Chess
By PHILIDOR
P. A. ORLIMONT (Muenchener Zeit- ung, 1927) WHITE to play and mate in four moves ; solution next week. Solution to No. 27o (Caresmel): Q—B 4, no threat. Excellent light weight ex- ample of a mutate. If Black had to move first any move would be fatal—the mates that arise are hosirever White cannot preserve this situation and after the key move all the mates arc changed. Variations—with set mates in brackets—are 1 . . . Kt—K 4 ; 2 Q—Kt 5 (Set Q— K 2). 1 . . Kt (5) else ; 2 Q—Q 4 (Q—B 3). I . . . Kt—K Kt 3 ; PxKt(RxP). ...PxKt; 2 BPx P (Q—K Kt 7). This week's problem is difficult but rewarding—even if you don't solve it, look at the solution next week.
Gligoric was telling me at Hastings this year how much better top-class chess was than it used to be and saying that he had been going through the games of the great 1911 San Sebastian tournament and they were quite bad. Maybe the general level is much better now but I wonder about the best. Did anyone ever play better for example than Alekhine in the years 1929- 1932? Here is one of a flood of games of the highest class that he played in this period—notes based on those by himself in one of the best of all chess books, My Best Games of Chess.
White, ALEXHINE. Black, MAROCZY. Opening, QUEEN'S GAMBIT. Bled, 1931.
P—Q 4 P—Q 4 P—Q B 4 P—K_3
3 Kt--Q B 3 Kt—K B 3 4 B—B1 5 13—K 2 3 P—K 3 8±13-Q2
6 Kt—B 3
7 R—B P—K R 3 8 B—R 4 P—B 3 One difference between modern play and that of twenty-five to fifty years ago is that quiet defences like this are much less common then they were; Black is more adventurous.
9 B--Q 3 P—R 3 zo 0-0 P x P
zz B x P P—B 4 Here Alekhine recom- mends tx— . P—Q Kt 4; 12 13-0 3, B—Kt 2 and then P—B 4. R 12 P—Q 4! . . . deliberately accepting' a weakening of his pawn structure in order to hamper Black's development. It is decisions and moves like this that win (and lose) ;games and make the later brilliancies possible. Q— x D 4 z3 2 P PI r4 P >r P . . . 14 Kt x P?, Kt—K 4; 15 B—Q Kt 3, Kt—Kr 3!; si5 B—Kt 3, P—K 4! 14•_.: -,„ . Kt—Kt 3 15 B—Q 3/• • • now a fascinating struggle ensues in which White tries to keep Black so busy defending his king's position that he will get no time to take the Q R P. B—Q 2 15 ... Kt x P; t6 Kt—K 4 gives White a very strong attack. z6 Kt—K3 K R—Q r 17 P—B 4 . . . Here Alekhine suggests that the quieter line 17 Q—B 3 might be objectively better. The move he plays (like 12 P—Q R 4) is a sign of the supreme confidence in his own powers he displayed at this time.
11—K 1 18 Kt—Kt 4 R Y P zg B x Kt B Y B zo Ktx 13 ch Px Kt
az Kt—K 4 Q R—Q r? This natural move loses— Black (very naturally) does not realise that White will be able to continue his attack without protecting the bishop. _Alekhine gives as . . . P—B 4!; 22 Kt—B 6 ch, K—B I; 23 P—Q Kt 3 'with uncertain result' as best. Now some superb play follows.
az Kt x P ch K—D z
.23 Kt—R 7 Oil K—K a 23 . . . K—Kt r; 24 Q— Kt 4 ch, K—R 1; 25 Q—R 4!, R xB; 26 Q x R P! and wins. 24 P-831 i? (Q 1)- - Q 3 24...RxB;25P—B6cb and 26 QxRc.h. a3 P—Q Kg 41! . . . a wonderful move with the idea of either diverting the queen or forcing the rook to cut the queen off from Q 7 (because 25 Q—R 5? would be met by tp70 Q x Kt P 25 . . . R x P; 26 51 (threat P—B 6 ch winning queen), P—K 4; 27 P—B 6 ch, —Q a; 28 Q x R P!, R x B; 29 Q—B 8, R—Q 2; 30 R—Q B 51, Q xP; 31 R xP winning (Alekhine). 26 let7-K 31 . . . threat 27 Q—B 6 di, K— Q a; 28 KI....-B 8 mate. a6 . _ Q . . Kt—Q a a7 -R 8 R X B Or 27 . . . Q—Kt 3; 28 P—R 51, fix P; a 23 R—B 8 (28 ... Q—R 2; 29 P— 6 ch). 28 P—EI chl Resigns ., . k—Q i ; al Q x BAK xQ; 3o R-13 2 mate Or at ... Kt XP; 29 QX"..t dl. K a; 3o Kt—B 8 mate.
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