26 AUGUST 1955, Page 27

Chess

BY PHILIDOR

No. 12. .1. J. RIETVELD

BLACK, 12 men.

WHITE, 8 men.

WHITE to play and mate in 2 moves: solution next week. Solution to last week's problem by Andrews. Kt-Q5!

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP AND CHAMPION

Having written recently in the Spectator about chess being a young man's game, I went over to Antwerp to see this borne out in practice in the world junior (under 20) championship, where twenty-four players from countries ranging from the Argentine to Australia had congregated to do battle. I must confess that my first impression was not of youth dominating chess but of chess dominating the youth: the atmosphere was exactly 'he same as in any other chess tourna- ment—of some mysterious religious rite in pro- gress, with an imminent expectation of any noisy spectator being offered up as a human sacrifice: it was with a feeling of relief that I saw two of the competitors indulge in some impromptu wrestling at the end of the tournament.

Technically, too, the play was very mature and of a high standard; the two weaknesses which are perhaps commoner than in adult players are a greater tendency to throw away winning games through careless mistakes or over-ambition, and an inability to play the endings as well as the rest of the game. Even the (inevitable) winner, Boris Spassky of the USSR, has a relative weakness in the end-game; since he is already—at 18—one of the best players in the world it is difficult not to see him as a future world champion when he has overcome this weakness, as he undoubtedly will. It is very easy to be wise when one knows the answer, but I think 1 would have picked him as the winner at sight, certainly as one of the first two or three: to be a great player one needs high intelligence and strength of character and Spassky in appear- ance and way of playing gave the impression of just that rare combination of quick intelligence, determination and nervous strength that is needed. I know it is rash to prophecy; but Spassky for world champion in 1963 (possibly 1960) is, in my opinion, a hot tip.