The Chess Board.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 20, 13 November 1912, Page 10

The Chess Board.

All communications to be addressed to * Chets” Boj 253, Auckland.

The Auckland Chess Club meets on Monday Thursday, avd Saturday even* ings, at No. 24, I!is Majesty's Arcade, Queen street (2nd floor). The Y.M.C.A. Chess Club meets on Friday evenings.

The Hamilton Chess Club meets in the Public Library. Hamilton, every Friday evening, at 7.30. JTon. Secretaries of Chess Clubs are invited to furnish items of Club ncu's. Unpublished gamer, containing special features, notes of critical positions oc* curving in actual play, and original problems (diagram and analysis) urc always acceptable.

Answers to Correspondents. It. 11. SMITH.- -Glad to hear from yon. \\ e are always pleased to receive suggesfrom reader--. The game to which you refer i> no doubt the famous game V.iuLvu v. Morphy played in the New York Tournament of 1857. which we reproduce below with selected notes by the late William Steinitz. We published Hie sunn* «gamr. but without -notes, on 12th April, 1911. If this Ls not the game you have in your mind, let us know, and we will endeavour to supply. We trust you do not intend to imply that the games .of the present-day masters are not up to standard. ( Nielsen.—Your solution of Problem No. 172 is correct. Only just in time, i K.K.-—Thanks for item. Hope your sojourn at the seaside will set you up. Problem No. 174. By W. 11. CONNELLY. Broken Hill. (Second prize in Mr A. C. Whited third Australasian columns’ tourneyL Black. 8 men.

White, 8 men. ls|>l»:;, s. pi<H:; M , P::klpl, lp4Pl. IS3P2. JKIQ4, «. hile to play and mate in two moves.

O^O E have observed a problem by u 4 I Mr F. A. L. Kuskop, which was •ntered in the above tourney, but unfortunately failed to -c -urc a prize on account of its resemblance to a problem previously composed t»\ Mr B. C. Laws, the well-known author of ‘The two move Chess Problem.” The judge. Mr I I). Williams, in his review of the work piawliiced by the various Slate- and the Dominion. said: “Kuskop shine. with undiminished lr«<trc, but (•nines in fop his share of hard lurk.” Hr then cites the two problems, which we give li'loyv. and points out the resemblance. I his involve- no reflection on Mr Ku-kop. nor an\ suggestion of plagiarism. Such causes of unconscious imitation are by no means ran* among com* ]»o-er-. indeed, having regard to the euor* moils output of the present day, it is .it matter for wonder that instances arc not of tar more frequent occurrence. The hard lurk i-. in our opinion, accentuated io Mr Kuc*kop'.- composition containing •< much more pleasing .setting of the main idea, and by its containing other Icaturr- not exhibited hi Mr Law’s problem. However, solvers wjll be able to judg«; fur tlo-mselves. Problem No. 175. By !•’. A. li. Kuskop. ca. !G4. l|>pS2|>l, Iqlk4, 4.81Q1, 8, IKSB. White to pl;ij and mate in two ■ovea.

