n) 23 B x lit 24 R x Kt (o) 24 B x P ch (p) 25 K — R 1 25 Q — B 2 26 Q x Kt P 26 P x R 27 Q x R ch 27 K — Q 2 28 Q x R P 28 Q x B (q) 29 Q x P ch 29 K — Q 1 30 Q x P ch 30 Resigns (r).