Chess no. 407

PHILIDOR

Black 15 m

H. W. Grant (1st Prize, B.C.F. Tourney 113). White to play and mate in two moves. Solution next week. Solution to no. 406 (Shinkman): Q - R 1 !, no threat.1...P x BP; 2Q-R 5.I...P XKP;

2 Kt x P. 1 P - Q 3; 2 B - B 2. I P - Q 4; 2 Q- B 1. 1 . . B any; 2 Kt x P. Four varia- tions from moves of the Black Q P—and the fifth variation captures it. '

Here is a fine win by Hartston in the Slater tournament for the six leading young players in the country in which he outplays Whiteley position- ally and then tactically.

White, A. J. Whiteley. Black, W. R. Hartston. Opening, King's Indian (Southend, 1968).

1 P-Q 4 Kt-KB3 2 P-QB 4 P-K Kt 3 3 P-K Kt 3P -B 3 4 P-Q 5 B- Kt 2 4 . . . P - Q Kt 4 is a good alternative.

5 B - Kt 2 0 - 0 6 Kt-QB3P-Q 3 7 Kt-B 3 P-K 4 8 0-0 P xP Hartston thought this dubious afterwards and that P B 4 might have been better.

9P xP Kt-R3 10 Kt - K 1? ..a serious positional error; he should play Kt - Q 2- B 4 with a good game. 10 . . . Kt - Q 2 11 Kt - Q 3 Kt(R3)-B 4 12 P - K 4 . . . and here 12 Kt X Kt, Kt X K1:

13 P - Q Kt 4 is better. Now Black secures the Kt on B4.

12 . . . P-QR 4 13 B-K 3 P-Kt 3 14 R-K 1 B-R 3 15 B-KB 1 P-B 4! 16 Kt X Kt KtP X Kt 17 B x B R X B 18 Q - Q 2?• He should plity I8 P- B3.

18 . . . P. - B 5 ! A fine positional sacrifice,

breaking up White's position; through his weak- ness on the black squares White is unable to make any use of the extra pawn.

19 P XP PxP 20 BxKBP Kt-K4 21 B X Kt B X B 22 Kt - K 2 Q - R 5 23 Kt-Kt 3 R-R 2 24 R-K 2 P-R 5 25 R-KBIR(2)-KB2 26 Q-Q 3 Q-Kt 5

27 K - Kt 2 . ." Not 27 K - R 1, R - B 6, followed by 28. * . B x Kt.

27 . . . P - R 4 ! Now 27 . . . R - B 6 is met by 28 R - K 3.

28 P-B 3 Q-Kt4 29 K-Rl P-R 5 30 Kt-B 5! K-R 2 31 R-KKt2 Q-B 5 32 Kt - K 3 P - R 6 33 R - 2 13 - Q 5 ! Now 34 Kt - B 4 would be met by 34 . . • Q X B P ch!; 35 R x Q, R X R apd Whire must return the queen. Black should then -win the ending as the bishop is better than the knight and the W R is tied to the back rank.

34 P - Kt 3 P X P 35 P x P QxBP(h! A splendid queen sacrifice.

36 RxQ RxR 37 R-K 1 ... 37 K - Kt 17?, R B 8 mate.

37 . . . B x Kt Threat B - Q 7! winning a rook.

38 Q - Kt 5 B - Q 5 39 Q-R 6 B-K4 40 (/'- Kt 5 R(1)-B2 No hurry; White is help- less in spite of his queen.

41 K - Kt 1 R - B 7 42 R - K 3 R-Kt 7 ch 43 KLR 1 RxPch 44 K-Kt-1 P-Kt 4! 45 Q - Q 3 P - Kt 5 46 P - Kt 4 R(2)-B1

Threat R (B 7) - Kt 7 ch followed by R - R 8 mate.

47 Resigns.