Chess no. 369

PHILIDOR

C. Goldschmeding (1st prize, Holland, 1944-5). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to no. 368 (Wimsatt): R -Q 1, threat

B x P. 1 . R -Q B 3; 2 R x R. 1 B -Kt 6;

2Q-K8.1 Q-1(t3; 2Q-12 5.1...-Kt-B 4; 2 Q x R. Unusual and attractive set of mates. - One of the gifts of the world-class player is that of making his opponents play—or appear to play—badly. This was the great complaint the other masters made about Lasker; 'everyone plays so badly against him.' I think there are two ex- planations: against a great player one feels a psychological pressure which can affect one's judg- ment, and such mistakes as one does make are exploited to the full and no chance for recovery offered. Here we see Fischer exercising this power over Cholmov; if you think it makes Cholmov look a weak player, bear in mind that it was the only game he lost in the tournament.

White, Cholmov Btack, Fischer. Opening, King's Indian. (Skopje, 1967.)

1 P -Q 4 Kt - K B 3 2Kt-K B 3 P-K Kt 3 3 P - K Kt 3 B- Kt 2 4 13 - Kt 2 0-0 50-0 P-Q 3 6 Kt - B 3 Q Kt -Q 2 7 P -Q Kt 3 P - K 4 8 PXP P x P P - K 4 R - K 1 10 B-Q R 3? . Looks, and is, wrong. B - Kt 2 is correct. White presumably home to stop Kt - B 4 and to get time to occupy the Q file with the rooks and Minks that P- B 3 wIll be bad for Black because of the Q 6 square: but he is wrong.

10 . . . P - B 3! 11 B - Q 6? . . . He should play 11 Q - K 2 and if II . . . Q - R 4 then admit his error by 12 B - Kt 2.

II ... Q- R 4 12 Q - Q 3 R - K 3! Threatening it X B followed b:, Q x Kt and forcing White's reply.

13 P -Q Kt 4 Q - R 6 14 B - B 7 . . He must lose a pawn or give up two pieces for a rook.

14 ... Q x Kt P 15 Q It - Kt 1 Q - K 2 16 K R -Q 1 Kt - K 1! The ease with which Black now disposes of White is very impressive.

17 B - R 5 R - Q 3 18 Q - K 2 R x R ch 19 Q x R B- B I!

20 Kt - Q 2? . . : 20 B - Kt 4 is better, (bough RN game is still lost.

Q - R 6! 21 Kt - B 4 Q - B 4 22 fi -13 1 P - Q Kt 4 23 Kt -0 2 0 - R 6!

24 Kt - Kt 3 Kt - B 4

25 B x P? . . . Quickly fatal, but 25 B - Q 11.

Kt - K 3 leaves White hopelessly placed with a pawn down and a bad position, which may well cost a second pawn.

25... PXB

26 Kt X P Q- R 5 27 Kt x Kt Q x B 28 Q -Q 5 R - Kt 1 29 P-Q R 4 8-R6 30 QXKP ft - B 1 31 Kt -Q 3 Q x P 32 Kt-K 1 . P-QR 3 33 Resigns . . . 33 Kt - Q 4, B - Kt 2 and 31 Kt - 8 3. 0- B 5! each lose a piece at once ma

34 Kt-R 7„Q-B 5,35 Kt-Kt2,QX BP is cqudIr 1}00desic