CHESS NOTES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 611, 16 August 1933, Page 6

CHESS NOTES

'Ruy

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club jottings THE VALUE OF STUDY IN DEVELOPING THE GAME CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS ( Sneciallv written for the "Morning

Post" by '

Ohampionships: Senior — Results of the ninth round: Andrews beat Booth, Kurney beat Clark, Roland beat Watr son, Tibbitts Ibeat Edwards, Fraer beat Saxhy. Vinall v. Burton was adjourned, and Heywood v. Paterson was postponed. Jackson and Tattersall had byes. Junior: The only results so far handed in are: Bould beat Blencowe, and Rowley beat Jenkins. Players are reminded that they must hand their results in. Andrews played a fine game against Booth, opening with the "Vienna" and gradually improving his position, forced a mate. At the adjournment of Yinall v. Burton ("Sicilian" defence) Burton was two pawns up, and with • careful play should force a win. Edwards was rather unlucky in not defeating Tibbitts, as later on he defeated him in two straight games. Tibbitts, it must be remembered, is now second on the ladder. Edwards play has improved greatly of late. In the junior players, W. Heley and Dixon are playing the soundest chess and will not be far from the top at the finish. Draw for the Tenth Round: Senior." Burton v. Saxby, Tibbitts v. Vinall, Watson y. Edwards, Clark v. Roland, Tattersall v. Kurney, Booth v. Heywood, Jackson v. Andrews. Fraer and Paterson have byes. Junior. Eva,ns v. H. Heley, Rowley v. W. Heley, Dixon v. Jenkins, Shaw v. Bailey, Milflliigan v. Martin, Musgrave v. Lenihan. Blencowe and Bould have byes. , The tenth round will he played on Friday next, all players meritioned first have the move. Study Necessary Dr. Emanuel Lasker in his "Manual of Chess" devotes his final chapter to philosophical reflections on education in chess, voicing the opinion that "our efforts in chess attain only one per cent of their rightful results' He further states that there are only about one thousand players in the world to whom no master can allow odds. How much time is necessary to reach this standard? Lasker is of the opinion that a young man ignorant of chess and devoid of any natural talent could reach this standard with 200 hours tuition from a mas-

ter, and apportions the time as follows: — Rules of play and exercises, 5hrs. (Elementary endings, 5 hours. Some openings, 10 hours. Combination, 20 hours. Position play, 40 hours. Play and analySis, 120 hours. The first point about this table to be noticed is the order in which Lasker sets out his course of study, and secondly, the time he suggests should he devoted to each part and the total amount of time necessary. Most chess players would put in 67 evenings of 3 hours per year. Admitfedly we have not got a chess master in Rotorua to teach us, but we have books, we are all keen, and if we only spend a portion of our time in systematic study we are bound to .improve and who knows, perhaps some day we will produce a world's champion. The "Blackburne" Trap After moves 1 P - K4, P - K4 2 Kt - KB3, Kt - QB3, 3 B - B4, P - Q3, 4 P - Q4, B - Kt5, 5 Kt - QB3, P - KR3 ?, 6 P x P, Kt x P ?, 7 Kt x Kt, offering the sacrifice of the Q, and after 7 . . • • B x Q, mates iu two moves by 8 B x P ch, K - K2, 9 Kt - Q5- mate. It will be obvious that if Black does not accept the sacrifice of the Q, but makes any other move, e.g., 7 . . . • P f Kt, White with 8 Q x B has won a piece. This is one of the oldest of any chess traps, and was first brought off in 1702! While not commenting on Black's defence in general, on the 6th move he should play P x P. Chess Masters of To-day No. 1 — Alekhine. The present chess champion of the world is Dr. Alexander Alekhine. He was born in Moscow in 1892, his father being Marshal of Voronaesh. Before the Revolution he was an officer in the Russian Army, but once during the Revolution he was sentenced to death, and is now practically an exile from Russia. He is at present a French citizen and is a. reserve in the French Army as well as a lawyer. Alekhine started playing chess at the early age *of seven, and at sixteen acquired the title of master by winning the first prize in the National Tournament at St. Petersburg. In 1927 at Buenos Aires he heoame champion of the world by defeating Capablanca. Since then he has played only one match involving the title, that with Bogoljubow, whom he had no trouble in defeating. This week's problem: White mates in two moves (the usual contraction

for "White to play and mate in two moves.") Position: r6Q, 7B, 8, 8, 8, 5p2, 7B, R4Klk. Cheek position: White pieces: K on KB1, Q on KR8, B's on KR2 and KR7, R on QR1. Black pieces: K on KR8, R on QR1, P on KB6. Answer at Last Week's problem: White's last move must have beep made with a knight, which w'as captured by black on the last move. K . x Kt on his own square is impossible because Kt - K8 could only be made from Q0 when the Black K, then at B2 would h'ave been in check before White moved. If the B captured the Kt, Black would also have been in check when • White moved. It must have been P (Kt3) x Kt, and previously Black must have played. P (R2) x Kt. The position can be reached in 15 moves on -either side.