CHESS

Quizzical

Raymond Keene

The Grandest Masters

1 Why did Capablanca switch to the gold standard in 1922?

2 The Immortal and Evergreen are Anderssen's two masterpieces. What do they have in common?

3 He fled from the French Revolution, is buried in St James's Piccadilly and found the soul of chess. Who was he?

4 Whose winning coup was showered with gold coins and what was it?

5 When did whose cat parade on the board before games?

More equal than others

6 Who thanked Stalin for helping him win and what was it?

7 He switched to milk in 1947. What was the effect?

8 An exclusive club, but nobody wanted to join. Why not? 9 How did Capablanca cause Winter's discontent at Hastings 1919?

10 A Grandmaster with a patchy chess career said: 'I can see more with one eye than the rest of them with two'. Who was he, when and where did he see most and why was he known as Richard the Fifth?

Phobias• which world champion

11 Was feared for his cigars almost as much as for his moves? 12 Searched whose chair but found only dead flies?

13 Was feared as a hypnotist; and who in response wore dark glasses as a de- fence?

14 X-rayed his opponent's chair in a Phi- lippine clinic?

Children and animals

15 Which child prodigy picked up the moves by watching his father play?

16 Alekhine coached a nino prodigio who was it?

17 In Moscow 1985 a Child spoke out. Which Child?

18 Name the defence 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nd4.

19 How did the variation 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 come by its name?

Helpful instruction

20 'Set up the board and pieces with the light in your opponent's eyes'. Who gave this advice and what was his profession?

21 A famous teacher advised pupils to sit on their hands. Under what circumst- ances was this advice appropriate? 22 The lust to expand — which writer ascribed this vice to which piece?

AKA

23 Identify Grandmaster J'adoubovich and give a reason for his title.

24 The Black Death — a nickname for which British player?

They're all mad — which player

25 Dedicated a game to an orang-utan? 26 Was captured by Algerian pirates and sold as a slave?

27 Died in his bath surrounded by women's shoes?

28 Lost a game before he could light his pipe?

29 Resigned by hurling his king across the room?

30 Feared a parapsychologist, and em- ployed gurus in self-defence?

The senders of the first three correct (or, failing that, most nearly correct) sets of answers to the 30 questions will receive, by courtesy of B. T. Batsford Ltd, a copy of a facsimile reproduction of Howard Staun- ton's 1847 classic The Chess Player's Hand- book together with a copy of Chess: The History of a Game by Richard Eales. Entries, marked 'Chess Quiz', must reach The Spectator by 5 January.