Chess 450
PHILIDOR
H. Angel (from the problem match Swi zerland Israel). White to play and mate in two =AL., solution next week.
Solution to no. 450 (Coombe-Tennant):Q - B threat 2 Q xQP.1 .KKt4; 2 Kt-1C; 1 . . . Q Kt - K 4; 2 Kt - Q 6. 1 R - K 4 2 P - B 8 = Q. 1 B - K 4; 2 Q - 1. I ..
Kt - K 6; 2 B - K 2. 1 P - Q 5; 2 R - Attractive interference problem, with pei rather too aggressive a key.
The Friends of Chess
Our rather disappointing result in the six-country 'Clare Benedict' Western European tournament highlights both the strength and weakness of our chess. The strength of our team lay in its youth average age twenty-six - and its talent; its weak- ness in a lack of the toughness and technique that go to make up 'professionalism' in the best sense of the word. In a very close tournament indeed we shared 3rd-5th place but had the ability to win had we had the tournament routine to do so.
The trouble is essentially one of money. The only way a strong young player can raise his game is to play against stronger and more ex- perienced players - the large Swiss-type tourna- ments so popular in England are excellent social events but I think that once a player has passed a certain level they are actually harmful to his play by accustoming him to inferior opposition and to all the slackness in play and technique that goes with this in any game. A first-rate master tournament costs money, however; a sixteen player tournament, say, with eight grandmasters playing will run the organisers into L5,000-£ I 0,000 or even more - quite a lot in a game with little spectator appeal.
At the moment prospects of raising more money look, in various ways, brighter than they have for a very long time. Here I only wish to deal with one of these. An organisation, the 'Friends of Chess', has just been founded to raise money through subscription solely for our activities in international chess - all the officials are voluntary and none of the money will go on local activities which are financed by the British Chess Federation from its normal income. Chair- man is Sir Richard Clarke, a distinguished ci%il servant, and others on the executive committee are the international chess masters C. H. O'D. Alexander and H. Golombek and the chairman of the BCF executive committee, Ralph Hopton. Membership is of two kinds- Patrons (minimum subscription f20 per year) and Friends (minimum £5 per year); the executive, which will control the expenditure of the funds, will be elected by the Patrons. I won't pretend to be unprejudiced on this but, even allowing for personal bias, I think that it is a thoroughly worthwhile, and needed. body and that those who are interested in our doing well in international chess will help to achieve this by joining. We have many good young players - and there is every indication that we will continue to do so; it is worthwhile giving them the chance of realising their full potential. This, given money, can be done in many ways international tournaments, international matches. helping young players to play abroad, invit- ing leading masters over as coaches, and so on.
If you are willing to help, write to the Hon. Treasurer, Ralph Hopton, Westholm, Orchehill Avenue, Gerrards Cross, Bucks.
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