Chess
By PHILIDOR No. 133. C. MANSFIELD (2nd Prize, B.C.F., 1937) BLACK (8 men)
WHITE (12 men)
VVHITE to play and mate in two moves: solution nex week. Solution to last week's problem by Blathy 1 R-R 1, K-R 2; 2 R-R 1 ch, K-Kt 1; 3 K-Kt R-K 1; 4 K-R 8, R-Q 1; 5 K-R 7, R-K 1; 6 K-Kt 8 R-Q 1; 7 K-B 7. Now Black must play P move, Whit' repeats move-losing manoeuvre of moves 3-7 till a pawns have been forced to advance to eighth rank an' be captured—they have all gone by move 96, whereupo 97R-RIch,K-Kt1;98Rany,R x QP;99QPx R R-Q 1; 100 P-K 6, R-B 8; 101 PxR=Q ch, K x Q 102 R-R 8 mate!
ANOTHER HASTINGS
When this article appears another of the annu Hastings Christmas congresses—the most famous an' the best of the many tournaments held every year this country—will just be starting. This year's entry i not quite so strong as has been the case in recent years there is only one Russian grandmaster (Keres) instea of two and the US boy prodigy, Bobby Fischer, h. cried off in order to play in another tournament afte having accepted the Hastings invitation—not, in m view, correct behaviour even if you are only fourteen! Nevertheless it is a fine tournament in which Kere4 (USSR), Gligoric (Yugoslavia), Filip (Czechoslovakia) Rossolimo (France), Sterner (Sweden), Kluger (Hunt gary) and Blau (Switzerland) will certainly present th three British players Fazekas, Clarke and Penrose wi a severe examination in which they will do well t score 50 per cent.
I suppose that 1 had better make my usual forecast; with the usual expectation of being proved wrong Keres joint winner with Smyslov in 1954/5—must favourite, but Gligoric—joint winner with Larseri last year—should run him close; Filip, winner of Sofia zonal tournament this year, is a little weaker tha Gligoric and a little stronger than Rossolimo and places 1 to 4 are filled—at least as far as this articl is concerned—but further forecasting is very hard Fazekas, although British champion, is the weakest, I think, of the six so he shall be No. 10 and Blau No. 9 (though he can play much better than this). I know little of Sterner except that he is Scandinavian cham- pion, Penrose is gifted but uncertain, Clarke is tough and Kluger is tougher: I shall. put Kluger and Clarke 5=, Sterner and Penrose 7= and I hope this forecast will irritate Penrose into doing better.
As an apology for three consecutive weeks without a game—blame it on Christmas—and as an earnest of more substantial fare to come here is some hors d'oeuvre from the Deutsche Schachzeitung.
White, JOHN REGAN Black, DON DIVINEOpening, King's Gambit. St. Louis
1 P-K 4 P-K 4 7 P-Q 4 P-K Kt 4 2 P-KB4 P x P 8 P-13 4 0-K 5 ch 3 Kt-K B 3 P-Q 4 9 K-B 2 B-K Kt 5
4 P x P Kt-K B 3 10 Kt x l'? (a) Q-K 6 ch!
5 1(3-Q B 3 Kt x P 11 13 x Q P x B ch
6 Kt x Kt Q x Kt 12 K-K 17? (b) B-Kt 5 cid
13 Resigns (a) 10 B-Q 3! gives White much the better game 12 ... B x Kt; 13 B x Q, B x Q; 14 B x P or 12 . .. Q-B 3; 13 Q-K 1 ch and 14 Kt x P or Kt-K 5.
(b) Not 12 K x P, B x Q; 13 R x B, B-R 3! nor 12 K-Kt 3, B x Q; 13 R x B, R-Kt II but 12 K-Kt I! and all is still to Ma) for—but then the game would not have been publishable, even at Christmas.
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