Problem No. 176. By B. G. 4sb2, Splplpl, 28381. 4kSH“, 11’184. 8, IBIQ3K, 8. White to play and mate in •t wo. moves. A Famous Game. Played in the New York Congress on November 8, 1857. between Louis Paulsen and Paul Morphy, being their sixth congress tournament game. The game lasted 4 hours. Morphy wae then in his 21st Four Knights Gune. White. ' Black I’aul.-wit Morphv 1 P K 4 :. .. P—K4 2 KKt—B3 QKt— Bit :: Kt- B 3 . .. Kt-B3 4 B Kl 5 B—B4 5 Cast h e Castles <i KtxP . It Ksq 7 Kt.xKt Ql’xKt 8 B B 4 p QKt4 (a) 11 B - K2 KtxP lOKtxKt ItxKt 11 B—B3 ... . It KB 12 P B 3 (l>, Q—QG 13 P—QKI4 B—Kf3 14 P-Qll4 PxP l_ > QxP . B—Q2 Hi It—R2 (e) QR—Ksq 17 Q-KG (dl ............... Qxß !I! 18 PxQ B—Kt3 eh Id K—R sq B—RG 20 It—Q sq (e) B-Kt7 eh 21 K—Kt sq BxP dis ch 2 ? K—B sq B—Kl7 ch (f) 2.> K -Kt sq . B—RG dis eh 24 K—R sq ] Sxl . (g) 25 Q B S q b.xQ B-xB . . ;.. R—K7 ol 6,1 R—R3 B (h) B —KG and wins (ij Notes (abridged) from ‘ rhe Modern ( hess Instructor." by the late William Steinitz: — (a) If .. KtxP ; ft KtxKt; ItxKt; 10 BxP ch, and should win. - ■.(b) .This allows the adversary to block White’s pieces for .. long time. Much l>etter wa.s 12 F—Q3. (c) On principle, he ought to have seized the very first opportunit v for di«odging the adverse Q. which hampered ins development. (di White cannot be blamed for not seeing the most wonderful combination that the opponent had (nepared. The move liu the text was very forcible still. But Q —Q sq was now the only right move, whereupon, no doubt. Black would have answered P—QB4 with the better game. The position after White's move is:—4rlkl. plpblppp, QbplrS, 8, IPG. 2Pq182. R2PIPPP, 282RK1

(e) Of course, if R—Kt sq. Black takes, and mate follows in two more moves by R—KB ch. But full justice has not been done to Morphy's extraordinarv position judgment, which shows itself on exanvimition of the followin'* lines of defence: 2u Q-Qii, P--KB4; 21 Q-Bt eh, lx— B sq: 22 (j— KK4 (or 22 Q-KBI. bxltl: 2;; QxP ch, It B.i; 24 QxKP, ly-K8 and wins), 22 BxR; 23 QxP, K B2 and wins either by R K 8 or B—Kg accordingly. (fl Black could have won more elegantly l> s 22 .. K—Kt 7 (threatening RxRP); 23 Q- Q 3. RxBP eh; 24 K Kt eq, I. J<t“ dbl. ch; 25 K moves, It—Ktß mate. (g> After this White must give up the Q again, and his game i s hopeless. (In His bent defence was now K Kt° ■ (i> For if 211 Bxß, R(lt3txP eh. and th'.-' other •< mates next move. Remarkable Stalemate. 'J he "Pall Mall Gazette" relates that one of the most rernarkabe incidents in the B.C.F. tournament occurred in the ninth round, when, in his fifty - eighth move in his game with Mr Wnhltuch, Mr Gritlith threw away an easily winning position by not noticing a little trap cun ningly set for him, amt enabled his opponent to convert a certain defeat into a draw. The conclusion of the game leading up to this remarkable position was as follows: — White (V. L, Waldtuehl.- K at. KKtl, Q at KR4, at QR2, UKI3, 03. 04. KB4, KKt2, .... Black (K. (!. Griffith).- K at KR2, K's at KKtl and KKI6, B at Q2, P's at QBS,

