Chess no. 421

PHILIDOR

Black White

(8 men)

(8 men)

C. G. S. Narayanan and T. S. Krishnamurthy (The Problemist, July 1968). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to No. 420 (Mansfield): R - Kt 3, threat Q - R 2. 1 Q - Kt 3; 2 Kt - Q 3. Very ingenious and elegant. The rook must go to Kt 3 otherwise after 1 . . . Q - Kt 3; 2 Kt - Q 3 Black will play Q Kt 8.

The home team in the chess Olympiads usually does better than par; in 1964 at Tel Aviv Israel succeeded in qualifying for the top group in the finals—much more against the odds, Cuba quali- fied at Havana in 1966. The Lugano tournament must therefore have been a disappointment for Switzerland who, despite having their best team, never really looked like reaching the A finals and, in finals B, were only able to finish seventh. How- ever, they had their moments: in the finals they drew with the winners, Holland. and deprived us of first place by beating us 24—li in the last round. And their top board. Keller, had his moments too—as against the Spanish grandmaster Pomar.

White, Keller. Black, Pomar. Opening, Caro Kann. (Lugano, 1968.)

1 P-K 4 P-QB3 2 P-Q4 P-Q4

3 P X P P x P 4 P-QB4 Kt-K B3 5 Kt-QB 3 P-K 3 6 Kt-133 B-K 2 7 P-B5 0-0 8 B-Q3 P-QKt 3

9 P-QKt4 P-QR4 Double-edged; 1 do not know which edge is sharper. A solid line is 9 . . .P x 10 Kt P x P. Kt - B 3.

10 Kt-QR 4 K Kt - Q 2 11 10 Q Kt - Q 2;

then II P - Q R 3 and White consolidates ,Iris queen's side and threatens P - B 6. With the text move, Black can meet 11 P - Q R 3 with 11...RPxP; 12 RPxP,Kt-QB3(orB- R 3). However, it denudes the king's side and I suspect that Q Kt - Q 2 better.

11 P- K R 41 P- R 3? A difficult position. If 11 ...RP x P White plays 12 Kt X Pl. Kt X Kt; 13 B x P ch!, K x B (or 13 ... K - R 1; 14 P X Kt with advantage): 14 Kt - Kt S ch and wins. However, the text creates a further weakness. Perhaps 11Kt P X P: 12 Kt P X P. B - R 3 might h e flied (13 Kt - Kt 6, R- R 2); but 1 don't like Black's game.

12 R - R 3! P - K 4 Although this is not quite good enough, it looks like the best chance.

13 B X P! B - B 3 13 . . . P x B loses to 14 R - Kt 3 ch, K - R I; 15 Q - Q 2 and if 13 . P - K 5 then 14 R - Kt 3, B - B 3; 15 Kt - Kt 5 as in the game.

14 R - Kt 3 P-K 5 15 Kt -Kt 5! Kt- B 3 I5 ...P x B: 16Q x P. P -.Kt 3; 17 P - R 5 and White should win: however, this would be a better chance.

16 Q-R 5 KP xB 17 B x P! R-K 1 ch 17 .. Q - K 2 ch: 18 R - K 3.

18 K-B 1 B x B 19 Q x Pch K-R 1 C AIL 20Q-R5ch K-Ktl 21 Q-R 7chK-B1 22 Kt - K 6 ch R x Kt 23 R x B! Resigns Three mates in one are threatened!