Chess

By PHILIDOR

No. 82. J. HARTONG (Holland) 1st Prize, Anglo-Dutch composing match, 1956, 2-move section.

BLACK (10 men)

WHITE to play and mate in two moves: solution next week. Solution to last week's problem by Shinkman: (a) As set. I K-R 8, B- K 1; 2 P x B=--Kt ch, Kt-K 2; 3 Kt- Kt 7, Kt-Kt 3 mate. (b) W R on Kt 6 instead of Kt 5. 1 P-Q 8=B, B-B 2; 2 B-Kt 5, Kt-K 2; Very ingenious and In some ways, the strength of chess in Iceland is even more remarkable than that in the USSR; with a tiny population they maintain a position above the half-way line in the chess olympiads. In Olafsson, who tied for first place in last year's Hastings Premier and is playing again this year, they have a first-class master, but—as the follow ing game shows—they are far from being a one-man team.

White, W. J. MIJHRING Black, S. JOHANNSSON

(Netherlands) (Iceland) Opening, King's Indian Defence. Notes based on those in Chess Archives.

1 P-Q 4 Kt-K B 3 15 Kt-Kt 2 • • K Kt x

Q P! (e)

2 P-Q B 4 P-K Kt 3 16P x Kt B-B 4 ch 3 Kt-Q B 3 B-Kt 2 17 K-R 1 (f) K R-B I 4 P-K 4 P-0 3 18 Kt-Kt 3?(g) B-B 7!

5 P-R 3 P-K 4 19 11-Q B 4 R x 131(h)

6 K Kt-K 2 0-0 20 P x R (i) B-Kt 6 7 B-Kt 5 (a) P-B 3 21 Kt-R 4 (J) P-K 5 ch 8 0-0 2 0 Kt-0 2? (b) 22 K-Kt I Kt x Kt

9 0-0-0? (r) P-0 R 3 23 P x B Kt-B 6 ch

10 K-Kt 1 (d) P-Kt 4 24 Q x Kt P x Q

II P-Q 5 P-Kt 5 25 Kt x P R-Kt 1 12 Kt-R 4 P x P 26 K-B 2 Q-R 7 ch 13 BP x P Q-R4 27 K-Q 3 R x P 14 P-Q Kt 3 Kt-Kt 3 28 • (a) 7 B-K 3 is more usual and better here: if Black plays correctly, the bishop is merely a target on Kt 5.

(b) This natural move is wrong, however. Much better 8 . . . Q-B 2 followed by Kt-K t and P-K B 4, or else 8. .. Q-K 1 and then ... K Kt-Q 2.

(c) White misses his chance. 9 P-Q 5! is now very strong, e.g. 9 .. . Q-B 2; 10 P x P, P x P; 11 0-0-0 and if II . . . Kt-K 1?; 12 B-K 7. Or 9 . . . P-B 4; 10 P-K Kt 4 followed by Kt-Kt 3 and P-K R 4-R 5.

(d) Now if 10 P-Q 5, P-B 4; 11 P-K Kt 4, Q-R 4, Black has rood counter chances; nevertheless, I think this is still White's most promising line. (e) White threatened Kt-Q 3, winning the Kt P. Purely defensive moves are unsatisfactory, e.g. 15' Q Kt-Q 2; 16 Kt-B 4, or 15 . . . R-Kt 1: 16 Kt-B I followed by K Kt-Q 3 and (after Black's Q Kt moves) Q Kt-B 4. The striking piece sacrifice actually played gives him at least equal chances.

(f) 17 Kt-Q 3, Kt x P; 18 P-Kt 4, B-K 3; leaves Black with two pawns and very strong attack for his piece.

(g) The obvious R-B 1 was much better: there are then a large number of interesting possibilities—for example, 18 . . . P-K 5; 19 P-Kt 4, B-B 6; 20 Q-B 2, B-K 4; 21 Q-Q 2, B-B 6 with draw by repetition! Idea of text is to meet 18 . . . R-B 7; with 19 Kt x B, R x Q; 20 Kt-K. 7 ch, K-I 1; 21 R x R—unfortunately, Black has a much better move than R-B 7, (h) Much better than 19—Kt x B?; 20 Q x BI and the position is unclear. (1) 20 Kt x R. P-K 5 ch; 21 Kt-Kt 2, B x P is equally hopeless.

(1) Or 21 Kt-0 3, Kt x B P; 22 Q-B 2, P-K 5 ch; 23 K-Kt 1, R-Q B 1! and wins.

(k) Nothing to do, e.g. 28 R-Q B 1, Q x P, winning very easily.

WHITE (11 men) 3 K-R 3, Kt-B 4 mate. elegant problem: