CHESS by Philidor

No. 306. BLACK (5 men F. MIC.HEL (1st Prize, Themes 64, 1958) WHITE to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to No. 305 (Hancock) : Q - Q 2, no threat. I . . . K-K 3; 2 P-Q 5 (set Q - Kt 3) I...K-B3; 2Q - KKtz.t...K- K 5 ; 2 Kt -B 6. K B5; 2 Kt - K 3. Agreeable `Star Flight' prob- lem, though it is a slight pity that three outlying WPS are needed (K Kt 6, Q R 2, Q R 4) to control the king.

WHITE (9 men)

It is curious that while PeIrosian shows the poorest tournament form of any world champion I can remember, the veteran ex-champion, fifty-five-year- old Botwinnik, is playing in his most impressive style. In the IBM Tournament at Amsterdam — not a top- class event, but not a negligible affair—he won with the utmost ease with 7 points out of 9, with Pomar (5.) and Flohr (5) second and third at a very respectful distance. In the following game Botwinnik makes the Hungarian grandmaster Szabi look like a novice—an illusion to which it must be admitted Szab 5 contributed a bit himself.

White, L. SzABO Black, M. M. BOTWINNIK Opening, SICILIAN (by transposition) (Amsterdam, 1966) P - Q B 4 _ 13 4 2 Kt - Q B3 P-KKI3 3 Kt - B 3 B - Kt 2 4 P - Q 4 . . . after this

into a not very strong variation of good alternative.

PxP 6

5 x P Kt - Q Kt - 2 P - Q 3B 3 7 P- K 4 Kt - R 3 8 P-KR4? . . . a strange

natural and better. move the game transposes the Sicilian; a P- K 3 is a and bad idea. 8 B - K 2 it

8. . . P - B 4

9 .1, - R 5 P • K P 7

P , P P - P Kt - B 3

// Kt P B B4

12

. . . 12 Kt - KI 3, Q - R 4 ch. 13 B - Q 2

,

Q - K 4 Ch ; 14 11 - Is. 2. Q - P; 15 Kt )±13, K.., .. Kt; t6 R /12 ch. B - R; 17 R - K• 1. Q ,P; 18 R x P is hettei but still in Black's favour. Now the decisive Black attack comes with extraordinary speed.

12 . . . Q B4

13 B - Q 2 8 K4 ch . . . His trouble is that he cannot get ill ciiistld4.3,nd unite his rooks. 15 . . . Kt - K Kt 5

• 16 R .- R R R

17 Q - Kt 5 Q B5 :8 Kt , B 3, - Q t. . or t8 K: 'K. 3 - Q 1, Q - R 7 'three Kt - Q 5t. to Kt - K. a, Kt Kt 5) - K 4!: 2c ii • ii 3, Kr Q 6 ch; zi K- Q 2, 13 R 3 ch winning- :61 . . Kt Q 5 19 Q - Rs R R8 20 R - B z Kt - K 4 Threat 21 . K. - Q 6 mate. 21 Q B 7 ch . . . or 21 R - B 3, Q - B 6! thleatenang

Q - K 7 mate and if 22 P . Q then 22 Ki 4: /- P mate.

21.. K • Q 22 'Kt - Q 5 ch K - Q 2 - K Kt 4 24 K4 Resigns.. s'iQ Pgns.. ._. If 24 Kt ,;.41 any!, then 24 ..,. Kt - Q 6 mate while 24 B - B 3, P x Kt; 25 B x Kt, Kt - Q 6 ch; z6 K- Q 2, Ki x R, 27 H X ii R x B ,eaves White an utterly homess ending. An attack so harmonious and well co- ordinated that all the moves can obvious: but try to play like this yourself and see.