Chess

By PHILIDOR

No. 265. G. N. CHENEY (Brooklyn Standard, i86o)

BLACK (6 men) WHITE (8 men) wHITE to play and mate in three moves; solution next week. Solution to No. 264 (Wamey): Kt x P 1, threat

Q—B 8. . Kt x Kt ch; 2 R—Q 4. I. . Kt else ch; 2 Kt—B 4. x Q--Q 5 ch; Kt—B 4. z . . Q x Kt cli; 2 Kt—B 5i. Q x R; 2 Kt—K B z ....E x Kt; 2 Q—K 8. . . . Kt—B 2 or Kt 3; 2 Kt—Q B 7. Wonderful key-move and very fine play make up one of the finest cross-check/half-pin problems ever composed.

In one of his essays Ronald Knox describes the intense excitement aroused by the announcement of the discovery of a new sin. This week's game had the same effect on my jaded chess palate; Black's inven- tion of a new form of error in the opening leads to a series of manoeuvres refreshingly new, at least to me.

White, Foots. Black, MNAZAICANJAN. Opening, SICILIAN. (Erevan, 1965)

z P—K P—Q B 4 2 K€—k83 3 Kt—K B3

3 Kt—B 3 Kt—B 3 4 B—Kt 5 . . Kt-.-Q 5 'An idea of Dr. Euwe's', the Deutsch. Schachzeitung te:.s me; as such it is entitled to respect, but, because st costs time, it is essential for Black to play accurately afterwArds if he is to avoid disaster.

5 P—K g Kt x B 6 Kt x Kt—Q4 7 0-0 Kt—B z As bad as it is peculiar; 7 . . . P—Q R 3; 8 Kt—B 3, Kt x Kt is correct though after

9 Q P x Kt White's better development and open lines give him the preferable game.

8 Kt x Kt QxKt

9 P—Q 4 P x P 9 . . P—K Kt 3 may be a

little better. .

ro QxPI P—K K t 3 to . . . Q xB P; will lose quickly, e.g. B--B 4 (threat rz.Q R—B 1, cl—B 4; 13 QxRPR, P—K 3; 12 Q R—B z, Q—B 4; 13K R—Q s followed by R xB and Q xP ch. sr R—K . 'i P—K 6, P—B 3; 82,P xP ch,B xi' merely helps Black top- p.. • ix B—Kt 2

12 B—Kt 5 ! . .threatening 13 Q—Q Kt 4.— and if 12 P—K R 3 then 13 B-86 !

12. P—Q 3 A desperthe measure but it is doubtful if he has a good line. For example: 12 P—Kt 3;

13 Q—Kt 4, r; x. Q R—Q s B—Kt 2; ts P—K 6, B P x P;

16 R xK P, B-- B ; r7 Kt—K 5 and wins.

13 P x P B xQ r4 PxQ BxKt P rg RxP ch K—B r6 Q R—K r 13-1( 3 17 Kt—K 5 K—Kt 2 The queen exchange has not relieved Black's position and he has nothing better than the text,

e.g. x7 BxKt; 18 R x B, Q R—B t (18 . . . K—Kt 2 ?; 19 R (5)x11); 19 B—B 6, R—K Kt z; 2o R—K 2 followed by R—Q 2--Q 8. Of 17 ... R 6; z8 Kt—Q 7 ch, K—Kt (z8 BxKt; x9 B—R 6 ch, —Kt z; 2o R x IB); 59 K (z) x B. PxR; zo Kt—Kt 8!

r8 Kt—Q3 . . . threat R (r) x B as well as Kt x B.

18 . . . B—B 3 19 R(r)xB BxB

2o R-.-.Q7 QR—QBr Or 2,o . R—K 1; 2z R xR, R xR; 22 —K B 4, B—B 3; 23 Kt—K 5 and wins, 23 ...BxKt.;24PxB,R—QB r; 25 P—K 6 etc.

27 P—K B 4 B—B 3

22 Kt—K K R—B 1 22 . . . BxKt; 23 PxB, K R—B 1; 24 R (6)—K 7 and 25 P—K 6.

23 K—B 2 . . . the reserves now come up with remarkable speed.

23 . . P—K Kt 4 24 K—B 3 P x P

25 K x P P-1( R 3

26 K—B B—Kt 4 26 _ BxKt; 2KXB' R—K R ; 28 R—K 7, K R—B 1; 29 K—Q 6 and wins easily e.g. by 3oRxPch,RxR; 31 RxRch,KxR; 32 K—Q 7,RxPcIti 33 K x R and wins the pawn ending. 27 Kt—Kt 6! R—K Kt r Or 27 ...K—Kt ; 28 Kt x It, PxR ch; 29 Kt xP winning.

28 P—K R 4 B—B 8 29 (61—K 7

as this forces immediate resignation it seems iu;rci to query it—but what a pity to two 29 R xP ch, K xR; 30 R—K 7, a mate as bizarre as the game. Anyway, 29 • • • Resigns.