Chess

By PHILIDOR 210. W. Tuv.A (1st Prize, B.C.F. Tourney No. to4) BLACK (6 men)

WHITE (to men)

WHITE to play and mate in two moves ; solution next week. Solution to No. 209 (Rica) : Kt—K I, threat KtxP. x . . . B—Q 5 ; 2 Q—R 2. I . . . Kt—Q 5 ; 2 Q—Kt 8. I . . . P—Q 5 ; 2 Qx Kt. . K—Q 5; K.t x P. Good example of strongly marked theme— here, Black self-blocks on Q 5 plus line opening for White queen.

In this week's problem you should soon see which square White must play to • the questions then are, with which piece, why do the others fail, and how do the variations that arise from the tries compare with those that come from the true solution?

This week's game was played in a training tourna-

ment in Russia in 1964. It could certainly be incor- porated in any training manual as a horrible example of what happens if you weaken your king's position instead of developing : it is also interesting as showing how a strong player can be lured by tactical con- siderations into playing moves that he knows must be wrong on general grounds.

White, ANOSHIN. Black, CHODOS. Opening, Baum: Game.

r P—I1B 4 P—K 4 a Kt— B 3 Kt—Q B 3

3 Kt— g P—B Playable, •but loosening the king's defensive position, this is a slightly inferior line.

4 P—Q 4 P—K

5 Kt--Q a Kt—B 3 5 • Kt x P; 6 Kt (2) x P leaves White with the better pawn formation.

6 P—K 3 13—K Kt 3 7 B—K 2 B—Kt a

8 R—Q Kt r Q—K

9 P—Q R 3 P—B 5? Black does not like the prospect of White playing P—Q Kt 4—Kt 5 with pressure on the queen's side and a substantial advantage in space • nor does he want to play P—Q It 4 and give White the square Q Kt 5. He therefore tries to create trouble by pressure on the K P and Q P: the weaknesses he creates in his own game far outweigh any advantage, however, and this is a thoroughly bad move. ro Ki—Q 51 Kt x Kt rrPxKt P x P -

✓ a PxP Kt—Q z

r3 0-0After 13 Q-13 2, 0-0 Black might get some play for his pawn. Now White threatens to play R—B 4 and then R xP winning the queen, hence Black's next move, which is essentially defensive not attacking.

B—R 3

24 t r • • • and this is attacking, not defensive! ' Kt—B a Or . B xP; 15 KtxP!, Q xl . Kt; 16 B x B Qx13_i 17 B—B 41, tIkKt 4; IS Q—B 3, Kt—K 3; P x Kt, x13; 10 Q—B 7_ch, K—Q 1; 21 Q—Kt 7, R—K ; 21 11.—B 7 followed by Q R—K B t with u winning attack.

r5 Q-13 al B x P z6 KtxP B x P

z7 P—Q 61 a KtxP 17 . . . PxP; IS R x Kt! and now (a) tg . . . QxR? to KtxP ch, or (6) IS . . . K x R ; 19 Q—B 4._ch winning the bishop.

:8 B—K Kt 51 re

• B—Q a K 3 ao Q R—K z K 4 ar R x131 QxR 22 B x P ch Kt—B a Otherwise he is at once mated. • BxKt ch Resigns. 23 .K—B 1. 2.4 B—B 6 (24 . . • Q—Q Kt 4; 25 B—B 4) is about the simplest way of winning.