Chess

By PHILIDOR

No. 106. G. GUIDELL1 (1st Prize, Good Companions, 1916) BLACK (13 men)

WHITE (13 men)

WHITE to play and mate in two moves: solution next week. Solution to last week's problem by Biscay: Q-B 1, threat B-R 2. Idea of this problem is multiple defences by Black bishop. 1 . . . B-K 7; 2 B-R 6.

1 ... B-B 6; 2 B-Q 5. 1 B-Kt 5; 2 B-K 6. 1 . B-R 4 ch; 2 B-B 7. Also 1 . . . K-Kt 8; 2 Q x B. 1 . • K-B 8; 2 B-R 2 and 1 . . . R X P; 2 B x R. Typical 'task' problem composed to illustrate the powers of one piece (here, the bishop).

Just as the Sicilian is the most critical of the defences to P-K 4, so the King's Indian (which closely resembles it) is a knife-edged reply to P-Q 4; weak play by Black in the King's Indian results in his getting a completely lifeless game, while inaccuracies by White can lead lo the developrnent of a violent Black counter-attack very early in the game. This is illustrated in the following game from the Dublin zonal tournament. Black, ALEXANDER (England)

18 K R-B 1 B-K B I (h) 19 P-Kt 3 B-Q Kt 2

20 Q-Kt 2 (i) PR 3 21 Kt (5)-Q 4(j) B-Kt 2

22 -Q 2 P x Kt 23 Kt x P Kt-02 24Q x P Kt-B4

25 R-B 3 B x P (k)

26 P x 11 R-Kt I 27 Q-R 3 Kt (B 4) x Kt P 28 R-Q 1 (/) Kt x Kt 29 B x Kt B x B ch 30 R x B R-Kt 8 ch

31 B-B 1 (m) Q-Kt 3

32 R-Q 3 R-Kt 6 33 R x R Kt x R ,

Kt-Q R 4 34 Resigns (a) (a) It is more usual, and better, to play Kt-K B 3 first: Black is now able to get into a favourable form of the Yugoslav variation (P-Q B 4 line), since in this line it is better for White to delay P-K 4. (11) 7 K Kt-K 2 or Kt-B 3 is better, but after 7 . . . Kt-B 3; 8 P-Q 5, Kt-Q R 4 Black has a good game. 7 P x P leads nowhere for White. (e) 8 P x P. B x P; 9 P-K 5, Kt-Kt 5:10 B x P, Kt-Q 2 is 4Vhite, CATOZZ1 (France)

P-Q 4 2 ?-Q84 3 P-K Kt 3 4 B-Kt 2

5 Kt-Q B 3 6 P-K 4 (a)

7 P-Q 5 (Li)

8 K Kt-K 2 (e) 9 131,x P 10 0-0(d)

11 Q-B 2 12 13-Kt 5 13 P-B 3 14 11-K 3 15 P-QR 4(/) 16 B-B 2

17 Kt-Kt 5 to

Kt-K 03 P-K Kt 3 B-Kt 2 0-0 P-Q 3 P-B 4

P-K 3

P P R-K 1

P-0 Kt 4 B-Q R 3 (e)

Q Kt-Q 2 P-R 3 Kt-K 4 Kt-B 5 P-Kt 5 very good for Black whether or not White accepts the rook, e.g. II B xR,QxB;12Q-B3,QKtxP;13QxQ,RxQand White cannot defend himself adequately. .

(d) Better 10 Q-B 2. Now weakness or white K P allows immediate counter-attack by Black. (e) Threatening 12 ... 1'-Kt 5; 13 Kt-Q I. Kt x Q PI (f) White's position being very bad, he decides on desperate remedy. It is doubtful if position can be held, any way, in the long run.

(g) The point. One bishop's diagonal is closed. On Kt 5 the Kt is trapped, but White hopes either to rescue it by P-B 4 and P-K 5, or to get three pawns for it by Kt x Q P followed by BxBPandBxKtP. (h) The B on K B 1 plus Kt on Q R 4 makes sacrifice on Q 6 impracticable because of ultimate fork by Kt-Kt 6. P-Kt 6 is also threat in some lines, hence White's next move.

(i) Nothing to do. 20 P-B 4 is met by 20 ... Kt-Kt 5. (I) 21 Kt-B 7, Q x 1C1; 22 Q N KS?, Kt x Kt P is hopeless. Text is best, aiming at getting two pawns and exploiting awkward position of Kt on Q R 4. Black's reply gains a valuable tempo. (A) Decisive. (I) Or 28 R X Kt, Kt x R; 29 Kt x Kt, R x Kt! (29 . 11 x R?: 30 Kt x B); 30 Q x R, B x R, winning easily. (In) 31 K-B 2, 0-Ks 3; 33 R-Q.3, R-Kt 6 or 31 R-B 1, R x R ch; 32 Q x R, Q-Kt 3; 33 Q-Q 1, Kt-Kt 6. (a) lie loses a whole rook.