Chess no. 329

PHILIDOR

6 men

V. F. Rudenko (L'Ilalia Scacchislica, 1958). White to play and mate in two moves; solution next week.

Solution' to no. 328 (Mansfield): Kt - Kt 5, no threat. 1...B x Q Kt; 2 P- B 4. 1 . . R or BXKKt; 2 Q x KP.1...Belse'orR-B 6; 2 Kt -B 3. 1 R - Q 6; 2 P x R. I R - Kt 6;

2 P x R. I. . R - R 6; 2 P - B 3. 1 P - Q 5; 2 Q-Kt 7. 1 . . . Kt (1) any; 2 Kt - Q 6. 1 . . Kt (7) any; 2 Q - B 4. Note the four mates by W P on B 2.

The beginning of the end

I have always realised that chess is a pretty humble form of mental activity, but I have also believed that it really does involve thought and therefore requires a human being (preferably male) to play it. The parenthesis suffered a serious knock when Nina Gaprindashvili beat all four British men w Moscow Insti-

tute Mo

at Hastings two years ago; no tute of Experimental Physics computer has dealt the main hypothesis a fatal blow. In the past I have enjoyed mocking the inept efforts of these electronic monsters to ape their betters, but now ...

While, Moscow Computer. Black, Stamford Uni- versity Computer, USA. Opening, Three Knights. (Played by correspondence, 1966-7.)

1 P - K 4 P - K 4 2 Kt - K B 3 Kt - Q B 3 3 Kt - B 3 . . . a curiously old-fashioned opening for a Russian computer—it might at least have tried the Ruy Lopez; anyway I'm glad it doesn't play like Petrosian.

B-B 4 An inferior reply; Kt -B 3 is

Well computed, sir.

Kt x Kt

B-0 3 BX la better.

4 Kt X PI 5 P - Q 4 6 P x Kt 7 P - B 4 B x Kt ch 8 laxB Kt - B 3 Too risky. P- Q 3 is better.

9 P- K 5 Kt - K 5 Threatening Q - R 5 ch. The whole game has an agreeably old-fashioned air.

10 Q - Q 3? . . . Up to here, Moscow hasn't put a transistor wrong; now, however, Q - Q 5! is correct. If

then 10 . . . Q - R 5 ch; 11 P - Kt 3. Kt x P; 12 P X Kt. Q X Pch; 13 K-Q I,Q x QBP: 14 R-(,)Kt 1(or even B - Q B 4) and White has a winning game. (Or 10 ... Kt x P?; 11 Q- B 4 winning.)

10 . . . Kt - B 4 Playable but 10 . . P - Q 4! is the natural move. II Q - Q 5 Kt - K 3? This is a serious error. With 11 . P - Q 3 he (it) still has a tenable position.

12 P Kt - Kt 4?? Demoralised. Stanford blows a fuse or whatever the computer equivalent is—perhaps an undetected bug in the programme. 12 .. . Kt - B 1 is forced. but even then after 13 B - Q B 4, Q - K 2; 14 0 - 0 Black's position is lost.

13 P- K R 4 P - K B 3 Computers never resign.

14 P.X Kt P X Kt P 15 R x P! R - B 1 16 lit X P P- B 3 To provide a flight for his Queen —White threatened B X P (amongst many other things).

17 Q - Q 6 R x P Black gives the impression of being discouraged around here.

18 R - Kt 8 ch R - B 1 Not a blunder: if 18 . . . K - B 2: then 19 B - B 4 mate.

19 0 x R mate.

3 Skins for rains (5) 4 Sally's kind of bowling? (7)

5 Goes on emphatically as a result of its sins (7)

6 Made as one, superficially (9) 7 It comes straight from the heart (5)

8 One of Sir Patrick's relatives gets among the trees (6) 9 Pray avoid out-doing this king, as Hamlet said (5) 14 Fare for the famous Diet? (9) 16 How to make a come-back? (2, 7) 17 A stream of chatter (6)

18 Mrs Proudie's domain? (7) 19 Cast as a cold cake-mix (7)

20 Of the palmy old days? (5) 22 Shrink from the brown beast? (5)

23 Hid to change into a loin-cloth (5) Solution next week

Solution to Crossword no. 1267. Across. 1 Onrush 4 Bathroom 8 Depicted 10 linker 12 Norma 13 Caballine 14 Lethe 16 Telegraph 17 Scratches 19 Bosun 21 Bishop Odo 22 Laden 24 Eel Pie 25 Additive 26 Test-tube 27 Pigeon. Down. I Ordinal 2 Roper 3 Saccate 5 Hindleg 6 Outrivala 7 Morpeth 9 Escutcheon II Obeliscoid 15 Turnsoles 17 Subject 18 Tropist 19 Bellini 20 Nankeen 23 Drive