Chess 501

PHILIDOR

W. L. Barclay (Problemist, January 1970). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution to No. 500 (Hartong-8/13K1p4/p4plq( 2RINB2/1p1k2p1/2N5/n3nPp1 irrbl Rb2): K x P, threat Kt-Kt5. I . . . BP x Ktch; 2 R-B6. 1 . . . Kt(K7) x Ktch; 2 R-Kt5. 1 . Kt(K7) any other, ch; 2 R-B4. 1 ... Kt(R7)xKlch; 2 R-R5. . KtP x Kt; 2 R-Kt5. Brilliant key to a fine cross- checker.

Published games give a picture of majestic and unimpeded march to victory which has little resem- blance to what actually happens in most games. There are two reasons for 'this. One is the in- adequacy of our notes; it is extremely difficult to annotate a good game properly unless you arc one of the players and 1 fear that almost all of us in annotating cast the loser as the villain, criticise his moves and represent the n inner's play as perfect. The other reason is that clear-cut games on the whole satisfy the readers better—or we think they do. Well, for a change, here is a flucte'ating game, with striking combinative play by both sides.

White, Radulov. Black, Westerinen. Opening, Scotch (Raach, 1969).

1 P-K4 P-K4 2 Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3

3 P-Q4 PxP 4 Kt x P B-B4 5 Kt-Kt3 B-Kt3 6 P-QR4 P-QR4

7 Kt-B3 KKt-K2 6 . QB3 looks rather better, neither P-B4 nor Q-K2 being altogether comfortable replies.

8 B-KKt5 P-B3 9 B-R4 0-0

10 Q-Q2 P-Q3 11 0-0-0 ... Better 11 B-B4ch, K-RI; 12 P-B4 and then 0-0-0; now Black gets a good diagonal for the KB.

11 ... B-K3 12 P-B4 Q-K 1 13 B-B2 BxB 14 Q xB Q-132

15 Kt-Q2? Hoping no doubt to play P-B5 followed by Kt-B4. As he is not allowed to do this 15 Kt-Q4 would be better.

15 ... P-B4! 16 P-Kt3 Kt-Kt5 17 B-;.Kt2 Kt(2)-B3 18 KR-K1 Kt x PI? A eery, ingenious ilea that deserves a better fate than it gets; either K-R1 or QR-K1 would be better, if much more pedestrian.

19 PxP! 19 Kx Kt?, Kt-Kt5ch; 20 K-Kt1 (20 K-B1?, Kt-Q6ch), B-R7ch and Black mates or wins the queen.

19 ... KtxR 20 RxKt QxP

20 • • exP??: 21 B-Q5 21 P-KKt4! ... 21 R B!?, Kt-KIS! and wins (22 B-K4, Q x R).

21 ... QxKtP 22 Rx13 RxP

23 Q-K3 QR-KB1 24 B-Q5 K-R 1? Premature; he can gain a valuable tempo by 24 . . . la-Kt51; 25 8-102, K-RI.

25 P-R3 Q-R4? Better 25 . . . Q-B4! keeping - the - queen centralised, threatening Kt-Kt5 or Q5 and _further guarding the Black back rank.

26 B-B3 Q-R5 27 Kt-Q5 R x13? He must defend by R(5)-B2.

28 R-K8 :Naturally!

28 ... R-RSch 29 Kt-Kt I Q-QBSch

30 K-Q2 Q-Q5ch The only possible chance.

31 Q::() RxR 32 Q-KR4 RxKt

33 Kt-B6I 'Rx Pch The familiar 'spite check'; there is nothing to do-33 . . . P x Kt; 34 Q::BPch.

34 K-131 Resigns.