Chess

By PHILIDOR

26o. Specially contributed by R. GUNNING (Whitton, Middlesex)

BLACK (6 men) WHITE (5 men)

WHITE to play and mate in three moves ; solution next week. Solution to No. 259 (Schiffinann) : R—K B 3 1, threat B—B 2. I . . . K—Q 5; 2 Px P. x . . Qx B or Kt—B 4 or Kt—Kt 5; 2 Kt x P. r PxB: 2 Q—K 3. r ...PxP; 2 Qx P. Splendid key move and mate after I . . . K—Q 5.

A last book recommendation before Christmas is Vol. II of Euwe and Kramer's monumental work on the middle game, Dynamic and Subjective Features (Bell, 37s. 6d.). Systematic and lucid throughout with numerous illustrations from play, the section on defence—with, needless to say, many examples from Emanuel Lasker's games—was, I thought, particularly interesting. Even more so, perhaps, is the final chapter, `Personal Styles', where a thumbnail sketch of thirty- eight of the leading players of past and present is given with a game typical of the style of each at his best. Here is the one for Miguel Najdorf, played before he left Poland for the Argentine—the so-called 'Polish Immortal' game, and (like many such games) dazzling rather than profound.

White, GLUCKSI3ERG. .Black, NAJDORF. Opening, DUTCH DEFENCE. (Warsaw, 1935) P—Q 4 P—K B 4 P—Q B 4 Kt—K B3 3 Kt—Q B3 P—K3 4 Kt— 3 P—Q 4 .5 P—K3 • . . 5 P—K Kt 3 is better; on Q 3 the bishop has little future, while from Kt 2 it can exert more central pressure. 5 • • • P—B 3 6 0.78 3 - s 7 3

8 Kt—K a Q Kt—Q

9 Kt—Kt 5?? . . A horrible blunder which makes Black's subsequent brilliancy possible.

9 • • • BxP ch

so K—R z . . . so K x B. Kt—Kt 5 eh and ...Qx Kt. White may have relied on the text to give him the advantage, but 1 suspect he just overlooked 13 x P ch. 10 . Kt—Kr 5! xx P—B 4K is Kt x K Q—R 5.

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• 12 P—K Kt 3 8—R 4 rg K—Kt a . . . Threatening R—R r, followed by Kt—B 3.

B—Kt 8!

14 Kt x B • • • 54 R x 7 eh; 15 K—B 3, Q—B 7 mate, and t4 Kt—B 3 13 x K P leaves Black two pawns ahead. 14 • • • Q—R 7 ch 75 K—B 3 P—K 41! Very_ fine: it is so hard even to think of such a move with the square apparently held impreg- nably b White.

r6 P xP Kt (a)x P ch 17 x Kt KtxP ch

18 K—B 4 Kt—Kt 3 ch, 15 K—B 3 P—B 51 Black's pawns are fearless. ao K PxP. . 20 Kt P x P?, Kt—K 4 mate. 20 . ii—Kt 5 chl az K x.13 Kt—K 4 ch! as P x Kt P—B 4 mate All four minor pieces sacri-

ficed for one pawn—and the king.

Boris Spassky has beaten Mikhail Tal 7-4, winning the last three games. Spassky will therefore play Tigran Petrosian next year for the championship of the world.