CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4031, 16 June 1931, Page 67

CHESS.

Conducted dy

L. D. COOMBS.

Soluttoifs of problems, original compositions, games, and analyses Invited for this column All correspondence should bo addressed to the Chess Editor. Otago Witness Ofllco. Dunedin.

PROBLEM No. 485. By R. Winter.* Black (Six Pieces).

White (Eight Pieces). kts|3B4|Klp 5 I 2 p Kt 1 p 2 | 2kßlPktl|2P 5 ] 2 P 5 | 7 Q. White to play and mate in two moves. * Gartenlaube, 1931. 'PROBLEM No. 48G. By P. G. L. F. Black (Four Pieces).

White (Eight Pieces). Bl3plp2|2bk 1 P 2 I 3 Kt 4 I Kt PIQ3K|B|SPPI|B. White to play and mate in three moves. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. Problem No. 481 (Taverner). —R to K R 7. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit, who writes that it is a masterpiece. Problem No. 482 (Palkoska). — 1. Q to K B 1, P takes P; 2. Q takes B P, etc. If 1. . .K to Q 5 ; 2. P to K 3, ch, etc. If 1. . .R to B 6 ; 2. Q to R 1, etc. If 1. . .R to Q 6; 2. B takes R, etc. If 1. . .other variations; 2. Q Kt to B 6, ch, etc. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit. END GAME No. 148. By Vittoria de Barbieri. (Kindly supplied by Mr E. A. Le Petit.) Black (Four Pieces).

White (Three Pieces). 3b3B|KlkP4|B|B|7p|B| P 7 | 8. White to play and draw. " SOLUTION TO END GAME No. 146. (Herbatmann). 1. P to Kt 5, ch, K takes P; 2. K to K 1, ch, K to B 2; 3. B to R 2, P takes R, ch ; 4. K to Q 1, Q takes B (if 4. . .P to Q Kt 3; 5. B to B 4,. Q takes B, etc.); 5. P to Q Kt 6, ch, K moves, stalemate. Solution received from R. O. Scott (Wanganui), F. K. Kelling (Wellington), and A. 0. Gray (Christchurch).

GAMES. A game played in the match between the London and Amsterdam Stock Exchanges. (Queen’s Pawn Opening.) White. Black. Justus Meyer H. Saunders (Amsterdam). (London). 1. P to Q 4 Kt to K B 3 2. Kt to K B 3 P to K 3 3. P to Q B 4 P to Q Kt 3 (a) 4. P to K Kt 3 B to Kt 2 5. B to Kt 2 B to Kt 5, ch 6. B to Q 2 B takes B, ch 7. Q Kt takes B P to Q 3 8. Castles _ QKtto Q 2 9. Q to B 2 Castles 10. K R to K sq Q to K 2 11. Q R to Q sq Q R to Q Kt sq 12. P to K 4 (b) P to K 4 13. Kt to Kt sq P to Q R 4 14. Kt to Q B 3 P to Q B 3 15. P to Q Kt 3 K R to Q sq 16. Q to.B sq Kt to B sq 17. Kt to K R 4 P to K Kt 3 18. P to Q 5 (c) B P takes P 19. K P takes P Kt to K R 4 20. P to K B 4 P to K B 3 21. B to B 3 Kt to Kt 2 22. P takes P BP takes P 23. Kt to K 4 B to B sq 24. R to B sq Kt to B 4 25. Kt to Kt 2 , Kt to Q 5 26. Q to K 3 B to B 4 27. Kt to R 4 Kt to Q 2 28. Kt to Kt 5 (d) Q to Kt 2 29. B to K 4 B to Kt 5 30. R to Q 2 R to K B sq 31. R (Q 2) to B 2 Kt to Q B 4 32. R to B 7 R takes R

