CHESS by Philidor

No. 318.

J. M. Rica (Problemist, July 1966) WHITE to play an.:: mate in two moves Solution next week. Solution to No. 317 (Parthasarathy): Kt - Q 3!, no threat. I . . . Kt (1( 2) any; 2 Kt B 7 (set Q- B 6.

t. . K - K 5_ 2 Q - B 6 (se

BLACK to men) R x P). I. .- Kt (B 7) any; 2 R x WHITE (9 men) ,'set Kt - B 7). K x R; 2 B - R 2. Notice how the set mates (i.e. the mates arising if Black plays in ths position 'as set') are permuted after the key: one sE. variation viz. I . . . P- Q 6; 2 Kt - Q B 3 disappears but is more than compensated by the new line

K x R; B - R 2.

Some games have strategic themes, where a player has a basic long-term plan, and some have tactical themes, where one has a combination which uses the same tactical idea or threat over a sequence of moves. Perhaps I should add, in case readers ger too elevated an idea of tournament chess, that most games have no theme and are just a confused dog-fight. Here is a game-one of the 1944 in the Havana Olympiad- with a tactical theme.

White, Pom.ka (Spain) Black, JOHANSSON (Sweden) Opening, Nimzo-Indian

r P-Q4 Kt-K B3

2 P-Q 84 P- K3

3 Kt -Q B3 B-Kt 5

4 P K 3 . - It is interesting that in a period when very sharp opening variations are fashionable the most popular way of playing against the Nimzo-Indian is the quietest; attempts to get more (with the possible exception of the still unclear Simisch variation 3 P - Q R 3) seem to lead nowhere

0 - 0

5 B-Q 3 P-Q 4

6 Kt-8 J P-B4 7 P- (IR 3 . . . 7 0- 0 ix more usual, but the tea cannot be bad.

BxKt eh

8 P x B Q-B 2 It might be a shade better to play 9 Q-Kt -B B 2 3 and get PxPbadt into the standard line after 9 0-0. Q

ro BxP PxP rr BPxP P-Q Kt3 11 ... P-Q Kt 4; 12 B-Q 3, Q xQ; 13 B xQ is probably a little in White's lavour because of the two bishops.

12 Q-Q3! ... Not 12 B - Kt 2?, B - R 3! and Black has a good game.

I2 . . . B- Kt 1 13 B-Qs K R-Br? An ugly move, no better than it

looks. Better 13 . . . Kt - K 5! and if 14 13 - Kt 4 (to retain the bishops) then 14 . . . R - Q a; 15 0 - 0, Kt - Q B 3! with a satisfactory game.

11 Q Q _1? K- 313r B - K 5

Q-Kt 2 15 . . . Kt-B 3?; 16 B-R 6, K R moves; 17 Kt - K 5. r6 0-0 P- Q R 3 17 Kt - Kt 5! BxP? 17 . . . B - Q 4 is correct, but Black has failed to appreciate the force of the coming attack. rli BxKP BxR Ist Q-B3!! ... A beautiful move. From now on the threat of back row mate is constantly exploited by White.

19 B-Kt 7 The only reply. .. • zo Q x Q BxQ

21 BxR B-Q 4 22 P- K4! KtxP 22 . . . B xP?; 23 Kt xB, Kt xKt;

2.4 B - Kt 7!

23 Kt xKt BxKt 24 R-K r! P-B 4 24 .. . B - 8 3; 25 B - Kt 7! 25 B - K6 ch K-R r 25 ... K-8 1; 26 B - Kt 4 th, K-K a; 27 BxP.

26 BxP ... Again!

26 . . . B - B3 27 P-Q 5 Resigns 27 ... B - Q 2; 28 R - K 7 winning,

or 27 . . . B - Kt 4; 28 R - K 7, P -- Q K 4; 29 B - B 3 ao.-! wins.