CHESS by Philidor

W. MEREDITH

itst Prize, Dubuque Chess journal, 1889) vimm to play and mate in two moves ; solution next week.

Solution to No. 285 Moravec) : Q—

K 3 !, no threat.

8).1 . P—R 4; 2 Q—B I ch, K— Q 5.2 . • . K—Kt 4; 3 Q—B 6) ; 3 Kt- 6. (b) 1 —Kt 4 ; P—R 4 (2 . . . —B5;3Q—B5); QxP. (c) . P—Q 7; 2 Q—K 4 ch, K—B 4 2 • K—B 6 3 Kt—Q 5) • 3 Q—Q Kt 4. Three in lines give three fine model mates—every White ece used, no square in Black king's field guarded glee, WHITE (6 men) After a struggle reflecting the great recuperative powers and will to win of both players, Petrosian has beaten Spassky for the championship of the world by 12-10 (4W, 2L, r6D). In the entire match Spassky was unable to win a single game by direct attack—his two wins, the thirteenth in 91 moves and the nineteenth in 68, both being end-game battles. To appreciate what a tribute this is to Petrosian's powers of defence, look at the following example of how Spassky can demolish slightly weaker opposition.

White, SPASSKY (USSR) Black, EVANS (USA) Opening, KING'S INDIAN DEFENCE (Varna 1962)

P—Q 4 Kt—K B 3 P—Q B 4 P—K Kt 3

3 Kt—Q B 3 B—Kt 2

4 P—K 4 P—Q 3

5 P--83 P—B 3 5 . . . P—K 4 is an alternative system, 6 P x P, P x P; 7 Q x Q ch being fairly harmless. 6 B—K 3 P—Q R3 And here again P—K 4 is an alternative. This game casts some doubts on the line Black adopts.

7 Q—Q 2 P.-2 Kt 4 8 0-0-0 P xP This does not look good and does not turn out well. 8 ... Q—R 4; 9 K—Kt (Spassky points out that 9 P—K 5, P—Kt 5! is good for Black), Q Kt—Q looks reasonably satisfactory. 9 8 x P 0-0 9 • • • P-4:14; 10 B—Kt 3, P xP; II P xP Is .. 'ht.de better, but White has the advantage anyway. No P—K R 4! P—Q 4

r 1 B—Kt 3 P , P

12 P—R 5.! . . . Very fine; now White does not need to stop to retake the pawn. K P :. P 73 R P :. P R P:, P i4 B—R 6! P -- P r5 R—R 4! . . . The attack is forced home with the utmost vigour. 15 Q'• P. B—Kt 5 gives Black time to develop and comolidate. Now B - B followed by Q—R 6 ch is threatened.

Kt—Kt 5 r6 BxB K - B

57 QxP Kt—R 3 17 . . . P—K B 4; 18 Kt—B 3, followed by Q R—R t and Kt—Kt(5,_gives White a winning attack, while I 7 ... Kt—K 6? loses to t8 R 2, R—R i : 19 R x R and zo Q—K 5 ch. Finally, 17 . .. Kt— 3 fails against IS Kt—B 3, R—I2 it 19 B ..1Pl. K x B; zo Kt—K 5 eh, etc. 18 Kt—B 3 Kr—B 4 ra R—R 2 Q—Q 3 The threats of Q R—R 1 or Kt—K 5 or Q—K- c are too numerous and severe to be met. 20 Kt—K 5 Kr—Q 2 22 Kt—K 4 Q—B 2 21 Q R—R r . . . Threatening mate in three. starting R—R 7 ch.

R—K Kt r

23 R—R 7 ch K—B i

24 Jr/ P ch K—K r

25 QxP! Kt xKt What else? 26 R—B 8 dble ch Resigns 26 . . . K x R; 27 Q x R Mate; or 26 . .. K—Q 2; 27 Q—K 6 mate.