CHESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 4033, 30 June 1931, Page 67

CHESS.

Conducted by

L. D. COOMBS.

Solutions of problems, original compositions, games, and analyses Invited for this column All correspondence should bo addressed to th'* fihess Editor, Otago Witness ontce. Dunedin.

PROBLEM No. 489. By T. Taverner. Black (Six Pieces).

White (Nine Pieces). lQ2Kb2|P2p4|2P5||2R!R 1 Kt 1 | r 2 k r Kt 2 | 1 P 6 |'B | 2 B 5. White to play and mate in two moves. PROBLEM No. 490. By W. Frhr. Von Holzhausen.* Black (One Piece).

White (Ten Pieces). 2B5|S|5P2|5RPl|7P6Pk| SBIP|3K3R. White to play and mate in. three moves. * Dresdner Anzeiger, 1930. SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS. Problem No. 485 (Winter). —Q to R 6. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit (Invercargill) and J. J. Marlow. Problem No. 486 (P.G.L.F.). —1. P to Kt 5. If 1. . .K to K 3, then 2. Kt to B 4, ch, etc. If 1. . .B takes Kt, then 2. Q to B 4, ch, etc. If 1. . .13 takes P, then 2. Kt to K 7, ch, etc. If 1. . ,B to R sq or Kt 2, then 2. P to B 4, etc. Solution received from E. A. Le Petit. END GAME No. 150. Author unknown. (Kindly supplied by Mr A. O. Gray.) Black (Four Pieces).

White (Five Pieces). B|p4rkl|sb2|P7|B|lp3R 2[186 | 7 K. White to play and win. SOLUTION TO END GAME No. 148. (Barbieri). 1. K to R 6 (a) K takes P 2. K to Kt 5 K to K 3 3. B to R 1 B to B 3 4. K takes P B takes B 5. K to R 3, drawn (a) if 1. B to R 1? K takes P 2. K to R 6 K to B 3 3. B any K to B 4 4. B any K to B«5 5. B moves K to Kt 6 6. K to Kt 5 B to K 2 7. B moves B to R 6 8. B moves B to Kt 2 and wins. Solution received from F. K. Kelling (Wellington) and R. O. Scott (Wanganui). Mr Scott also forwards the solution of No. 147.

GAMES. A game played in the seventh round of (he New York tournament. (Queen’s Pawn Opening.) White. - Black. F. J. Marshall. I. Kashdan. 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 4 4. B to Kt 5 Q Kt to Q 2 5. Kt to B 3 P to B 3 6. Q to B 2 B to K 2 7. P to K 3 Castles 8. P to Q R 3 (a) R to K sq 9. B to Q 3 P takes P 10. B takes BP Kt to Q 4 11. B takes B Q takes B 12. R to Q sq Kt takes Kt 13. Q takes Kt P to Q Kt 3 14. Castles B to Kt 2 15. P to K 4 P to Q B 4 (b) 16. P to Q 5 P takes P 17. B takes P B takes B 18. P takes B Q to Q 3 19. Kt to Q 2 (C) Q takes Q P 20. Kt to B 4 Q to B 3 21. Kt to Q 6 K R to Q sq 22. R to Q 3 Kt to B 3 23. K R to Q sq R to Q 2 24. Q to B 4 Q to B 2 25. P to R 3 - K to B sq

26. P to Q Kt 4 Q R to Q sq 27. Kt to Kt 5 Q to Kt sq 28. R takes R (d) R takes R 29. R takes R Kt takes R 30. P takes P Kt takes P 31. Q to Q 5 P to Q R 3 32. Kt to Q 6 Kt to K 3 33. P to B 4 Q to B 2 34. Q to R 8, ch (e) K to K 2 35. Kt to B 8, ch K to Q 2 36. P to B 5 Kt to Q sq 37. Kt to R 7 Q to Kt 2 38. Kt to B 8 Q takfes Q 39. Kt takes P, ch K to B 3 40. Kt takes Q K to Kt 2 41. K to B 2 K takes Kt 42. K to K 3 K to Kt 2 43. P to B 6 P to Kt 3 44. K to B 4 Kt to K 3, ch 45. K to K 5 • K to B 3 Resigns

