Chess no. 436

PHILIDOR

White Black 11 men 8 men

C. Mansfield (Brisbane Daily Mail. 1921). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week. Solution to no. 435 (Smith): Kt - Kt 7, threat R - Kt 6. 1 . . . Kt or B - Kt 7; 2 Kt - Kt 4.

1 Kt-B 7; 2 Kt -Q 4. I . B-K 6; 2Q x Q. 1 . . . R or Kt - K 6; 2 Q - R 6. 1 . . . R - R 3; 2 Kt - Q 8. Good key and plenty of variety—but rather untidy construction.

On balance it is better to be too aggressive than not aggressive enough in chess- but it is better still to be neither. This week's game is a good example of over-aggression; White plays a rather innocuous line in the opening and Black reacts over-aggressively—and is annihilated as a result.

White, CIrIc. Black, Andersen. Opening, Sicilian. (Krems, 1967.) 1 P-K 4 P-QB 4 2 Kt -KB 3 Kt -QB 3

3 P-Q 4 P xP 4 KtxP P-KKt 3 5 Kt -QB 3 B- Kt 2 6 F3 - K 3 Kt -B 3 7 B-QB 4 P-Q 3 8 P-KR 3 . . . The popular line is 8 P - B 3 followed by Q - Q 2, 0-0 -0 and P - KR 4. The text move seems a little tame—Black evidently thought so any- way.

8 . . . B - Q 2 9 0 - 0 0 - 0 10 B-Kt 3 KtxKt II BxKt B-B 3 12 Q - Q 3 P - QKt4!? This enterprising move is probably not quite correct and 12 . . . P - QR 3 would probably be bitter.

13 KtxP BxP 14 Q-K 2 P- K4? And this is certainly premature; Q - Kt 1 or P - QR 3 is better. The text weakens Black's defensive position too much.

15 B - K3 . Not 15 BxP?, RXB!; 16 Kt x R, Q-R 1!. 17 Kt-Kt 5, BxP with advantage to Black.

15 . . . Q-Ktl 16 QR-Q1 R-Q1 17 B - Kt 5! B - B 3 17 . . P - Q 4; 18

P- KB 3 and the Black QP w ill fall. Black's position has now far too many weaknesses. 17 B-Kt 2; 18 P- KB 4!, P-K 5; 19 P - B 5 is also very good for 14 kite.

18 BXPch! K-B 1 18 . . . KxB; 19

Q- B 4 ch, B-Q 4; 20 RXB and White wins.

19 B-QB4 P-Q 4 20 Q-B 3! K-B 2 20 . . . P- K 5; 21 Q - R 3 ch and 22 Kt - Q 4 or 20 . . . PXB; 21 QxB.

21 BxKt BxB 22 RxP BxR 23 BxBch K-Kt 2 24 Kt- B 3 P-K 5

Otherwise Witte just plays BXR emerging two pawns up.

25 KtxP RXB 26 QxBdi K-R 3

26 . . . K-Kt 1; 27 Q -K 6 ch and 28 QXR.

27 P -KKt 4 Q -K 5 28 P - Kt 5 ch Resigns 28 . . . K - R 4; 29 Q - B 3 ch, K - R 5; 30 Q - Kt 4 mate.