Chess 457
PHILIDOR
W. Issler (1st Prize, Schweizer Arbeiter-Schack 1952) White to play and mate in two moves solution next week.
Solution to no. 456 (Mansfield): B-B7, th R-R5. 1 . . . Kt x R; 2P x B-Q. 1 . . . Kt-B3 2R-R5; 1 . Kt-Kt6ch; 2P x Kt; 1 . . . B-B4
B-B6; 2R-Kt3. I B-R4; 2R-Kt6. 1 B-R6 2P-Kt3. 1 . . . B-Q7; 2Qx QR. Very fine earl half-pin problem.
Boy bites Great Dane
Nothing quite like it has happened in Ireland sin Brian Boru clobbered the Danes at Clontarf 1014; the scene was Castlebar, the traditio capital of County Mayo.
Castlebar is an enterprising town which adds the natural attractions of Mayo by putting on large variety of special events—as one of these decided to have an open air living chess display a a week's international tournament. Before turni to the latter I might mention in passing that t display was a great success and is the only su' display that I have ever seen in which live ho were used for the knights. Alexander, one whose games was used for the demonstration, w afterwards photographed standing in front of white knight; had the horse lashed out at t moment we might have had the unique occurren of a player being killed by one of his ox pieces.
Anyway . . . to return to the tournament, t organisers were richly rewarded for their enter prise in the very first round. The event contain seven Irish players, four English, one each fn West Germany, New Zealand and Scotland and party of five Danish players including two of t strongest in Denmark after Larsen—Brinck Clausen and Mogens Moe. In the first rou Mogens Moe had Black against the young competitor, the thirteen year old Berna Kerman. Moe won a pawn in the opening and looked as if everything would go according to t book; but Kerman resisted stoutly and got so counter-play. Psychologically, this is a very dangero situation for the stronger player; he feels that should win decisively and to meet such unexpect• resistance from a boy is very disconcerting. M ran very short of time and the following criti• position was reached. White K on KRI, 0 K4, Rs on KKt2, K6, Ps on KR2, Q3, QB3, QR Black K on KRI, Q on KR5, Rs on KR4, Ps on KR2, KKt3, KB5, QKt2, QR3. Fluste Moe played 33 . . . R-KB1? Kernan thought f several minutes and then—all moves pia) instantly by each side—there followed 34 Q- K-Kt1; 35 R(6)xPch!, PxR; 36 RxP K-B2; 37 Q-Kt7ch, K-K1; 38 R-K6ch, K-0 39 Q x Rch, K-Q2; 40 Q-Q6ch,K-B1; 41 R-K8' Resigns. Black is mated next move. Even allowing for the element of chance t comes into something of this kind, this was remarkable performance by Kernan. In the seco round Brinck-Clausen revenged Moe—not sv out a struggle; Kernan made an ingenious sacri of his queen which was, alas, cleverly undermi by a winning counter-combination. But in rou 3, Kernan decisively beat one of the weak Danish players Schnegelsberg. All in all, the was ample to encourage Irish chess about t new prospect—and Castlebar to do it aga another year.
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