Chess no. 439

PHILIDOR

Black White 9 men

8 men

W. A. Shinkman (Jamaica Gleaner, January 1885). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to no. 438 ((Chepishny and Rudenko):

Q - Q 61, no threat. 1 R x Kt; 2 Q - K R 6 (set Q - Kt 5). I . . . R any other; 2 Kt - Q 3 (set Kt - Kt 6). 1 . . . Kt - B 6; 2 Kt - Q 3 (set Kt - Kt 6). 1 ... Kt(5) any other; 2 Q - K R 6 (set Q - Kt 5). 1 . . . Kt(7) any; 2 R x P.

I . . . P - Kt 6; 2 P x P. Elegant change-mate ('mutate') problem—but I am a little surprised that it got a first prize.

The following entertaining game was played this year in the Soviet championship; there is—as pointed out by Khasin in his notes—some psy- chological jockeying for position in the opening. There is often more lying behind the opening moves than meets the uninitiated eye.

White, Lutikov. Black, Zacharov. Opening, Sicilian. (Alma Ata, 1969.)

1 P-K 4 P-QB4 2 Kt-QB3

Lutikov knew that Zacharov (a) liked to play the variation 1 P - K 4, P - Q B 4; 2 Kt - K B 3, P - Q 3; 3 P - Q 4, P x P; 4 Kt x P, Kt - K B 3; 5 Kt - Q B 3; P - Q QR 3; (b) disliked the closed variation (as in the SpasskylGeller games). Hence he preserves his options. Zacharov does not like to play 2 • • • P.- Q 3 because of 3 P - Q 3.

2...P - K 3 3 Kt - B 3 Kt-QB3

4 P - Q 4 PxP 5 Kt x P P-Q 3 As a result of 2 Kt - Q B 3, White has now avoided Black's pet line.

6 B-K 3 P-QR3 7 P-B 4 Q-B 2 The Paulsen variation.

8 Q-B 3 KtxKt Better 8 . . Kt - B 3; text brings White Q B into very good play.

9 B x Kt Kt - K 2 10 Q - K 3! B - Q 2 11 B - Q 3 Kt - B 3 Now his position be- comes very cramped: P - Q Kt 4 first Is preferable.

12 B - Kt 6 Q - B 1 130- 0 B - K 2

14 P- K 5! P Q 4 Probably best, since 14 . . . PXP opens up the position too much and 14 . . . 0 - 0?: fails against 15 PXP, BxP; 16 BXP chi; KXB; 17 Q - Q 3 ch and 18 Q xB winning a pawn. Now, however, White's centre is secure and he has excellent attacking chances.

15 Q - Kt 3 P - Kt 3? He must play 15 . . • 0 - 0; if then 16 P - B 5 he can reply 16 . . .

P - B 3. White's game is, of course, greatly superior anyway, but there is nothing elearcut.

16 P - B 5! Kt P x P White threatened not only P - B 6 but also 17 P XICt P, R PxP:

18 BxKt PI and if 16 . . K PxP then 17 KtxP, 0 -0(17 ... B -Q 1; 18 BXB; QXB; 19 Kt - B 6 ch and 20 Q R-Q1 with an overwhelming game); 18 B - K 3 (threat Kt - Kt 6), R - Kt 1 (18 . . Q - Q 1; 19 Q R - Q 1); 19 Kt - B 6 ch with a winning attack.

17 Q-Kt 7 R -B 1 18 BxBP1 P-Q5 18... PXB; 19 Kt xP, B - Q 1: 20 B - B 51 and wins (20 . . Kt - K 2??; 21 Kt - 13 6 mate or 20 . . . B - K 2; 21 BxB, KIX& 22 Kt - B 6 ch).

19 B x R P! PxKt 20 RxP! RxR 21 B - Kt 6 KtxP Or 21 . . . Kt - Ql; 22 Q - Kt 8 ch, B - B 1; 23 R - K B 1.

22 QxKt Q-B 5 23 BxRch KxB

24 R- B1 ch K - Kt 3 24 . . .QXR ch: 25 KxQ leaves White an easy win in the end- game—but it would be slightly better than the text.

25 B-Q 41 QxRch He now sees it Is

forced. e.g. 25 . R - K 1; 26 Q - K 4 ch, K - R 4 (26 . . K - R 3. 27 B - K 3 ch and 28 QxQ); 27 Q - R 7 ch etc.

26 K x Q R-Blch 27 K - Kt 1 PxP 28 BxP R-KKt1 29 Q - B 71 R - Q 1 30 Q-Kt 3ch K - B 4. 31 Q -K5 ch Resigns 31 K - Kt 3; 32Q - Kt 7 ch and 33 QXD.