CHESS by Philidor

No. 314. From

' Bonus Socius'

MS. circa 1300 WHITE to play and mate in five moves; the oldest known problem of its kind; , .

solution next week. Solution to No. 313 (Spencer Palmer) ; 12 - B 6, no threat.

A. I ...PxB; 2 p :

B. 1 . . . P - B 3; a RxP, BxB. C. r...PxP; zBx Q P, B xB. Very

White self-pinning P, R and B in the three variations.

*

Two puzzles (neither easy) to occupy readers in the brief intervals between eating, drinking and sleeping— no prizes, solutions next week. (a) The following were White's first (and only) four moves : 1 P - K B 3, z K - B 2, 3 K - Kt 3, 4 K - R 4—all were bad and the fourth was the worst. Black's fourth move gave mate—what were his moves? (He was no genius either.) (b) Construct the shortest possible game to end in stalemate (the shortest for checkmate is I P - K B 3 (or K B 4), P - K 3 (or K 4) ; 2 P - K Kt 4??, Q- R 5 Mate,.

Finally, here is a game—like this week's problem, this is taken from the light-hearted and amusing Chess Player's Bedside Book (Faber, 16s.) by Bott and Morrison—in which White's play is filled with the milk of human kindness towards his opponent ; at least it is difficult to explain it on any other hypothesis. White, SOBERNHEIM Black, LANGLEBEN Opening, FRENCH DEFENCE

(Montreal, 1895) z P- K 4 P- K3

2 P-Q 4 P - Q 4

3 Kt-Q B3 Kt-KB3 4 B-Kt5 B-K2

5 BxKtil. . . with an illusory attack in mind; better, -

the normal P K 5 at once.

BxB

6 P-K s B-K 2 7 Q- icr 4 o -0

8 B - Q 3 P-KB4!

9 Q- R 3 . . . or 9 P x P e.p., B xP; and Black has a

good game, but I think this would be a little better than the text, after which White has no attack and gets his centre smashed.

9... P-B 4!

zo PxP Kt - Q 2 zz P-B 4 KtxB P

12 0-0 - . . too dangerous with his backward develop- ment. K Kt - K 2 IS better.

P-Q Kt 4! An excellent positional sacrifice; if it is declined then P - Kt 5 is strong.

z3 BxKt P R- Kt r

14 Kt - B3 . . . r4 K Kt - K 2 gives better defensive

chances. P-Q R3 B - Q3 Q- Kt 3 16 P-Q 3 Q - Kt .5

K- Ke a? . . better, though still bad, is the dismal Kt - Q Kt x.

Q-R6ch!

18 Kx(21 . . . Fatal, but he is lost anyway, e.g. (a) r8 K- R r, Kt xP ch; 19 P x Kt, R x P and the threat of mate wins the knight leaving Black a good pawn ahead, (b) 18 K-Kt r, Kt x13!: 19 PxKt, RxP ch; 20 PxR, QxP ch; 21 K - R r, Q x Kt ch; 22 K - R 2, B - Q 2! and the threat of it - Kt I wins (23 R - Q Kt I?, Q - R 6 mate).

. . , Kt x B ch

19 P- Kt 4 . . . or r9 K - R 4, Kt - Kt 7 ch; 2o K - R 5,

B - Q r mate. RxP!

to R x Kt R- Kt 8 ch az K - R 4 B-Q2ch 12 K - 5 Q ch 23 KxP B-Brch 24 K- R 7 B- Kt 3 ch 25 K - R 8 B-R3 mate.