(a) This move has been played a good deal in recent tournaments, the' idea being to prevent Black playing the Cambridge Springs Defence by B to Q Kt 5, etc. But, as Black had decided not to go in for this defence, as he showed by 6. . .B to K 2, there was not so much in the move, unless White had ideas of bringing the Bishop back to Q R 2, if and when Black played P to Q Kt 4. (b) Which could have been met in a different way, for if 16. P takes P, Kt takes P; 17. P to K 5, though that way White does not get rid of the opposing Bishop or gain the passed Pawn. Obviously Black must play 16. . .Q to Q 3, as he cannot stand the advance of the Pawn, and has quite reasonably- good prospects of doing something on the Queen's side with three Pawns to two. (c) This move is not easy to understand. Why sacrifice the passed Pawn? He should have been able to see there was nothing to be forced afterwards, and if the idea was to threaten 25. Kt takes B P, R takes Kt 26. R to Q 8, ch, then Black effectually countered that by 24. . .Q to B 2. (cl) Possibly 28. P takes P was better, as, though he did not regain the Pawn, Black was left with two_ disunited Pawns on that side, while exchanging Rooks first left Black with a much stronger position. Black played with excellent judgment here, for the defence had to bo absolutely accurate, with the K B P as the target of White’s attack. (e) The final error, though if the Knight went to Q B 4. 34. . .Kt takes P was the reply, and Black is two Pawns to the good. And if 35. Kt to B 5, ch, K to B 3 ; 36. Q to K 4, Q to B 8, ch ; and wins the K B P. Though this was not quite so bad as losing the piece, which could not be released after 36. . .Kt to B sq. The honours were clearly with Black in this ending.

In the following game, played in a tournament for the championship of Westphalia, Black adopted an inferior line of play and was unable to beat off his opponent’s attack :— ’ (Sicilian Defence.) White. Black. Rogmann. Hofmann. 1. P to K 4 P to Q B 4 ' 2. Kt to K B 3 Kt to Q B 3 3. P to Q 4 P takes P 4. Kt takes P P to K 3 (a) 5. P to Q B 4 Q to R 5 (b) 6. Kt to Q B 3 B to Kt 5 7. Kt to Kt 5 (c) Q takes K P, ch 8. B to K 2 Q to K 4 (d) 9. P to B 4 (e) Q to Kt sq 10. P to Q R 3 B takes Kt, ch (f) 11. P takes B Kt to B. 3 12. Kt to Q 6, eh K to K 2 13. P to Q R 4 Kt to K sq 14. B to R 3 Kt takes Kt 15. Q to Q 2 ' P to Q Kt 3 (g) 16. R to - Q sq K to K sq 17. B takes Kt Q to Kt 2 18. P to K B 5 R to K Kt sq 19. Castles P to B 3 20. B to R 5, ch P to Kt 3 21. P takes Kt P P takes P 22. Q to R 6 Resigna (h) (a) Kt to B 3 is better. White's best reply is Kt to Q B 3—then, however, he cannot play P to Q B 4, which cramps Black’s game. (b) Far too risky. Black should have played Kt to B 3, followed, as soon as possible, by P to Q 4. (c) A strong move, introduced by Spielmann in a game against Dr Tartakower (Vienna tournament, 1925). If, instead, Q to Q 3, then Kt to B 3. (d) Not 8. . .Q takes Kt P, because ot 9, B to B 3. If, instead, 8. . .K to Q sq, then 9. Castles, B takes Kt; 10. P takes B with a fine game for White. (e) A strong alternative is 9. P to K Kt 3, threatening 10. B to B 4. After 9. . .Q to Kt sq ; 10. P to Q R 3. B to K 2 ; 11. Kt to K 4, Black has a very difficult game. (f) A fatal error of judgment. He should have kept the Bishop to guard the “ hole ” at his Q 3. In the game mentioned in a previous note Dr Tartakower played 10. . . .B to K 2, the continuation being 11. Kt to K 4, P to Q 4 (if 11. . .Kt to B 3, then 12. Kt (K 4) to Q 6, ch, K to B sq; 13. P to Q B 5) ; 12. P takes P, P takes P; 13. Q takes P, B to K 3 ; 14. Q to Q 3 (best), Kt to R 3 (to stop P to B 5) ; 15. Kt (K 4) to Q 6. ch, B takes Kt; 16. Kt takes B, ch (best), K to K 2; 17. P to B 5, Q takes Kt; 18. P to B 6, ch, P takes P; 19. Q takes Q, ch, K takes Q; 20. B takes Kt, with a difficult game for both sides. (g) White threatened R to Q sq, followed by B takes Kt, ch, winning- the Queen. (h) For, if P takes B, then Q takes P; or, if K to B 2, then R takes P, ch.

