Chess

By PHILIDOR 213. H. KNUPPBRT

(Hon. Men., B.C.F. Tourney No. to6) BLACK (6 men) WHITE (13 men)

wins to play and mate in two moves • solution next week. Solution to No. 212 (Blake) : d—B r, threat Q—Q Kt I. B x B ; 2 R—K 4. z P—Q 4 ch ; 2 R—B 4. . . . B—R 4 ; 2 R—Q K1 4. r. • . R—K 5 ; 2 R—B 5. 1.. . R—R 4 ; R—Q Kt 4.1 R—Kt 3 ; 2 Kt x B. I ...BxR;2Qx B. Good key and finely varied play.

The Squeers method is probably the best for learning to play the middle game—`WINDER "winder", now go and clean it' and Euwe and Kramer's The Middle Game: Book I, Static Features (Bell, 35a.) adopts this practical type of approach. Middle game positions are classified according to certain theoretical aspects, but, as the authors say, 'ultimately it must be practice which dictates the classification', and the essential part of the instruction lies in the large number of illustrative games showing how the practical prob- lems are tackled by great players. The book can be

enjoyed just as a collection of games by lazy readers who don't wish to learn from it.

The following famous game is given as one of the examples of ptaY with rival pawn majorities.

White, ALEICHINE. Black, MARSHALL. Opening, QUEEN'S GAMBIT. (Baden-Baden, 1925)

1P—Q .4

2 `121A I, 4 Kt—K B 3 Not usual and not good. 3 P x P KtxP 4 P—K4 . . . Alekhinc comments that this is premature and that he should only play it after he has completed his king's side development. Now Black should get a reasonable game. B 3 5 13-9 3 P—KKt—K 41

6 P x Kt—Kt 5

7 Kt—K B 3 Kt—Q B 3

8 ...

8 Kt 13—K —Kt Sts 3 . . . 8 B—B 4 is effectively met by 8... B—K 2 F 9 .18. x. B Q xB

ro Kt—B3 Kt (B 3)x P

rr Kt x Kt Q x Kt? A fatal error because it enables White to get his central _pawn majority into action. Bowe gives zr . . Kt x Kt I; 12 0-0, 0-0; 13 B--K 2, B—K 3 and says that *Black's queen's side majority would then have been as strong as White's on the king's side. Who am I to disagree?—but I would still slightly prefer to be White. la P—K R 3 Kt-1 3 3 13Q-4? of • • • From now on every move of

White's a directed towards advance of his pawn majority.

B—Q a F4 Q—K 31 . The immediate 14 P—B 4?

would be met by la—ki 5; now White dominates the centre and prevents 0 0 0.

14 • • • B—B 3 . 15 0-0-0 0-0 16 P—B 4 Q—K 3 against 16 . , rfit—QR 41 Mekhine gives 17 P—K 5, Kt—Q 4; t8 K.( X Kt, B /111.1; 19 B xP ch_.„ xB; zo Q—Q 3 cis and zz Q x11. 17 r—K 5 IC R—K 1 r8 K R—IC r Q R—Q a /8 . . Kt-9 z; is a little better, but White still dominates the position. 19 P—B 5 Q—K a Jo Q—Kt 5 Kt—(2 4

ar P—B 6 Q—B r

22 B—B 4 Kt x Kt

23 it x R R X R

24 P x P Kt x P ch Or 24 . . . Q—K z; as B XP chi, IC X B; 26 R—B r ch, K—K3; 27 R—B 6 ch, K—Q 4;

28 R—B 8.

as K—Kt r/ . . . Very pretty. 25 B 5( Kt, la— B 4 ch; would also win for White, but would give Black alight counter-chances: now he gets none.

Q—K r 26 P—K 61 B—K 5 ch 26 ,.PxP; 27 RxP. 27 K—R r! — . 27 K x KO?, Q—R 5 mate. P—K B 4 _ 37 . . . Px • z8 BxP ch Q x ; 29 Q_x R ch, K x_l_i 30 t,?—t2 4 ch and 3z '11 x13. a8 P—K 7 ch R 4 a9 Q—B 6 30 P—K 8■Q ch97Raaijetur 3o . . . Q x Q; 31 B x R ch.