33. R takes R Q takes R 34. Kt takes Q K takes Kt 35. B to B 3 Kt takes B 36. Kt takes Kt K to Kt 2 37. Kt takes P " R to K sq 38. Q to Q 4 R takes Kt 39. Q takes B K to B 3 40. P to K R 4 Resigns (a) In his game against Miss Menchik at the Hastings Christmas congress, Capablanca defended by playing P to Q Kt 3 for his second move, following this with B to Kt 2 and P to Q B 4, an appreciable difference. It may have been better for Black to play 10. . .P to B 4 ; 11. P takes P, Kt takes P; with much more freedom in his position. (b) Which is just the move that the previous suggestion would have prevented, for White would have been without the Queen’s Pawn. And perhaps better was 13. . . .P takes P; 14. Kt .takes P, P to Q B 4, but either way it was a difficult variation. (c) White had the best of matters here, for this advance gave him a much stronger position in the centre, besides shutting off the Black Bishop at Q Kt 2 completely, a point that should not have been allowed. With 20. P to K B 4 White made certain of breaking open the King’s side, thus clearing the way for doubling the Rooks on the K B file. (d) Which threatened 29. R takes Kt, P takes R ; 30. Q takes Q, so the Black Queen had to go somewhere. If 31. . .Kt to K B 4 ; 32. Kt takes Kt, and White wins a Pawn out of the exchanges, with a position that makes the win certain. After 37. Kt takes P, if 37. . .P takes Kt; 38. Q takes P. ch, and wins the Rook, so forcing 37. . .R to K sq. The rest was only a matter of correct play, for Black could not prevent the Queen getting behind his lines, besides the other threats. The following game, from the Premier Reserves tournament at Hastings, is a good example of the enterprising style of play of the young Czechoslovakian master, S. Flohr. Both Alekhine and Capablanca are reported to have a high opinion of his skill:— (English Opening.) . White.. Black. Flohr. Rellstab. 1. P to Q B 4 P to Q B 4 2. Kt to Q B 3 Kt to K B 3 3. B to K Kt 3 P to Q 4 (a) 4. P takes P Kt takes P 5. B to Kt 2 Kt to B 2 (b) 6. P to Kt 3 P to K 4 (c) 7. B to Kt 2 B to K 2 8. R to B sq Castles 9. Kt to R 4 Kt to Q 2 10. Kt to K B 3 P to B 3 (d) 11. Q to B 2 _ Kt to K 3 (e) 12. Kt to R 4 Kt to Kt 3 (f) 13. Kt to B 5 (g) Kt takes Kt 14. P takes Kt R to Kt sq (h) 15. P to B 4 P takes P (i) 16. P takes P R to K sq (j) 17. RtoKKt sq (k) Btoß sq (1) 18. B to B 6 (m) Kt to Q 5 19. Kt to R 6, ch (n) K to R sq 20. Kt to B 7, ch K to Kt sq 21. Kt to R 6, ch (o) K to R sq 22. Kt to B 7, ch K to Kt sq 23. Q to B 4 R takes P, ch (p) 24. Q takes R Kt takes Q 25. Kt takes Q Kt takes K R (q) 26- B to Q 5, ch K to R sq 27. Kt to B 7, ch K to Kt sq 28. K to B 2 ' Kt to R 6, ch 29. K to Kt 3 P to Q Kt 4 30. P takes P B to Kt 2 31. B to B 4 P to Q R 3 32. P to Q R 4 P takes P 33. P takes P Kt takes P 34. K takes Kt --P to R 4. 35. R to K Kt sq K to R 2 36. B takes P Resigns (r)

(a) Favoured by Rubinstein. A good alternative is P to K Kt 3. (b) An awkward-looking move. A better continuation is 5. . .Kt takes Kt; 6. Kt P takes Kt, P to K Kt 3. (c) Weakening his position in the centre. P to K 3 was better, with B to K 2, and, eventually, B to B 3 to follow. (ci) If P to K 5, then Kt to K 5. (e) R to Kt sq, followed by P to Q Kt 3, should have been played. (f) If Kt to Q 5, then Q to B 4, ch, followed by P to K 3 . (g) Bold play. He allows the terrible weakness of the doubled Pawns for the sake of an attack. (h) Not Kt to Q 5, because of Kt takes B, ch, followed by Q takes P. (i) B to Q 3 was slightly better. (j) If 16. . .Kt takes P, then 17. Q to B 4, ch, Kt to K 3 ; 18. B to Q 5, K to B 2. (if Q to Q 2, then B takes Kt, ch, followed by Kt takes B, ch, and wins) ; 19. R to B 3, PtoKKt 3 ; 20. RtoK 3, P takes Kt; 21. B takes Kt, ch, with a strong attack. (k) Flohr himself, in Kaagans Neueste Schachnachrichten, says that Castles was better. The King’s Rook could then join in the attack via B 3. (l) A mistake. K to R sq should haye been played. (m) A line move, threatening Kt to R 6, ch, followed by Kt to B 7, ch. (n) Better than either 19. B takes Kt, B takes Kt, or 19. Kt takes Kt, P takes B, 20. Kt takes P, R takes P, ch ; 21. K takes R, Q to K sq, ch. (o) Repetition of moves to gain time. (p) A complicated variation here is 23. . . .B to K 3; 24. Kt takes Q, B takes Q ; 25. B takes R, Kt takes P ; 26. R takes B, Kt takes R ; 27. B to B 7, ch, K to R sq ; 28. Kt to K 6, and wins. (q) P takes B was better. After K takes Kt Black could play either B to R 3, ch (followed by R takes Kt), or R takes B. (r) If P takes B, then B to Q 3, ch.

NOTES. ■ Chess by Wireless. —The Canterbury Chess Club are arranging a match by wireless against the Wellington Chess Club. Wanganui Chess Club.—There are 13 competing in a double round contest for the championship of the Wanganui Chess Club. The leading players are Messrs Scott, Pleasants, and Fisher. Mr Fisher has won both his games against Mr Pleasants and drew his first game against Mr Scott. Melbourne Championship.—lt is reported that Mr C. G. Watson is likely to ije the winner of this event, and that Messrs Crowl and Gunderson are about level for second place. Transvaal Chess Federation. The first Chess championship under the auspices of the newly formed Transvaal Chess Federation is reported to have not been very successful, and but four players competed. The tournament finished in March with the, following result: —Schrader 1, Egan 2, Dr" Lewis 3, W’itkin 4. German Championship.—The date of the German national championship was fixed for May 31 to June 13. N.Z.C.A. —The New Zealand Chess Association was reported some time ago to be attending to matters in reference to interclub telegraph and wireless matches, but seems to have gone to sleep. In the meantime the various affiliated clubs are waiting. Money Rules.—Marshall, the United States of America national champion, is willing to play Kashdan for the title, but insists on lOOOdol, win or lose, and also desires Kashdan to raise a purse of 5000dol.

—The world’s oldest republic is Andorra, a tiny territory with an area of 175 square miles and 6000 population. It /is situated in. the Pyrenees, between France and Spain.