Chess no. 334

Black

M. Marble (Good Companions, 1914). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week. Solution to no. 333 (Mansfield): Kt - Q 7, threat Kt-Kt 2. 1 ... B - B 6; 2 B X R. I . . . R - Q 7; 2 Q - B 3. 1 ... R - Q 5; 2 Kt -K 5. 1 ... P-Q 5; 2 Q - Kt 8. Good key and very fine play.

White, R. I. Fischer. Black, P. Benko. Opening, French. (Candidates Tournament, 1962.)

1 P-K 4 P-K 3 2 P-Q 4 P-Q 4 3 Kt - Q B 3 Kt - K B 3 4 P- K 5 K Kt - Q 2 The variation chosen by White is not so good as the more usual 4 B - Kt 5.

5 P - B 4 P - Q B 4 6 PXP B X P 7 Q - Kt 4 0 - 0 8 B - Q 3 P - B 4 9 Q - R 3 B x Kt Partly to play Kt - B 4. partly to avoid Kt - B 3 -Kt 5 by White.

10lIxB Kt - B 4 II B - Q 2 Kt - B 3 12 Kt - Kt 5 . . . This move does not turn out well, but if it cannot be played White's game is unsatisfactory e.g. 12 0 - 0 - 0, Q - K 3 and Black has an initiative. 12... Q - Kt 3

13 0 - 0 - 0 B - Q 2 Threatening 14 . . . Kt X P.

14 Kt - Q 6 Kt - R 5! 15 B - Kt 5. . or 15 P-Q Kt 3, Q-Q 51; 16 B - K 3, Q - Kt 7 ch; 17 K - Q 2, Kt - B 6.

IS.,. Kt - Q 5

16 B- K 3 . . . 16 B X Kt, Kt - K 7 di.

16 ... Kt - K 7 ch! 17 B X Kt Q x P ch 18 K - Q 2 Q - Kt 5 ch Black can draw at once by Q - B 6 ch but, naturally, plays to win. 19 K - B 1 Kt - B 6 20 Q R-K 1 Kt x P ch

21 K - Q I Kt - B 6 ch 22 K - B 1 P - Q 5 23 B - B 2 K R - B 1!

was Kt 5 ch and w B - Q 3 ...ins 24 Kt x R?, Q - Kt 8 ch; 25 K - Q 2, -K .

24 :-., . Kt-R 7 ch 25 K - Q 1 Kt -B6 ch 26 K -B 1 R-B 4 B-R 5 is probably stronger but text is still good enough.

27 Q- R 4 R- R 4 threatening Kt - K S followed by R- R 8 mate or (if K- Q 1) Q- Q 7 mate, 28 K- Q 2 P- K R 37 28. . . B - B 3! is correct so that then the counter attack 29 P - K Kt 4 is refuted by 29 . . . B - B 6! followed by Kt - Kt 5 dble ch. White could then not resist the attack.

29 P - Kt 4! P x P 29... Kt - K 5 dble ch; 30 K - K 2, Q- Q 7 ch; 31 K- B 1, Q x B ch leaves Black a lost ending and 29 . . . B - B 3; 30 P X P, B - B 6; 31 R X P ch! leads to White mating first.

30 R X P K - R I? Blunder in a now lost position. 31 Q X P ch! Resigns. 31 . . . P x Q; 32 Kt - B 7 mate.