Chess

By PIIILIDOR

269. H. ABMS (2nd Prize, Deutsche Schachreitung, 1965) wmm to play and mate in two moves solution next week. Solution to No. 268 (Guidelli): Kt —B 5, no threat. I . . . P—Q 6 ; 2 R-1224. I. . .QXP;2 R— B 4. I Q--Kt ; 2 R—K 6. . . . Q —Kt 2 ; 2 R—K 7. r . . cl—Kt 4 ; 2 R—K 5. . . . Q— Kt 5;2RxQ.I...

Q—K ; 2 R x Q. r Q--B 2 ; 2 Kt x Q. Q— B 4; 2 Kt—K 3. Q x R ch; 2 B x Q. Seven mates

from unpins of White rook—excellent example of a task problem with a better setting and key than is normally the case in such compositions.

The higher the level of chess the more it is a psychological as well as an intellectual struggle ; one of the most interesting aspects of this in the Spassky- Tal match was the Ruy Lopez battle decisively won by Spassky as Black. Tal played the Lopez every time he was White ; in the third game Tal had an attempt at attack beaten off and lost, in the first, fifth and seventh games Spassky played the risky Marshall counter- attack giving up a pawn to force Tal on the defensive (not a thing Tal likes) and all were drawn. In the ninth and eleventh games Tal played quieter lines to avoid the Marshall—and lost both games and the match. Here is the eleventh and final game, with Tal playing like a man who knows he is beaten.

White, TAL. Black, SPASSKY. Opening, Buy LOPEZ.

P—K

2 Kt—K B3

3 13—Kt 5

4 B—B 4

5 0-0 6 R—K 7 B—Kt 3 8 P—K R 3 with his next move 8 P—B 3 allows 8.. had enough of that.

9 P-33 ro P— 3

is normal nowadays.

rr Q Kt--Q 2 Q Kt—Q

12 Kt—B r Kt—B 4

• B—B 2 R—K 14 Kt—Kt 3 B—K B a • P—Kt 4 Kt (4)—Q 2 • B—Kt 3 . . . Threatening Kt—Kt 5, but he has overlooked a subtle tactical resource for Black. 16 P—Q 4 would be better.

• . . . p_42 R 41

17 P—R 317 Kt—Kt 5?, P—Q 41; . .

ift P xP, P—R 5! with advantage.

P x P 18 BPxP P—R 3

19 Kt—B 5 P—Q 41 ao Kt (3)—R 4 P—B 41' 21 R—K 3 . . . 21 PxB P, Q Kt xP leaves Black an obvious advantage--White:must try to build up his attack.

21 . 5 . . P—B as R—Kt 3 K—R Naturally not 22 . . PXB; 23 Kt x P ch, K—R 2; 24 Kt x P with a very strong attack..

• B—B a P—Q 5 24 Q—B 3? . . . Averbach _points out that the best chance is an immediate 24 Kt x R P, P x Kt; 25 Kt—B 5 e.g. 25 ...R—R 3; KtxRP!,BxKt; 27BxB,R—Kt x!(27.— K x B; 28 Q—Q 2 ch); 28 B—Kt 5, (s—K B s and White has still a substantial attack. That Tal failed to find the best chance is a sign of some demoralisation u be is a superb aj. cackingplayer.

24 • • • R—R 3! 25 Kt xR P . . Too late, but his grune'is lost on the queen's side if he doesn't try.

25 . . . PxKt a6 Kt—B 5 Q—R z! Threat 27 ... PxP; P, B x K P.

• KtxR P BxKt 28 Q—B 5 ch K—R 29 B x B R—K Kt

3o B-,-Kt 5 Q—Q a To be able to meet 13 xKt

with R x B and thus save the K P.

▪ P13 4 Kt—R a! This breaks the attack finally since .32 _Q x B P met by 32 R (R .3)—K Kt ithreateams P x P. _The game finished with 32 B—K 4, R x ; 33 B x K. R—K r 34 Q—Kt 4, R--K Kt 3; 35 Q—R 4, P x 36 Q x P,PP—B 3; 37 B--B 2, P x P; 38 K B x P /Lt—K resigns (he loses a piece by his blunder but the position was empletely hopeless anyway).

P—K 4 Kt—Q B 3 -Q R 3 Kt 3

B—K s P—Q Rs 4

0-0

. . Can this be Tal? Together it looks more (Hie Steinitz. But the normal . P—Q 4—the Marshall attack—and Tal has B—Kr 1 P--Q Kt—Kt z This re-routing of the knight