Chess no. 391

PHILIDOR

Black White 5 men 7 men

V. I. Melnichenko (1st Prize, USSR Central Chess Club Bulletin, 1967). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

tSolution to no. 390 (Subrahmanyam): Q - R 4, eat P -Q 5. 1 . . . K-Q 4; 2 B- Kt 3 (set Q X B P). 1 R -Q 4; 2 Kt - Q 2 (set Q X Kt P). . . R - B 4 eh:- 2 P X R (set Q x R). 1 . . .

R x P; 2 P x R. Elegant mutate.

It used to be the rule that if Soviet masters entered an international tournament one of them won it; Fischer and Larsen have spoilt this rule—especially Larsen, who has won the last five events in which

he has competed. Nevertheless, the Russians can still play—and can still win, as Kholmov shows in the following fine game from the annual Belgrade tournament. Notes are based on those by Maric in Deutsche Schachzeitung.

White, Kholmov. Black, Milic. Opening, Queen's Pawn. (Belgrade, 1967.) I P - Q 4 Kt-KB3 2 P-QB4 P-B4 3 P - K 3 ... avoiding the normal variations of the Benoni.

P-K 3 4 Kt-QB3 P xP 5 P x P P- Q 4. Now rather surprisingly, the opening has transposed into the Panov variation of the Caro-Kann! As Milic never plays this variation, this constitutes a slight psychological gain for White.

6 Kt-B3 Kt-B3 7 P-BS Kt-KS 8 B-QKt5 B-Q2 9 0-0 B-K 2 10 R - K 1 Kt X Kt

11 P x Kt 0-0. Marie suggests delaying this, but I do not think there is anything seriously wrong with the move.

12 B-KB4 P-QKt3 13 P X P P X P

14 B - Q 3 P - Kt 3? An instructive error; there is no immediate need for this and Black should start his queen's side counter-attack with 14 .. . R -R 6. If in reply 15 Q-B 2 then he can play 14 . . . P - Kt 3 and the White queen is on B 2 instead of the better square

Q 2 as in the game, or he can play 14 . . P -R 3. 15 Q - Q2 R - R 6 16 P-K R 4! ... with W Q on Q B 2 this would not be playable because of B x P. Now, how- ever, 16 . . . B x P; 17 Kt x B, Q x Kt; 18 B-Kt 5, Q-Kt 5; 19 B-K 2, Q-B 4; 20 P -Kt 4, Q- K 5; 21 P -B 3 and wins.

16 . . Q-Rl 17 P-R 5 Q-R4 18 KR-B1 R-R 1 19 P x P BP xP 20 Kt - K 5! Kt x Kt 21 B x Kt B-K 1 21 . . . R x P; 22

RxR,QxR;23Q-R 6,B-B1;24Q-Kt5 (threat B x P), K- B 2 (24 . . . B - K 1; 25 Q-B 6); 25 Q-R 4!, K-Kt 1; 26 Q-B 6 (threat B x P), B- K 1; 27 Q -R 8 ch, K R 2; 28 Q x P ch and mate follows.

22 Q-R 6 B-B1

23 Q-R 31 B-Kt 2 23 . . B-B 2; 24

BxE11,BXB (24.. .PXB; 25 Q-R 8 mate); 25 Q X P ch, B-B 2; 26 Q-B 6, B-Kt 3; 27 P-K B 4!, R X B P; 28 P -B 5 and White wins.

24 B x B K X B 25 QxKP B-B2 26 Q-QB 6 R X RP 27 QR-Kt11 R-Kt1

28 R-K 1 R - R 6. The position can no longer be defended.

29 R-K7 R XP 30 Q-K6 R-KB1 31 R x Pi R x B 32 R(6)-Kt 7 K-R 3 33 R X B R xR 34 RXR 35 K-R 2 QxP

36 Q -K 71 Resigns. 36 . . . K-R 4 (forced); 37 R X P oh, K-Kt 5; 36 R-R 4 ch winning at least the queen. A fine game in which Black's loss of tempo on move 14 was the fatal error.