Chess

By PHILIDOR No. 166. H. D'O. BERNARD (First Prize, Grantham Journal, 1928)

BLACK (9 men) WHITE (9 men) WHITE to play and mate in two moves; next week I shall discuss the solution in an article on chess problems, so 1 suggest that readers keep the position. Solution to No. 165 (Westbury): Q-Kt 4, threat•Qx R. 1 . . . R xP; 2 B-K 5. 1 . . . R-Q 4; 2 Kt-K 4. I . . . R-B 3 ch; 2 B-B 2. I . . . R-K' 3; 2 B-K 4. 1 . . . B-Q 4; 2 QxQP. 1 . . . B-R 3; 2 KtXP. 1 . . . B-B 1; 2 P-K 8=Kt. Beautifully constructed problem with different mates for each of the four moves by Black rook.

This week's game is one of the clear-cut, but fairly rare, types in which White has from the beginning a general plan of attack which he carries out exactly as planned. When this happens it usually means that the opponent has failed to develop any effective counterplay; this is true here, a faulty opening idea leading Black into a position where he had no worthwhile plan to pursue.

White. KOPPER; Black. POMAR; Opening, SICILIAN

I P-K 4 P-QB 4 2 Kt-KB 3 P.O 3 3 P-Q 4 Kt-KB 3 4 Kt-B 3 P X P 5 KtXP P-KKt 3 6 B-K 3 B-Kt 2 7 P-B 3 . . . This announces his intention, viz. to play Q-Q 2 and B-R 6, together with P-KR 4-R 5 followed by an attack on the open rook file. Black must counter by a central push (often correct against • an attack on the flank) and/or a queen's side attack, 7 . Kt-B3

8 b.4 2 0-0

9 B-QB 4 Kt-QR 47 A wrong Idea that loses time

and gets nowhere, The natural and (in my view) best line is 9 . . . Kt x Kt: 10 B x Kt, B-K 3; 1.1 B-Kr 3. Q-R 4; 12 0-0-0, P.QKt 4: 13 K-Kt I, KR-B l with about equal chances

to B-Kt 3 P-Kt 3 11 13-R 6 B-R 3 12 0.0-0 Kt x B ch. 12 . . . R-B I followed by Kt or B-B 5 is rather better but Black has a bad game anyway. 13 Kt x Kt B-B 5 14 P-KR 4 B x Kt. It has taken Black six moves (i.e.

moves 9.14) to exchange off White's bishop and knight; by 9 . . . Kt x Kt 10 B . . . B-K 3 and (if he wanted to) II . . B x Kt he could have done the same thing in three moves— this loss of time means that White's attack is too' far advanced now to be stopped.

15 RPxB R-K 1. White's threat is P-R 5 followed. by Kt-Q 5 and then P xP, B x B and Q-R 6 ch Text (there is nothing better) is played to forge White to exchange bishops first and give Black the defensive possibility Kt-Kt 1.

16 B x B

xaottierwise 16 . , . B-R I

16 , . .

17 P-R 5 Kt-Kt 1. 17 . . Kt x P; 18 P-KKt 4, Kt-B 3; 19 Q-R 6 ch, K-Kt 1; 20 P-K S and wins or 17 . . PxP: 18 P-K 5.

18 PxP RP xP. 18 . . . BP xP; 19 Q-B 4, R-KB l; 20 Q-R 2, P-KR 3; 21 P-K 5 with winning game. 19 Q-B 4 P-K 4. To meet 20 Q-R 2 with 20 . Q-Kt 4 ch and 21 . . . Kt-R 3, but . . . 20 R-R 7 eh! K x R 21 QxP ch K-R 3 22 R-R I ch K-Kt 4 23 Q-R 7! . . threat Q-R 4 mate. 21 . . . k-B 3 24 Kt-Q 5 ch K-K 3 25 Kt-B 7 ch K-B 3. 25 . . . Q x Kt would prolong the game but without giving any hope. Better an end with horror than a horror without end. 26 Q-R 8 eh Resigns, 26 ... K-K 2; 27 R-R 7 ch, K-B I; 28 Q-Kt 7 mate.