Chess no. 422

PHILIDOR

White

10 men

7 men

A. J. Fink (Good Companions, 1920). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week. Solution to no. 421 (Narayanan and Krishna- murthy): Kt - Kt 4, threat Q - B 7 or Q - Q 4.

1 ... Kt x R; 2 P - Q 4. 1 R X R; 2 R x P.

I . . R x Kt; 2 Q - B 7. 1 . . . B x Kt; 2 Q - Q 4. 1 . . . K X R; 2 Q - K 3. Note the thematic try R - Kt 4!? threatening P - Q 4 or R x P; the try is defeated by 1 . . . B - Kt 6! which after the actual key is met by 2 Kt - Q 3! White, Langeweg (Holland). Black, Casa (Monaco). Opening, King's Indian. (Lugano, 1968.)

1 P-Q 4 Kt-K83 2 P-Q B4 P-KKt3

3 Kt-QB 3 B-Kt 2 4 P-K 4 P-Q 3 5 B - K 2 0 - 0 6 Kt - B 3 P - K 4 70-0 Kt-B 3 8P-Q5 Kt-K2 9 Kt - K 1 Kt - Q 2 10 P - B 3 . . .

So far the play has followed the classical line in the King's Indian. Here the natural move is 10 Kt - Q 3 though after 10 . . . P - K B 4: 11 P - B 3, P - B 5 White has no advantage. The idea of the text, as will be seen, is to blockade the king's wing and then at kisure to attack on the queen's side.

0 . . . P-K84 11 P-K Kt 4 P-B 5 II . . . P X Kt P leaves Black little attack on the king's side: the main alternative to the text is probably Kt - K B 3.

2 P-KR4 Kt-KB3 13 B-Q 2 P-B3 4 P - Kt 3? . . . This weakens the position. Q - Kt 3 is much better.

4 . . . P x P 15 BP x P . . .

And here Kt x P is preferable; White does not realise that he is in any danger.

5 . . . B - Q 2 16 P - R 4 . . . Had White realised what was going to hit him, he would have consolidated with R - B 1 and Q - B 2.

6 . . . R - B I 17 Kt - Q 3? . . . He should play Q - B 2.

17 . . . B X KtPl Beginning a very fine

combination.

18 PxB RxKt1 19 BxR KtxKP

20 B - K 1 . . . 20 R - B I, Kt x P; 21 B - Q 2. Kt - Kt 6; 22 R - B 2, Q x P; 23 R - R 2, Q - Kt 4 (or Q -Q 1) and with four pawns and a very strong attack for the rook-24 . . . P - K 5 is the immediate threat -Black should win.

20 . . . Q-Kt3ch21 Kt - B 2? .

112! B - B 2, Kt x B:22 Kt X Kt, P - K 5; 23 R - B 1. P - B 6. Black has more than value

for the sacrificed material-he will regain a piece and keep much of the attack. Nevertheless this would have been a better chance for White.

21 . . . Kt-Kt 622 R-R2 P-K 5 23 P-QR 5 Q-K 6 24 B-B4 B-K 4!

25 P - Kt 4 . . . Hoping for time to play

Q - Kt 3, but this is not granted.

25 . . Kt-K7ch126 R x Kt Q-Kt6ch 27 K - R 1 P-B6 28 Kt x P Q-R 6 ch 29 K-Kt 1 QxPch30 K-R 1 Q-R6ch

31 K - Kt 1 Kt - B 4 32 Kt-B6ch7 .

Both sides were desperately short of time so, in a hopeless position, White makes a hopeless move. Black threatens not only 32 . . .

B - Q 5 ch; 33 B - B 2, Q - Kt 7 mate but also 32 . . . Kt - K 6! and 32 R X P then

32 . . .Q X R (threat 33 . . .,Q - B 8 chl; 34 K X Q. Kt - K 6 ch; 35 K - Kt 1. R - B 8 mate); 33 B- 82, Q - Kt $ ch; 34 K - B 1, Kt - K 6 ch!

32 . . . RxKt 33 RxP QxR 34 Q - Q 3 B-Q 5 ch? Sad! 34 .. Q- Kt 8 chi; 35 K x Q, Kt - K 6 ch; 36 K - Kt 1,

R - B 8 mate would have been a fitting finish.

35 K - R 2 Kt - K 6 Threat Kt - Kt 5 or Kt - B 8 mate.

36 B - Kt 3 Kt-B8cb 37 K - R 3 Kt X B

38 QXQ R xQ 39 R-K 8ch K-B 2

40 Resigns. He is a piece down without com-