Chess

By PH1L1DOR No. 273. F. FLECK

(version by A. R. Gooderson; Die Schwalbe, 1948).

WHITE to play and mate in two moves ; solution next week. Solution to No. 272 (Fleck) : B—Kt i !, threat 2 R—Q 5. I • .. B--B 6; 2 Q A 13-B4 ;2 R—Kt K 3 ; 2 Q—B 4. BLACK (9 men) WHITE (to men) • . . R—K B 3 ; 2Q—Q5.z...Kt—Q6;2R—K2.1...Kt—Kt3; trixR. Very fine key and play—one of the best two- movers I have seen for a long time.

The Russians are said to be concerned that they have not as many good young players coming along as

they used to have ; be that as it may, we must all envy a country that can put up a twenty-player tournament excluding Petrosian, Spassky, Botwinnik, Smyslov and Tat—and then Korchnoi cannot score 50 per cent in it. Stein (14/19),Polugayevski (134) and Taimanov (13) were comfortably ahead of the field.

Here is one of Taimanov's wins.

White, TAIMANOV. Black, MIKENAS. Opening, QUEEN'S GAMBIT ACCEPTED.

(Tallin, 19065).

P—Q 4 P—Q 4

2 Kt—K B 3 Kt—K B 3

3 P-013 4 Pa P Accepting the gambit is one of the many opening variations which after many years in the chess demi-monde have now achieved respectability.

4 P—K 3 P—Q R 58,P P—K 3

60-0 Q Kt—Q 1

, 9-K 2 P—B 4

8 --QR 4 P•cP g P x P Kt—Kg 3 so B—Kt 3 Q Kt—Q 4 11 Kt-13 31l—K 2

12 B—Kt c 0-0 13 Q R-0 R—K r? The rook is worse here than on B 1, where it is needed for the defence of the king's side. Black should start queen's side operations at once with B—Q 2, Kt x Kt and P—Kt 4.

R—K 1 B—Q_2 15 Kt—K lisa Kt

s6 P x Kg P—Kt 4? Now, however, he has not

time for this. 26 Kt—Q 4 first is better as White now shows.

27 B—B . . . Threat 18 B x Kt, B x B xP cb, K x B; 20a_. ch, K—Kt I; 21 Q X P ch and 22 R—Q 3. The black is needed on K B!.

P-13

18 P—K 4! R-13 z IS . . . P xB; 19 P x P, Kt—Q 4; 20 Q—R 5, P—Kt 3; 21 B x P and win:.

zg R—Q 3 B—B 3 20 8 )- P! P - B

zs R—Kt 3 ch K—B: 21 ... K—R I??; 22K1 x P mate. 22 Q—K 3 B—Q 3 23 Q - P ch K—K 2 24 Kt :- B ch? . . . Not best. 24 R—Kt 7 is 'CM strong but even better is 24 Kt 'P' and now (a) 24 ... K x Kill; 25 Q—Kt 7 mate b'. 24 ... Q—B 2: 25 R—Kt 7 Cc/ 24 ... R— K R 1; 25 Ks • R. Q - Kt; 26 R—Kt 7 ch—or 25 . . . B x R?; 26 Q—Kt 7 ch 21012 2- Q--B 7 male. 24 • - • R - Kt

25 R—B 3 Kt—Kt r

26 K. K P ch! K—Q 2 26 ... PxR?; 27 Q—Kt 7 mate. 27 R • P ch R—K 2 27. . . B—K 2: 28 B-11 s!, R7- R! ■28 ... Kt - („1%. 29 R ,6) x B cl.ch, K—Q 3; 30 R—Q 7 ch, Q x Ili 31 R -Q rn.,le , 29 Q i.I2 ch. K—B 2; 30 Q x R P with 5 pawns and a ,r,r:n.np ,stt.ack for the Kt. 28 R-6 • Itch At -It 28 ... B x R is slightly better but White's pawns a ,i, win even if his attack doesn't.

29 Q—K1 5 R - P 30 P - P Q—R 4 30... Rx13?;3t Q—B 5 ch and 32 Q .- R er 7e.. .. . P - P ; 3t Q xi. ch. K—B 1; 32 B—B 5 ch, K—B 2; 33 Q—R 5 ch winning rook. 31 P—lit 3; . . . Missing, in time pressure, 31 B—B 5 ch !, K—Q i i 32 R , Kt, B > R ; 33 Q—Kt 8 ch, K—B 2; 34 Q—B 8 ch. K—K1 3- 35 Q—Kt 8 mate. 31 • - • Q—R 8 ch 32 N—Kr 2 Q—Kt 7 Threatening 33 ... R a: P chl

33 B—B 5 rh 1•:—Q 1

34 P—Kg 6! Q • P 34 • . - R x P ch?; 35 Q. R, B x Q; 16 R—B 8 Male. 35 It). Kt R • P ch 3,14::)B xR; 36 Q—Kt 8 ch, K—B 7: 37 Q—B 8 ch. K—Q 3; 38 7 mate. 36 P>tR B • R 3 . . . Q—Kt 7 cii; 3.7 R— K 2 ch.

37 Q—Iiis 8 eh N—i3 a

38 Q—B 8 ch Resigns