Chess no. 341

PHILIDOR

C. Mansfield (1st Prize, Luigi Centurini, 1922). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to no. 340 (Iskra): K – B 4!, threat 2K x P eb, P –Q 4; 3 B x P mate. (a) 1 ._. Kt–Q 3 ch; 2 K–B 5 ch, Kt –B 5 ch; 3 Q–Q 4 mate. (b) Kt –K 4' eh; 2 K–Q 4 ch. Kt – B 5 ch; 3 Q –K 5 mate. (c) 1 . . . B x P ch;

2 K X B di, etc. Very amusing, though not difficult

as three-movers go. -

When watching chess with a journalist's eye for a publishable game, one is endlessly disappointed: brilliant attacks seem about to appear and then they evaporate or go wrong or peter out into a long endgame struggle. But sometimes they come home —and one of the players with whom one has the best chance of this is the Spaniard Diez del Corral. Here is a beautiful win by him in Round 1 of the Clare Benedict six-country team tournament played in June.

White, Diez del Corral (Spain). Black. Langcweg (Holland). Opening, Ruy Lopez. (Leysin, Switzer- land,, 1967.)

P - K 4 P - K 4 2 Kt -K B 3 Kt - Q B 3 3 B - Kt 5 P -Q R 3

4 B- R. 4 Kt-B3

5 0-0 B- K 2 6 P - Q 3 P -Q 3 7 P- B 3 8- Kt 5. Unless White has played P- Q 4 —after which 8- Kt 5 helps to put pressure on the Q P- this move is a little suspect, though not actually bad.

Q Kt - Q 2 Kt - Q 2 9 B X Kt P x B 10 Kt -B 4 P - Q R 4. Otherwise 11 Kt - R S is awkward.

11 /Et - K 3 B - K 3 12 P - Q. 4 P - B 3 13 Kt - R 4 0-0 13. P -Kt 3 is a little stronger.

the lively fine 14 P - K B 4!7, P x P; 15 R x P. P- K Kt 4; 16 Kt (4)- B 5 giving no more than a draw for White.

14 Kt(3)-B 5 R-K I IS R - K I Kt - B I?. The natural move B - B 1 is better. 16 8 - R 6! . . . A highly Imaginative offer which Black should decline.

16 . . . B x Kt 16 . . . P - Kt 3? loses to 17 Kt - Kt 7! but 16 . . P - Kt 4! would give Black some counter-chances, though White is probably better. A com- plex position.

17 Kt x B P x B IR P - K R 4! Kt - Kt 3 18 .. K -R 1: 19 Q - Kt 4, Kt - K 3: 20 Kt x R P threatening Q x Kt as well as Kt -- B 7 mate. However 19 . . . Kt - Kt 3: 20 P - R 5, R - K Kt 21 Kt x R P, R - Kt 2 is not quite clear and is Black's best chance.

19 P - R 5 B - B 17 He must Way 19 . . K - transposing 'nun previous note after 20 Q - Kt 4. 20 Q - Kt 4 K - B 2 21 P x Kt ch PY.P 22 Kt - R 4 P - Kt 4

23 Q - R 5 eh K--Kt 1 or 23 . . . K - K 2; 24 Kt-B 5 ch. K-Q 2: 25 Q-R 3!, P-K R 26 Kt - Kt 7 ch, P - Kt 5; 27 Q x R P, B x Ku:

28 Q x P ch and 29 Q x B or 23 . . . K - K 3; 74 Kt - B 5 and 25 - R 3.

24 Q - Kt 6 ch B - Kt 2 24 . . . K - R I; 25 Kt - 5 followed by R - K 3 - Ft 3.

25 Kt - B 5 Q - Q 2 26 Kt X P ch K - B 1 26 ... K - R 1; 27 R - K 3. 27 R - K 3 P x P

23PxP R - K 3

29 Q - R 7! .. This would have been less good before 26 . . . R - K 3 because of the reply Q - K 3; Black's position is of course quite hopeless. 29 30 Q - Kt 8 ch B - 1

31 Q R - K I . . Kt - B 5 at once also wins but there is no burry.

31 . . . -K 2 32 Kt -B 5 Q - 8 2 33 Kt - Kt 7 ch! Resigns-33 : . X Kt: 34 Q x R ch with the exchange ahead and a vastly superior position wnll