Chess no. 393

PHILIDOR

BLk

White

7 men

8 men Du Chateau (1884). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to no. 392 (Weenink): K x P!, threat 2 KtxQand3QXPmate.A1...R xKt dble ch; 2 K X P!, R - Q 3 ch; 3 K - K 7 mate. B1 ...R-K 6 dblech; 2 K x R;Q-Kt 3 ch;

3 Kt X Q.0 1 ...R-Q 5 ch; 2 Kt xQetc. Dl...Q x B; 2 Q x Pch.E 1 ...Kt-Q 6; 2 Kt - B 2 ch, K - Q 4; 3 Kt x P. F 1 ...B - B 4; 2 Kt x B ch, K - Q 4; 3 Kt x P. Remarkable key and astonishing main variation.

When playing against a stronger player courage is particularly important; playing safe to get a draw is the surest way to lose. In the following game Kava- lek plunges boldly into a heavily analysed complex variation against the formidable Bobby Fischer— and survives an exciting struggle with a creditable draw; not only half a point (which was cancelled anyway because of Fischer's withdrawal), but a game that was worth playing and remembering.

White, Kavalek. Black, Fischer. Opening, Sicilian. (Sousse, 1967.) 1 P-K 4 P-QB4 2 Kt-KB3 P-Q3 3P-Q4 PXP 4 Kt x P Kt-K B3 5 Kt-QB3 P-QR 3 6 B-Kt5 P-K 3 7 P-B4 Q-Kt3 8 Q - Q 2 Q X P The 'poisoned pawn' variation. Fischer has played the variation many times as White and as Black and knows it well— but nobody knows all that is to be known and every game seems to throw up something new.

9 R-QKt1 . . . An interesting alternative is

9 Kt - Kt 3 with which Matidovic as White beat Kavalek later in the tournament.

9. . . Q-R 6 10 P-B5 Kt-B3 11 P x P P x P 12 Kt x Kt P X Kt

13 P-K5 PxP The alternative is 13 . . Kt - Q 4. Geller won, as Black, with Kt - Q 4 against Fischer at Monaco in 1967 but later on Tal—improving on Fischer's play at move 20— won svith White against Bogdanovic. So, despite the fact that Geller beat him with Kt - Q 4 Fischer rejects the more and plays the alter- 'thrive P X P.

14 B X Kt P X B 15 Kt–K4 B–K2 16 B-K 2 P-KR 4! 16 . . . 0 0 is too dan- gerous; Korchnoi, one of the best players in the world in critical positions, lost wit!: lids' move to Gipslis. The White major pieces Come into play too quickly against the castled king.

17 P-B4 P-KB4 18 R-Kt3 Q-R4

19 0-0 . / don't pretend to know how nearly

correct this sequence of moves is for both sidei.

19 . . P X Kt •

20 Q-B3 Q x RP The plausible 20 . . . B - B 4 ch; 21K - R I, B - Q 5 is not good as White would play Q - K Kt 3 followed by B x P ch or Q - Kt 7.

21 B-Ql R-B1 The alternative is 21 . • R - K Kt 1 e.g. 22 B x P ch, K - Q 1; 23 R - Kt 2. Q - R 6; 24 R - Q ch. K - B 2 and I cannot see anything clear for White. B x Pch K-Q 1 23 R-Q1ch B-Q2 23 . . . K - B 2?_?; 24 Q x P ch, B - Q 3: 25 Q X B mate.

24 Q-K 3 . . . 24 R - Kr 7??, Q - B 7 ch; 25 K - R 1, Q - B 8 ch; 26 R X Q, R X R mate.

24 . . . Q-R 4! 25 R-Kt7! B-B4 26 R(1) x BchK-B1

27 R 7)- B 7 ch . . . Drawn by perpetual check. 27. . . Q X R; 28 R X Q ch, K X R; 29 Q X B obviously loses for Black and other- wise the impending loss of the. queen forces White to accept the draw.