Chess

By PHILIDOR 255. ISfecially contributed by G. K. was (Wolverhampton)

BLACK (9 men) WHITE (to men) "nil to play and mate in two moves 5 . solution next week. Solution to No. 254 (Stavrinides). R—R 5, no

threat.,. . K—B 4 ; KxP; 'R- .R4. . . . Kt (K 4) any ; 2 QxQ Kt. ... Rt (P 5) any . Q x Kt. . P—B 4; 2 Q—Q 5. Vell-hidden key and good play after Black king moves pin the K Kt.

This week a combinative game to compare with Tal's last week : it was a favourite of the winner's (and it is hard to give higher praise than this)—a game which after a rather indecisive and unsatis- factory first half rises in intensity, and the more pieces are exchanged the more intricate become the combinations in which the remainder are involved.

White, MTh Black, ALERHINE.

Opening, KING'S FIANCHETTO (Baden-Baden, 1925 ) 1 P—K Kt 3 P—K 4 a Kt—.K I 3 3 . . . It would be difficult to get an uglier opening (even nowadays by Petrosian), a ..__. . P—K 5 3 Kt—Q 4 P—Q 4 Better 3_. . _. P—Q B 4.; 4 Kt—Kt 3, P—B 51 5 Kt—Q 4, B—B 4; 6 P—Q B 3 or P—K 3, Kt—Q B 3 with a fine game for Black. 4 P—Q.P3 PxP 4 .„ . P—Q B 4; 5 Kt—Kt 3, P x P; 6 Q x , B—K 3 (threatening P-13 5) looks rather better. Now White gains time. 5 Q x P Kt—K B3

6 B—Kr 2 B—Kt 5 ch

7 B—Q a BxBch

8 Kt x B 0-0

9 P—Q B 4 • •• White has emerged with a alight lead in development and pressure on the queen's side—a betterfate than his opening deserved.

Kt—R

ro P x P Kt—Q12 Kt 5 ii rB 4 Kix Q 3_

P

12 Kt.—Kt 3 P—B 3

13 —0 R—K r

14 K R—Q z B—Kt 5 15 R—Q a Q—B r r6 10—B 5 B—R 6 17 11-8 3 . . . i7 B xB?, QxB; 18 KtxKt

P?, Kt—Kt 5; ao Kt—B 3, Kt (4)—K 61; 2o P x Kt, Kt x K P; 21 Q x P chi, K—R r1 (za . — K xQ?, 22 Kt—Kt 5 ch); 22 Kt—R 4, R—K B a and Wins the queen—the first mutter of the coming storm. . B--Kt 5

:8 B—Kt 2 B—R 6

ro B—B 3 13—Kt 5

ao B—J? I . . . White refuses to accept a draw by repetition—objectively right, but a decision he must have regretted later.

P—K R 4 ar P--Kt 4 P—R 3

22 R—Q 13 r . . . Here or in the next three moves White should have played P—K 4, driving the knight back to Kt 3. His excellent central position would then have given him rather the better game: a flank attack such as Black's will rarely succeed if the opponent has control of the centre.

22 . . . P—R 5

23 P—R 4 PxP 24 R P x P Q—B a!

25 P—Kt 51, . . . . White does not realise his danger and thinks there is no hurry for P—K 4. R Px P

26 P x P R—K 61

27 Kt—B 3? . . . 27PxR?,QxPch;28 B—K 2, Kt xi is, of course, hopeless, but 27 B—B 31 would have preserved roughly equal chances.

PxP 28* P Kt—B6

1.9 P (4. q. 30 f \ x (2 Aix, ch 31 K-1? 2 Kt—K 51 Another unpleasant shock— very much stronger 111411 31 . . , Kt x R?; 32 P x 12 or 31 . . • RxKt?i 32 R., Kt. ,324—B 41 . . . 32 P x R?, Kt (5) x R! with the double threat of Kt .12 and K.. Nt ch. Kr , B P! 32._, . Kt X R?; 33 Kt )(Kt!, R—Q 6; 34 Kt—B 5'. R x Kt; 35 13 x B. 33 13—Kt 2 118-1 9 34 I? ca 4)-13 2 Kt—ht 5 ch 35 K—R 3 . . . Here and later K-12 t is hopeless because of R—R 8 ch.

35 • • • Kr—K 4 dis.ch.

36 K—R 2 R x Kt! ,_. . much stronger than 36 . .. Kt x Kt ch: 37 13 x Kt, R x B; 38 12 x Kt.

37 RxKt Kt—Kt 5 ch

38 K—R 3 Kt—K 6 dis.ch.

39 K—I? 2 KIN R

40 II .., I? Kt—Q 5! The coup de grace. 41 B—KB 2, Kt x B ch; 42 K,. Kt, 13—Q 4! and wins a piece —:tfinale which Alekhine would have roreseen tor mato; moves. So

41 Resigns