Chess 500

PHILIDOR

J. Hartong (1st Prize, The Problenzist, 1927). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week. Solution to No. 499 (Searley—B3R2K/8/ 2bp1p2/2PkIn2/2N1R3/41:13/2P5/Q7): R-QB8, no

threat. 1 K x R; 2 Q-R1. 1 ... Kt any; 2 Q-Q4. 1 . . K xP; 2 Q-R5. 1 . . PxP: 2 B x13. 1 .

B-Kt2; 2 B x B. 1 B x it; 2 Q x B. Fine ambush key, conceding a flight capture.

Anti-Hamlet

Bent Larsen, born in Tilsted, Jutland, thirty-five years ago, is certainly the chess Prince of Derkmark but no one could be less Hamlet-like. The un- certainties of `to be or not to be' are not dreamt of in Larsen's philosophy; everything in his game is positive, thrusting, full of self-belief and self- confidence—only Spassky seems able to shake him psychologically.

This energy shows through again and again in Larsen's Selected Gaines of Chess 1948-69 B. Larsen, G. Bell and Sons, 35s.)—in the games themselves and in Larsen's thorough, discursive notes. Here is a game from one of his best tourna- ments—the 1964 Interzonal when he was first equal with Smyslov, Spassky and Tal.

White, B. Larsen. Black, F. Perez. Opening, Sicilian (Interzonal, Amsterdam 1964).

1 P-K4 P-QB4 2 P-KB4 ... Typi- cal of Larsen to play a slightly off-beat move like this—and equally typical for him to comment, 'Just as playable as the more usual systems'.

2 . . . P-K3 3 Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

4 B-Kt5 P-KKt3 4 ..". KKI-K2 followed by P-QR3 and later P-Q4 is preferable.

5 B x Kt QP x B 6 P-Q3 B-Kt2 7 0-0 Kt-K2 8 Kt-B3 0-0 9 Q-K1 P-Kt3 10 P-QR4 B-R3

11 Q-R4 ... Larsen says that 11 P-QKt3 is

probably best followed by B-Q2 or B-Kt2. The text move, although more aggressive, gives Black counter-chances.

11 . . . - Q-Q2 12 B-K3 P-B5 13 PxP P-QB4I 14 Kt-K5 Q-Kt2 15 R-B3 P-B3 16 R-KR3! P x Kt Larsen points out that the best line was 16 . . . P-R3!; 17 Kt-K14, P-R4; 18 Kt-B2, P-B4! and Black has plenty of play.

17 Q x Pch K-B2 • 18 P-B5! . . . 18 PxP?, R-R1!; 19 R-Bich, Kt-B4!

18 . . . KPxP 18 . . R-R1?; 19' P x Pch, K-K3 ; 20 R-B3ch, Kt-B4; 21 R x Ktch, Px R; 22 QxPch, K-K2; 23 R-Q1 winning.

19 B-R6 R-KKt1 20 PxP KtxP 21 R-KBI B xP 22 R-Kt31 BxR

23 Q x Pch K-K2? Fatal. Larsen points out that after 23 . . K-B1 24 Q x Ktch, Q-B2; 25 Q-K4, R-Q1 ; 26 R-B3, BxPl; 27 Rx Qch, Kx R; 28 Kx B, Bx Bch; 29 K-B3 Black, although he has the inferior game, is far from hopeless.

24 B-Kt5ch K-B1 Now Black has lost a vital tempo. He may have intended 24 .. . K-Q1, only to realise now that this lost to 25 Q x Kick K-B2; 26 Q-B7ch, K-B3; 27 Q-K6ch, K-B2; 28 Kt-Q5c11.

25 Q x Ktch Q-B2 26 Q-K4 R-B1

27 R-B3 B-B5 27. . B-QR3t 28 R x Qch, Kx R; 29 Q-B5. ch, K-K1; 30 Q- K6ch and 31 Q-K7 mate.

28 Q x B QxRch 29 P x Q Resigns.

29 . . . B-R3; 30 P-R4 or 30 QxRch winning easily either way.