Chess
By PHILIDOR 243. V. V. LIDEH (3rd Prize, Schach-Echo, 1963) BLACK (8 men)
WHITE (9 men)
WHITE to play and mate in two moves • solution next week. Solution to No. 242 (Ruja) : BB 3 !, threat 2 Kt x B, any ; 3 P—Kt 3 mate. (a) t...BxBP;2 R—Q 4, PxR; 3 RxB mate. (b) i ...BxRP; 2 Kt x P eh, B x Kt ; 3 RxB mate. (c) B—B 3; 2
QxQ P (threat Q—B 2), PxQ; 3 Bx B. (d) .
B—Q 2; 2 R x K B! (threat Kt x P), P—B 5; 3
Q x B. (e) B—K ; 2Q x R(threatQ—Q t),R x Q; 3 P x B=Q. Congratulations to successful solvers of this fine and difficult problem.
When this article appears the 1965 British Cham- pionship (August 9-21 at Hastings) will be at the halfway stage, and readers will have some idea whether my forecasting is likely to prove as bad as usual. The entry is a good one, with only Kottnauer of the stronger players not competing, and the question is whether Jonathan Penrose or someone else will win. Winner from 1958 to 1963 inclusive, Penrose quite unex- pectedly lost his form and the title last year, and Michael Haygarth won easily with the splendid score of 9 out of it. If he shows his old form, Penrose—even now only thirty years old—should win comfortably, as his best play is in a different class from anyone else's ; if he doesn't, then any one of Haygarth, Hindle, Clarke, Norman Littlewood, Franklin or Wade could pull it off.
The holder, Haygarth, usually does well in the championship ; he is, however, a temperamental player, and much depends on how he starts—with a good initial run he will be a formidable competitor. Owen Hindle has come on a lot in the last year, has an excellent temperament and is almost sure to do well ; if I were given to place betting, I should put my money on him as a good each-way bet. Peter Clarke is also likely to be high up, but will probably draw too many games to be first ; Norman Littlewood has had a poor year—his confidence seemed to be shaken by a bad run at Tel Aviv—but a good recent result at Ilford may be a sign that he is recovering. Last year he would probably have won but for losing by a blunder in Round 6 against Haygarth when in an easily winning position, but I somehow don't think he has recovered his last year's form sufficiently to be a likely winner. Michael Franklin is an excellent fighter who, I think, just lacks the quality needed to win. Bob Wade, the oldest and most experienced of all, had an excellent result at Bognor Regis and must have a good chance, Finally, of the younger players, W. R. Hartston of Enfield might spring a surprise, but I think he will have to wait a few years yet.
My forecast? (1) Penrose, (2) Hindle, (3=) Clarke and Wade. But I'm always wrong, and the chances of Haygarth, Littlewood, Franklin and Hartston are undoubtedly improved by this forecast.
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