CHESS by Philidor

BLACK (3 men) No. 385 J. MORAVEC (Casopis Ceskych Sachistu, 5909) WHITE to play and mate in three moves; solution next week. Solution to No. 284 B 'Flarin : K— a!, threat g) Kt (8 4)— K 3. t . . . P—K 6 :h ; 2 Kt (Kt 4)XP. [• • . P—B 5 ; 2 2 Q—Q 2. I. ttxKt; 2 QxR. Striking and unex- pected key. WHITE men) I ant finding Foldeak's Chess Olympics an inex- haustible store of good games, and there are, I think, three reasons for this. First, the total number of games played in the Olympics is enormous-1,82o in the 1964 event alone.; second, the large number of players gives a wide variety of styles ; finally, there is a greater

range of strength than in a tournament, and the clashes between players markedly different in strength tend to give rise to clear-cut victories which are instructive and amusing, though not, of course, the highest kind of chess.

This week's game is one of this kind ; White's opening errors are exploited with beautiful clarity and incision by Black.

White, 13645x (Finland) Black, UIILMANN (E. Germany) Opening, QUEEN'S PAWN (King's Indian Defence) (Leipzig, 196o) P—Q B 4 Kt—K B 3 a Kt—Q B 3 P—K Kt 3 3 P—K Kt 3 B—Kt 4 B—Kt 2 0-0 5 P—Qtg. • • • I suspect that the veteran Book chose this rather than P—Q 4 because it is less analysed. It is a great mistake to suppose that veterans know the openings better than younger players—the contrary is the fact; openings are in a constant state of flux, and poorer memory combined with weaker powers of absorption of fresh information mean that the over-fifties can't keep up with the times.

9 3

6 Kt—B 3 P—K •

7 0-0 Kt—ft 4

8 P—Q 4? . . . Whereas White's fifth move was merely _passive, this is lust bad: he should play 8 P—K 4

(5 P—K B 4?; 9 P xP P xP; zo Kt xP!--or 9 . B x P: Ict:Kr—K Kt 5!) and try for P—K B 4 later himself. As played helm lost a tempo without compensation.

8 . . . Kt—Q a

g P--K4 P—Q B3 ro B—K 3 P x

r Kt x . . . ri BxP is much better, as Black quickly demonstrates. It is well worth looking carefully at the position after it Kt x P before going further. At first sight White has an excellent game—he seems to control the centre and to be better developed, and the Black QP looks weak; this is all illusory—there are weak points in his position which can be rapidly attacked. In chess jargon, Black's damic advantages arc more important than the static merits of White's position. Kt—K 41 12 P—Kt 3 . . • Or 12 Q—K z, Kt—Kt 5 and 13 . . . Kt x B with two bishops and an excellent game: but this might be a lesser evil than the line chosen.

Kt—Kt 5!

• B—B r . . . Otherwise Kt x B gives Black the advantage.

—Ke_3

14 Kt (4)—K 2 ?—K B rs Q xPNothing better. r5P—K R 3?, Kt x Kt P! and now ;6.IZt x Kt, B x Kt or t6 P x Kt, Kt x Kt Ch is a variation that highlights the weakness of White's game.'

rs B—K 4 ▪ P—B 5 Q—Kt 5 17 Q—Q 2 P—B 5! Threatening P—B 6. No pantomime can show a more dramatic transformation scene than has occurred since the position after White's eleventh move. • B—B 3 QxBP Threatening P x P. rg P--.Q Kt 4 • • • Rather a despairing move, bat there is little to do, e.g. 19 K—Kt 2, Kt x B Pl; zo ft x Kt, B—R 6 ch; 21 K x13 (21 K—Kt t, P xP), QxR and wins (2.2 B x Kt, Q—B 8 ch, or 22 B—Kt 2, P—B 6). Q—K 2! Maintaining the full blast of the attack and threatening 20 . . Kt x R P; 21 K x Kt. P xP ch; 22 P x P, Kt ,P; 23 Kt x Kt, 9--R 5 ch, winning quickly. 20 P—K R3 KtxBP zr P—Ks 4 • • • Or 21 R xKt, PXP; 22 R—B t, B x P, followed by Q—R 5, winning.

KtxPeh

22 K.-40 2 Ks—Kt 4 s3 Resigns . . . If 23 P x Kt, then 23 . . . B—R 6 ch remaining exchange and two pawns up—and if White does not take„the knight, Black will play Kt—B 3 and win a third pawn as well as retaining all his attack.