Chess

By PHILIDOR

236. C. MANSFIELD

(1st Hon. Mention, Galitzky Memorial Tourney, 1964) BLACK (8 men)

WHITE (so men)

WHITE to play and mate in two moves : solution next week. Solution to No. 235 (Way) : Q-Q 8 and now (a) 1 . . . Kt x R ; 2 Kt-Kt 41, P x Kt mate or (b) z . . . Kt x Kt ; 2 R-K 4 I, P x R mate. Typical self-mate problem, Black's obligation to move undoing him.

Correspondence Chess is running a series of articles on great correspondence players-and, because of the time available and ability to analyse by moving the 'pieces instead of mentally, the chess they produced is almost certainly the finest ever played. One of the greatest of all was Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin (1908-1962), winner of the 1956-7 correspondence world championship, and by a curious coincidence Botwinnik's training opponent for the latter's over-. the-board world championship matches. Here is a magnificent example of Ragozin's imaginative power and combinative skill ; the notes, abbreviated from those in Correspondence Chess, can only give a faint idea of the depth of the ideas.

White, RAGOZIN. Black, SHAPOSHNIKOV. Opening, SEMI-SLAV (Correspondence, 1952) _ z P-Q 4 P-Q 4 2 as 4 P-K 3

3 Kt-Q B3 P-Q B 3

. . . The Marshall Gambit, in- tending KgPt-o offer a pawn for the attack.

5 KtxP PxKP B-Kt 5 ch

6 B--Q a QxP 713)(B

8 B-K a x ch

R 3 8 . . . Q x Kt P; 9 B-K B 3, Q-Kt 3; Kt-K 2 gives White more thati enough for the pawns. . . P-Q B 4; 9 E x P, Q x Kt P; B-11 3, Q-Kt 4 is a good 'alternative to text, however.

g B-Q 6 P-Q Kt 3

ro Kt-J3 3 B- Kt a Threatening 0 0 0 with an awkward pin.

rx Kt-K 51 . . . Preventing 0-0-0 because of 12 Kt xK BP in reply and planning a splendid piece sacrifice. 1; 1 17t3 1!2.01:0!

13 B-R 5 ch P-Kt 3

z4 R-K r Q leads to a favourable en-dinRg5 .-42 5; 55 BxK P for Q- 15 B-K Kt 4 R-Q r r6 RxP Kt-B a? 56 .. • Kt-B 41 is correct with foreseen continuation 57 P-Kt 4 Kt-K R 3, is P x Kt, Q x B; 19 Q xQ, Kt x Q; 2o R x P ch, le-Q 2; 25 R-K 7 ch, K-B t; 22 Q R-K P x P (best); 23 R-B 7 cis, K-Kt ; 24 R-Kt 5, R x 13; 25 R(5) x B ch with draw by perpetual check. 17 B x PI Kt-Ka 57 . . Kt x B; 58 R XKt ch, K-H 2 (18 2; 1_9 B-K 7 K x R; 2o K2chl);

ch

19 r. 2, K X B; 20 K XR, Q-K 2; 21 Q-Q 2 and 22 R- wins. r8 B X Kt (B 7)1 . . A magnificent surprise; although Black has reen for rook he is lost.

R • RxQch rg

K-13 z Nothing better. ao R-K 31 B-B r so. . . Kt-B 4; 21 B x Kt, P X B; 22 R-Q 8 ch, Q x R (22. . K-Kt 2; 23 B-R 5 ch);

23 B x Q and should win the ending. ar R-Q 8 ch K-Kt a as B-1( 5 ch K-R 3

23 BxR 'BxB Hoping for 24 R x E, Q X

Q B P, but . ,

24.R-Q.41 Q-Kt 4 24 B-Kt 5; 25 R-K R P-KtB444 andcw5mRs.(4)_K 41 fit; LxRB3 ch • B-B 6 ch K-B ag R-,B3 ch Resigns so ...K-Ks 5; 30 R-K 4 ch, K-R 4; 35 R-R 3 ch and mate next move.