Chess no. 353

PHILIDOR

Black White 8 men

A. Ellerman (Problotaist, July 1967). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to no. 352 (Chandler): Q- Q8, threat B - K5. 1 . . . Kt - B6; 2 Kt - K2. 1 . . . Kt - B7; 2 Kt -Q3. 1 . . . Kt-Kt 6; 2 Kt - K6. 1 . . . Kt - B5; 2 R - Kt 4. 1 . . . Kt (5) else ; 2Q -Q 2. 1 ..-. Kt - K2; 2Q x P. 1 . R - K2; 2 Kt x RP. Good key and fine set of mates following Black knight moves.

One of the most intelligent and gifted players of my generation, the Swedish grandmaster Gideon Stahlberg died in May this sear, aged fifty-n.ne. A man of wide culture and interests, with the in- tellectual capacity to halve succeeded in many waiki of life, he seemed in the last resort to lack the will o do so; as with Tartakower. with whom he had a good deal in common, he had an underlying pess:- inism and cynicism about life which 1 expect bola led him to choose chess as a partial escape and a :,) prevented him from quite reaching the top as a ehessinaster. His superb chess imagination is shown in the following beautiful and entertaining game.

White, Stahlberg, Black, Sefc. Opening, Queen's Gambit. (Trentschin-Teplitz 1949.)

1 P - Q 4 Kt-KB 3 2 P - QB 4 P - K 3 3 Kt-KB 3 P - Q 4 4 B - Kt 5 B - Kt S ch. The Vienna variation, which leads to complex play with plenty of chances for both sides; a line technically and psychologically well suited to Stahlberg's gifts and style. 5 Kt - B 3 P x P 6 P - K 4 P-B 4 6 . . . P-KR 3; 7 B X Kt, Q x II; 8 P- B4 is a safer line.

7 BxP P x P 8 Kt x P Q-R48...B X Kt ch: 9 P X B, Q Kt - Q 2 is a solid line—but Black has accepted White's implied challenge and plays for the counter-attack. 9 B x Kt B x Kt eh 10 P x B Q x P ch . . . It appears as if Black

must win, but in fact the position is about; equal.

11 K - B 1 Q x Bch

12 K - Kt 1 Kt - Q 27 He dare not play 12 . . . P X B?; 13 R - B 11 and wins, but 12 . . . 0- 0; 13

Q - Kt 4, P - Kt 3; 14 Q - B 4, Kt - Q 2 is better.

13 B X P R - K1Ct 1 14 R - B 1! . . and not 14 B - It 6. Kt - K 4!; with

the threat of 15 Q x Kt. Q x Q; 16 Kt - B 6 ch 14 . . Q - R3 14 ... Q X PT; IS Kt - Kt 51 15 B - R 6? Missing the chance of 15 P - OR 4! after which Black can hardly defend the Position (15 . . .

R X B: 16 Kt-Kt 5 and 17 Kt - B 7)

15 .. Kt - B 37 Better 15 . . Kt - K 4! since

16 P- B 4, Kt -Kt 5: 17 B - Kt 5. P - K 4 is good for Black, After the text, White gets the upper hand again.

16 P - K 5 Kt - Q 4

17 P - KR 4! B - Q 2 18 Q - B 2 R -Kt 3 There is now no satisfactory

MOM

19 P-R 5! - Kt 5 19 . . R x 137: 20 Q - Q 21 20 (X P K - K 2

21 R - R 41 KR - Kt I. 21 . . R x R?: 22 B- Kt 5

ch or 21 . .. QR - Kt 1; 22 R x R, R x R: 23 Q -R 8, B -K 1; 24 R - B 8 and White wins in either case.

22 B -Kt 7 Q - R 6 23 B -B 6 els K - B 24 R - B 711 Kt x B. 24 . . . Kt x R; 25 P - R 6!

and Black is helpless against the threat of 25 0 x R eh, K X Q; 26 P - R 7 eh; K - 1; 27 P - R 8=Q mate.

25 P X Kt Q- Q3 26 P - K 6! Resigns. 26 . . . Q X R; 27 Q - Kt 7 eh!. R X Q; 28 RP X Q ch. K -Kt 1: 29 R- R 8 mate. A superb finish.