CHESS

Evening Star, Issue 24328, 17 October 1942, Page 3

CHESS

(By R.G.W.)

The present world champion, Alexander Alekhine, was born in Russia in 1892, won his first international tournament at the age of 20, and tied for the Russian championship in 1914. Exiled from the Soviet in 1920, he gained his doctorate of law at Pans in 1924. In an epoch-making struggle, conducted with the utmost stubbornness on both sides, Dr Alekhine, in 1927, defeated Senor J. E. Capablanca at the zenith of the latter’s glory in a match by six wins to three, with 25 draws, and assumed the title of world champion. The doctor’s most imposing success was his winning of the San Remo tournament in 1930. He drew two games only, and won every other game against opponents who included the best players of that time, and finished far ahead of the. rest of the field. Not that he was satisfied with this smashing victory, as on lecture tours he demonstrated how he should have won the two drawn games. Space does not allow mention of many of lus successes. His predominant feature is his genius in creating, and his virtuosity m the exploitation of attacking chances. We present three snapshots of his genius;— R. Reti (White), 1925. Position after White’s twentieth move: rlqlrlkl, pp3ppp, 2p2n2, 2Nn4, 2QN2bI, 6PI, PPIRPPIP, RSKB. Both sides are’ playing hard for a win, the struggle producing what is probably the most beautiful prolonged series of combinative moves. 20...P-KR4; 21 P-N4, P-R3; 22 R’-QBl, P-R5; 23 P-R4, PxP; 24 RPxP, Q-B2!; 25 P-N5, RPxP; 26 PxP, R-K6!!; 27 N-83, PxP; 28 QxP, N-B6: 29 QxP, QxQ; 30 NxQ, NxPch; 31 Kdl2, X-Ksl; 32 R-84, NxBP!; 33 B-N2, B-K3; 34 R (B4)-B2, N-Nsch: 35 K-R3, N-K4dis. ch.; 36 K-R2. RxN; 37 RxN, N-Nsch (an echo) -; 38 K-R3. N-K6 dis. ch.; 39 K-R2, NxR; 40 BxR, N-Q5!; 41, resigns. A peerless example of Alekhine’s attacking skill. A. Rubinstein (Black), 1923. After Black's twentieth move: 2blr2k, r4ppl, pp2p3, 2b5, P3Bq2, 5N2, IPQ2PPP, 2R2RKI. The road to Black’s exposed king is opened by a demonstration on tlic opposite wing which draws awav Black’s active defending pieces. 21 P-QN4, B-Bl ; 22 Q-86. R-Q2; 23 P-N3, Q-Nli; 24 X-NS, R(K1)-Q1: 25 B-N6!! Q-K4, submitting to material disadvantage. But 25...Px8: 26 Q-N2, K-Nl: 27 Q-R3, BxP; 28 Q-R7ch, K-Bl; 29 Q-RBch. K-K2; 30 QxPch leads to mate.

E. D. Bogoljubov (While), 1922. After 28 N(B2)-Q1, v3qiTk. 2pli2pl, Snip, pp3p2, IuPPpPIP, 2QIPIPI, SN2RI, R2N2KB. Black is a pawn up, but Alekhine disclaims tiiis material advantage, and instead seeks to exploit the awkward placing of AVhilc's pieces. The man who lives for the present beats (ho man w'ho lives for the future — it is nothing new. 28...N-Q6; 29 RxP, P-Nsl; 30 RxR. PxQJ; 31 RxQ, P-B7M; 32 Rxßch., K-R2; 33 N-82, P-B8 = Qcli.; 34 N-81, N-K8; 35 R-U2, QxBP; 36 R-QNB, B-N4!; 37 Rxß, QxR. The combination is at an end, but the ending is pfaved no less cleganl.lv: 38 P-N4, N-B6ch.; 39 BxN, Pxß; 40 PxP, Q-K7l: 41 P-05, K-Nl; 4? P-R5, K-R2; 43 P-K4, NxKP; 44 NxN QxN; 45 P-Q6, PxP: ,46 P-86, PxP; 41 R-Q2, Q-K7! (the fella’s get a one-track mind!) 48 RxQ, PxR: 49 K-82, PxN = Qch, 50 KxQ, K-N2; 51 K-82, K-B2; 52 K-K3 K-K3; 53 K-K4, f>-Q4ch.

No player or problemist can fail to derive pleasure from these games. Problems next week.

The simultaneous display at the Olagn Chess Ciuh by R. 0. Wade last Saturday resulted; —Played 13 games. won 11. and drawing 2 to Dr B. W. Bennett and G. P. Wright. No losses in under two hours. The winner's record over the last three years is 13 exhibitions, 178 games, 161 wins, 8 losses, 6 draws in a total time of 14h 20mm—just under an average of five minutes per game. Acknowledgments next week.