Chess

By PHIL1DOR No. 182. Specially contributed by (Luton) BLACK (9 men) WHITE (11 men)

Ytr

1 do not know exactly when or where this week's game was played-sometime in the 1850s or 1860s- but it is a good example of the strength and weak- ness of those early days. Perhaps quite wrongly- few analogies will really stand scrutiny-chess reminds me of cricket in those early days; attacking play was much better than defensive technique and the whole affair was more of a game and less of a science.

WHITE to play and mate in two moves; solution next week. Solution to No. 181 (Mansfield): B-K 4!, threat Kt x Kt. 1 ... Kt x Kt ch; 2 B-Q 3. 1 ...

Kt-K 4 eh; 2 R-Q 3. . K-K 4; 2 Kt x Kt. One of the finest cross-check problems ever com- posed.

1 P-K 4 P-K 4 2 Kt-KB 3 Kt-()B 3

3 II-B 4 13-B 4

4 P---()Kt 4 B'.?

SP-B 3 B-13 4 0-() . the immediate 6 P---Q 4 is preferable. P-

7 P-Q 4 PxPo 3 PxP B-Kt 3 9 Kt-1;13 3 13-Kt 5 10 Q-R 4 B-Q 2. If 10 . . . BxKt; then II P-Q 5.

11 Q-Kt 3 . . . Planning an imagmathe sacrifice which ought not, 1 think. to succeed against best defence.

11. . Kt-R 4 11

12 xP ch K-13 1 13

13 . . Q-B 2 . K .x .13 of course not 13 Q-Q 5, Kt-KB 3. .

14 P-K 5! K-B 1. Better 14 . . P-KR 3 followed by Kt-K 2 when Black should escape. 15 R-K 1 Q-B 1 16 P-Q 5! 13-KB 4. 16 . . PxP; 17 B-R 3 ch and now 17 Kt-K 2; 18 R X P or 17 K-K I; 18 KtX P.

17 Q---Q 2 Kt-R 3. Better 17 . . Kt-K 2; to meet 18 Q-B 4 with 18 . . . Kt-Kt 3. Black is too anxious to counter-attack.

18 ()--B 4 Kt-Kt 5. Probably nothing better now. 19 P-K 6! BxP ch 20 K-R 1 BxR 21 QxB ch Kt-B 3 22 Kt-K 4 K-K 2. 22 . . . 13-13 6 may be marginally better, causing White to lose time by Kt x B instead of capturing. as in the game, with a developing move. However, 1 think Black Is now lost anyway.

23 B-Kt 5 Q--KB 1. Black tries-and it is probably his best chance-to carry out a kind of queen's side castling in stages. but White's strong play prevents his escape. 24 R x13 R-K 1 25 R--Q13 I! K-Q I. Hoping for 26 KtXKt, PxKt: 27 BXP ch, R-K 2, when Black can still struggle. There was nothing better.

26 Kt-K 5! PxKt. Otherwise Kt-B 7 ch is decisive.

27 P-Q 6! Kt-B 3. 27 .. PxP: 28 P-K 7 ch, K X P: 29 R-B 7 ch, K-B 1: 30 Q-B 8 or Q 7 mate. 28 R x Kt P X R . 29 KtxKt PxKt 30 BxP ch K-B 1. 30 ...Qx13; 31 QxQ ch, K-B I: 32 P--Q 7 ch

31 P-K 7 ch, and my score ends with 'and wins'. which It obviously does, e.g. 31 . . . K-Kt 2; 32 PxQ=Q. KR X(.):

33 P--45 7, 11-Q 1; 34 Q-Kt I ch, K-R 1; 35 Bx R and Black must resign.

L. DAWSON Kousot. Black. Opening,

• EVANS GAMBIT.