QKt2, Q 4, K 3. Kll3. (Grl, pplb3k, 4p2p, 3p4. 3PIPIQ. ll'lT, 2r1,T5P1, 6K1.1 White. • Black. Wahltuch. Griffith. 35. P— P.5 llxPch 36. K—Bl k (Kt 7 — Kl 4 (a) Pxl> BxP K KI K KI 3fi. Q-B4 B—Q2 ch M». K—Q2 R Kt 7 cl , 41 • K -B3 R—Bl ch 42. K—Kt I B—K3 «• p R—Kt3 44. q— K3 PR:; 45. K R 5 <b) R(Bl)_KKtl 4 L‘- J - Kt 4 R(Ktl)—Kt2 4< l—K‘s 4 *' xP B—Ktl 40. P Kill R—o2 511. K—Kt4 K(Q2) —Q3 •:> Q~K7ch K--RI R(Kt3)—B3 !V~T‘ 4 RxP * 4 - R— K 3 Q —Kt3 R—B3 !$~Kt4 I{—BB £ kZlu :::: .:..7777'.777. ‘ Kxq Stalemate. , I 1 l !? re wa s necessity at ail to ■et the King escape into the open PxP was quite safe. (bl White obviou.-ly crept up there in o the corner in the attempt to tie, and "mg about a stalemate. An attempt uluch Black should have recognised (ci Walking straight into" the ’trap, tv-K.>. With a view to It -KI; in fact win ' noV< * l,av ‘‘ , " -e " “"'lieienl to In conversation afterwards. Mr. Grif fith sanl that he simply did not think b , tor the moment, though he had thought of it before, otherwise, of course, he could easily have found a wav to win. Notes and News. ihl'?\* ea, '?/ rO *" tbc ‘-'Witelton Times” that a match was played in the Canterbury Chess Club on Friday, Ist inst.. between teams puked by the President (Mr Mr h i'x' 1 -' 4 .' - aud tl,v Vi «- p resident .’V'. '' I’he latter won . <> 2 . As so often happens in ma ches. (he tail beat the head. The individual scores W pi> *> f n 7 1. a,.- z? 4i '• . U <s follows (inenibrrs of the I resident’s team being in each case named first) • Severne 1 Nightingale 4; ,1. Kennedy 1. W Frase'r 0; Hans Kennedy 1, 11. p. J!low 0 . hoy Lovell-Snuth 0, J. Spiller I • W H Joyce 1. J. MacLaren 0; A. Jovee I Mes«™ger 0; Twyford 0. R. A. Joseph I; nvx C .°° per C - Lant ’ 1 = Brough 0, r. Moody 1 ; T. F. Fraser 0 W Roberts 1. iW.ere was good attemb ance of visitors. We notice that the Club has been showing signs of returned vigour lately. So mote it be.’ Mr A. I). Kerr, a member of the Brisbane School of Arts Club, has won th- < iianipionship of Queensland. Mr Kerr is in his nineteenth year (->. having been born at Highbury, London, in 18'1-1 He only learned chess live years ago In 11108 lie played at the tail'of the .School, of Arts ( lub B team. His advance has been very rapid. Ue learn from the “Timarn Herald" that the Timaru Chess ( lub wound up Ils season on 22nd ult., when the sealed handicaps for the tourney were disclosed ami the prize winners declared. There were 24 entries, and the handicappers brought the competitors very close to one another, as will be seen from the following figures for wins, handicaps and totals:—G. Chapman, B—ll— ]f> ; yy. Oakley, 13—54—184; J. Rawstorn, 64— —l-—184; D.’ Xeeklen, 8—91—174; T. Mara, 1,—0—17 ; H. Gourley, 12—5—17, We understand that there were three handicappers, ami each prepared a handicap separately and sealed it. 'the envelopes were afterwards opened, and the contents averaged, the mean la-ing in each ease adopted as the competitor’s handicap. This method is new to us, hut there is certainly something to be said for it. In addition to winning the first prize. Air Chapman becomes the holder of the handsome shield presented by the president of the club (Mr A. Beck). The Stndenta* Corner. (For Inexperienced Players.) Do j-ou remember what we said about the “cordon"? In case you have for gotten, we will refresh your memory. Clear the board, place a solitary pawn on any file and on any rank'froni the 3rd to the .7th. Now this pawn is, of course, advancing to queen. Draw a square or quadrangle, starling from (and inelud-

itig) the square occupied by the pawn and ending with (lie fur end of the board, i.e., the Bth rank of the same tile. This square is the cordon- Thus, suppose your pawn is on your QB4, the cordon will include QI 14 to QBB, QB4 to KKt4, KKt4 to KKIB, and QBB to KKtS—25 squares in all. This imaginary figure plays a most important part in the calculations involved in pawn endings. Now. place the adverse king on the board.' If he is anywhere within the cordon he can stop your unprotected pawn from queening. If it is his move, and this move enables him to get within the cordon, then be will be just in time io stop the pawn. If it is not his move, he will be just too late. Try it, and you will soon see the force of this. Place your pawn on (your) QB4, and the ad verse king on. say (his), KRti. If it is his turn to move be can stop the pawn: if it is yours lie cannot. We shall have more to say about this next week. Solution of Problem No. 172. (O’Keefe-y(nd Gadsen.j l.Q—Kt.3.