Chess

By PHILIDOR

264. C. G. WATIsTSY (Good Companions, 1922)

BLACK (to men) WHITE (8 men)

*HrrE to play and mate in two moves ; solution next week. Solution to No. 263 (Shinkman) : R-K B it, threat Q-K 3. I. . . PxR.---Q; 2 Q-Q Kt 2.

I . . . P-K 8=-Q; 2 R x Q. ... Kt any ; z Q-B 4. Beautiful early 'block-threat' problem: the original position is a block in that if Black had to move, any move he made would permit mate. White cannot Preserve this situation, however, and the key move abandons the block and replaces it by a threat. Not difficult-once the bizarre key-move occurs to you as a possibility.

Too often in chess, when the great meet each other in tournaments the game does not match the occasion -each may reserve his strength for demolishing smaller fry, and a routine draw results. The Lasker] Alekhine game at St. Petersburg in 1914 was a happy exception : the tournament was a triumph for each of them-the forty-six-:year-old veteran clinching first prize with a famous victory over Capablanal * the final round, and Alekhine, aged twenty-two' putting himself firmly in the front rank by coming ;laird. In White, LASKER. Black, ALEICHINE.

Opening, ALBIN COUNTER-GAMBIT.

(St. Petersburg, 1914) (Notes based on those by Euwe in The Middle Game) dared this against a 2 1: 13 4

a

world champion at his zenith?

P-Q 4

P-K 4!? Who but Alekhine would have

P-Q 3 QPxP 4 Kt-K ft 3 Kt-Q 83

5 P-Q R3 B-K Kt 5

6 Q 10--Q a Q-K 7 P-R 3 B x Kt 8 KtxB 0-0-0

9 Q-Q 3 . . . Now 9. . . Kt x P? would be met by ro Q-B 5 ch, Kt-Q 2; xi KtxP. Black's trouble in the Albin is not that he can't recover the gambit pawn but that he has to distort his position in order to get it and emerges with a positional inferiority.

9 • • • P-K R 3 9 P-K Kt 3?; to B-Kt 5 zo P-K 3 P-K Kt 3 az B-Kt a 8-1(53 22 0-0 Kt xP

13 Kt x Kt BxKt

.r4 P--Q Kt 4! P-K B 4 ra 3?;15P-B 4 a5 P-B 51 Q-K 3 White has a very clear advan- tage; he has two bishops, a better pawn structure and is well ahead with his attack.

.r6 P-B 6 1(5-1(2! The only chance. x6. . . P x P

and (still worse) T6 P-Kt 3 both give White an overwhelming attack.

r7 Px P ch K-Kt a

r8 B-Kt 2?. .. This tiny inaccuracy gives Black a chance of counter play which he is on to like a tiger. As Euwe points out, the correct line was P-Kt 5 followed by P-Q It 4-11. 5 and B-R 3.

18 . . .

r9 Q R-B K R-Q r

20 R-B 2 P-B 5!

az PxP B x P as R--Q r Kt-B 4

23 B-Q B a Kt-K 6! Alekhine has built up his attack in astonishing style and now seems to be winning since 24 P x Kt?, P x P clearly loses for White-but you don't beat Lasker as easily as that.

24 R-B 5! Q-B 3 a. . . . Kt xR; 25 B xB, Kt-Kt 7; 26 B x R!, Kt x Q?; 27 B x P mate. 25 Q-K 4 KtxR 26 BxB Kt-B 6? He should play 26 . . . Kt x Pl; 27 B x R (27 K x Kt?, P-Kt 4), R x B when the issue would still not be clear.

• BxR! QXB 27 . . Kt x Q; 28 B xP ch, K x P; 29 B x Kt ch, K-R 3 (29 . . K-B 1 30 B-K 5 ch); 30 P-Kt 5 mate.

28 Q-K 5 . . . The ending-a powerful passed pawn up-is a comfortable win for White. Q-Kt 3 29 Q-K 7 Q-Q 3 .

30 R-K 5 P-Q 6

32 R-K 3 8_x_a P

• PxP 8 ch 33 K-R 2 1(5-1( 54 34 R-K 6! Kt x P

35 R-K 861 Resigns He has no defence against she threat of R-B 8. A glide that it was as much honour to lose Is to