Chess

No. 169. C. W. SHEPPARD (First Prize, 'Chess Review,' 1942)

BLACK (9 men)

By PHILIDOR

WHITE (10 men) WHITE to play and mate in two moves. Solution next week. Solution to No. 168 (Mansfield): R—B 8, threat R—R 5. 1 . . . B—Kt 4; 2 Q—Kt 8. 1 . . . R—Kt 4; 2 R—QB 5. 1 . . . B—B 4; 2 P—B 8=Q. 1 R—B 4; 2 Q—R 6. 1 Kt—B 4; 2 P—B 8=Q. 1 . . . R—B 3; 2 K—Q 7. So called 'organ pipes' theme with BRs and BBs getting in each other's way—with the extra defence 1 . . . R—B 3 which provides the subtle reason why only 1 R—B 8 will solve the problem.

I am writing this week's column separated from my chess books and am thus unable to produce a game from the past; the best 1 can do is a forgery— a game played in fact in a club match last year between Cologne and Hamburg, but which might have been played a hundred years ago. Incidentally, the loser is only fourteen years old so he has time to got over it.

White, HUBNER (Cologne); Black, CLEMENS (Hamburg); Opening, Two KNIGHTS DEFENCE.

I P—K 4 P—K 4 2 Kt—KB 3 Kt—QB 3 3 B—B 4 Kt—B 3 4 Kt—Kt 5 P—Q 4 • 5 PXP P—Kt 4. This curious move is better than it looks—but still not very good. 5 . . . Kt x P; 6 P—Q 4 is good for White and best is probably 5 . . . Kt—QR 4. White can then win a pawn by 6 B—Kt 5 ch but in practice Black seems to get more than enough compensation, 6 B x P3 . . . The best move Is 6 B—B I! with continuation, either (a) 6 . . . QxP; 7 Kt—QB 3, Q any; 8 BxP or 00 6 . . . Kt xP; 7 Bx P. Move played and the next three moves combine to make up a bad idea.

7 BxKt ch? . Q x Better 7 Kt—QB 3, QXP; 8 Q—B QxQ; 9 KtxQ, 11—. 2 with an equal game. . . . 8Q—B3 P—K Q x13 5

9 Q—QKt point: he hopes to force 13—K

or Q-J--Q 2 leaving him a pawn ahead with a comfortable gone' but Black has other ideas.

B—QB 4!

10 Q.XP ch K—Q

II P—Q 4 . . . If 11 0-0, then 11 . . . R—B 1; 12 QX B—R 3 with a terrific attack. After the game White suggenff,

11 P—QKt 4 but it seems to me that this is mot 5 11 . . . P—K 6!; 12 PxB, Qx1CIP (threat 13 QxP ch 14 P—K 7 mate as well as 13 Qx.R. ch); 13 R—B 1, P—K PI 14 KxP, R—K 1 ch and wins. 116 Lo PXP e.p.

12 - P xP 13 Kt--QB 3 B—Kt 2 14 Kt—B 3 R—KB 1 15 Q--Kt 3 ... 15 QXP?, R—KKt 1; 16 Q—R 6, R XP chi. 17 KXR, QXKt ch and 18 . . . Q—Kt 7 mate. 15Kt—Kt 5 16 QVP B—Q 3! Not 16 ... R xKt?; 17 Q—Q Now however R XKt is threatened.

17 Q—R 4 BxP ch • 01

18 K—R 1 QXQ! The tempting 18 . . QxKt 0 clear because after 19 R—Q 1 ch! Black must play 19 • '3j K—K 2 (19 . . . K—B 1; 20 Q—Q 7 eh, K—Kt Q—Q 8 chi, RxQ; 22 R xR eh, B—B 1; 23 PxQ) and Is a dangerous counterattack.

19 KtXQ R XKt! Decisive.

20 Kt—B 5 11—,B 3 21 B—Kt 5 ch K—B 1 22 QR—Q 1 B—Q 3

23 RXB . . . Resigns is a good alternative.

23i P x R

24 s t BxP

25 K—Kt I PxKtch

26 Resigns . . . Even at fourteen one is enough to undertake an ending a piece down. not optimislY