NEW SOUTH WALES BEATS VICTORIA. The annual telegraphic Chess .match between New South Wales and Victoria was played recently, and the result was:—New South "Wales 7 wins, Victoria 0. Three games to be adjudicated. Results :— New South Wales. Victoria. 1. Goldstein .. 1 1. Watson .. . . 0 2. Crakanthorp . . • 2. Crowl . . . , * 3. Purdy . . . . 1 3. Gundersen . . 0 4. Koshnitzky . . 1 4. Coultas . . . . 0 5. Kinman .. .. 1 5. Stanes .. .. 0 6. Nield . . . . 1 6. Kannaluik .. 0 7. Crane . . . . • 7. Green .. .* 8. Nielsen . . . * 8. Eddy . . .. * 9. Shoebridge .. 1 9. Buckle .. . . 0 10. Bunyan . . ..110. Dall . . .. 0 Total . . . . 7 Total . . ... 0 * To be adjudicated. The team representing New South Wales was probably the strongest that has ever represented that State, including no fewer than six past and present champions, While Victoria was) without the services of Woinarski and Erskine, who have always done well for the southern State. The first game to be finished was at board 4, between Coultas, ex-champion ot Victoria, and Koshnitzky, joint-champion of New South Wales last year. In the earlier game Koshnitzky’s position was cramped, but he eventually won free, and was then able to launch an overwhelming attack, forcing his opponent’s resignation after 21 moves. This victory was followed, a few minutes later, by a win at board 9—Shoebridge (N.S.W.) winning from Buckle (Vic.) in 34 moves. This game was very' lively. In the middle game Shoebridge gave up his Queen for Rook, Bishop, and ’Knight, and, forcing an exchange of Rooks shortly after, was left with Rook and two Bishops against Queen. The mother State was in a winning vein, as thq resignation of Kannaluik (Vic.), to Nield, followed shortly afterwards—on his twenty-fifth move. The Victorian player, by a weak move, allowed his opponent's Bishop to attack his ‘Queen, and the position was such that he had no escape, except by the

sacrifice of a Knight. He resigned instead of continuing. The fourth game to finish was at board 10, where Dall (Vic.), who had been in a hopeless position for a long time, resigned to Bunyan. The game ran into 39 moves, but might very well have been abandoned by the Victorian at least a dozen moves earlier. More woe for Victoria came quickly. Gundersen, at board 3, resigning to Purdy on the thirty-first move. Gundersen defended with the “ Sicilian ” against Purdy’s attack,, and the game was well contested, until Purdy managed to break through on the centre. His last move was R to Kt sq, threatening R to Kt 8, to which the Victorian had no reply. Goldstein (N.S.W.), the State champion, put up a fine performance against Watson (Vic.), champion of Australia, winning after a well-contested game, which ran into 55 moves. Goldstein opened with P to K 4, to Which Watson replied with the centre counter, P to Q 4. The early and middle games were keenly fought, and the end game, In which Goldstein had the advantage of a Pawn, resulted in a strategic struggle, ending when the New South Wales player threatened to win Watson’s two remaining Pawns. At board 5, Stanes (Vic.) resigned to Kinman, after a long-drawn-out struggle, which ran into 59 moves. The position at the finish was that the New South Wales player had Knight and four Pawns, against Bishop and one Pawn. At board 2. . the old opponents, Crowl (Vic.) and Crakanthorp (N.S.W.) had a great struggle. In the end game the New South Wales representative had an advantage of material ; but, with Bishops ot opposite colours, the game was very difficult. (The game was unfinished when play ceased.) At board 7, Crane (N.S.W.) and Green (Vic.) had a lively game, with fluctuating fortunes. But in the end game Crane had an advantage of material. This game was also unfinished. Nielsen (N.S.W.) and Eddy (Vic.) at board 8, had still a lot of material on the board when time was called. This game will be adjudicated. NOTES. Telegraphic Matches.—Writing from Wellington, June 19, a correspondent says that the New Zealand Chess Association at a meeting to be held on June 24 intended coming to a decision in reference to telegraphic Chess matches. What will be the nature of the decision we do not yet know, but anything that will make possible interclub games will be welcome, especially to clubs outside the Wellington area who are more or less isolated. New York Tournament.—The final scores in this tournament were as follow’s :—J. R. Capablanca 10 points out of 11, I. Kashdan SJ, A. Kevitz 7, I. Horowitz, A. Kupchik, and H. Steiner each 51, A. E. Santasiere 5, I. S. Turover 41, A. W. Dake, Edward Lasker, and F. J. Marshall each 4, and M. Fox 2J. There were three prizes. Capablanca won nine games and drew two (with Kashdan and Steiner). Kashdan, also undefeated, drew five games. A Book on Problems. —Messrs G. Bell and Sons, Ltd. (London) have recently published a book on two-move problems, by Mr Brian Harley. It is said to be exceptionally good. The published price is 5s net. British Chess Federation.—The team to represent the British Empire in the International team tournament at Prague from July 11 to July 26 will be chosen daily from Sir. George Thomas, Bart, (captain), M. Sultan Khan, F. D. Yates. W. Winter, and V. L. Wahltuch. Mrs R. H. S. Stevenson will be the British representative in the tournament for the women’s championship of the world.