CHESS COLUMN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7372, 21 November 1898, Page 4

CHESS COLUMN.

All correspondence on the subject of Chess must be addressed to the " Chess Editor, Oamaru Mail,' solutions to problems must be sent in not later than Saturday night. We shall be glad to receive original problems for our column. We shall be glad to publish any games sent to us. They must not exceed 40 to 50 moves, as our space is necessarily limited. Novembeb 21, 1898. Solution of Problem No. 413. (By W. Cleave, first prize "Brighton Society" tournament.) Key move— R to K R 3 Problem No. 414. By W. H. Gundry. BL&CK.

WHITE. White to play and mats in two moves. White : K on Q B sq. R on K sq and Q R 5, B on K R 2 and K B 3, Kt on K R 6, P on K Kt 2 and Q B 2 Black: Kon Q 5, Pon K Kt 3, KB 5 and Q B 5 White to play and mate in two moves. Problem No. 415. By M. Maximov. BLACK.

WHITE. White : K on K Kt 2, Q on Q R 8, B on Q R Kt on K 7 and QKt4,P on K K 4, K Kt 5, Q 2 and Q Kt 6 Black : K on K 4, Kt on Q sq and Q B 8, P on K 3 and Q 6 White to play and mate in ttro moves. GAMES. The following game was played in the Cologne tournament: JRgy Lopez. WHITE. BLACK. Janowski Burn 1 PtoK4 P to K 4 2 Kt to K B 3 Kt to Q B 3 3 B to Kt 0 Kt to B 3 4 Castles Kt takes P 5 R to K sq K t to Q 3 6 Kt takes P B to K 2 7 B to Q 3 a Kt takes Kt 8 K takes Kt Castles 9 Kt to B 3 P to Q B 3 10 P to Q Kt 3 Kt to K ecj 11 B to Kt 2 P to Q. 4 12 Q to R 5 Kt to B 3 13 Q to R 4 B to K 3 14 R to Kt 5 b P to K Kt 3 15 Q to R 6 P to Q 5 16 Kt to K 2 Kt to Kt 5 17 R takes Kt B takes R 18 Kb takes V B to Kt 4 19 Kt to B 5 B to B 3 c 20 Q. to S 4 B takes P 21 Kt to K 7 ch K to Kt 2 22 Resigns Notes a It is probable that B to K B sq will prove superior to this very awkward move, which, though tried in some recent tourney games, is clearly against princip?e3 and unsatisfactory b It is seldom that a Book can be used successfully at an early stage of the game. J\ow, this is badly situated in view of Black's Kt tD Kt 5, etc. What White threatened, however, was 15—R takes P ch, K take 3 R ; 16 Q to Kt 5 ch and Q to i; 6, which would yield a good attack c Unfortunately for White, Black was not obliged to play 19.„B takes Q and allow White to mate with the Kt. The fine move actually rr.ade leaves White quite helpless. —Timts Weekly, PRACTICAL POSITIONS. No. 14. BLACK.

WHITE. 1 P to F 5 B to B sq 2 K to Q 5 BtoRS 3 P to Kt 5 ch B takes P 4 K to K 4 B to R 5 ' 5 K to B 3 and wins The importance of first moving to Queen is evident. If King moves, or Pawn checks at the outset, t!:e game is drawn; in the one case the King can reach Kt 2 in time, and in the other the Pawn can be intercepted by the Bishop. The sacrifice at move 3 limits the action of the latter piece, causing what may be termed obstruction, and is necessary in order to win.—MaEon. ITEMS. Arrangements have been made by the Oamam Che-s Clnb with the Committee of the Athenaaum whereby the Club will hereafter meet for play in the Athenseum chess room at the top of the stairs. The Chess Club (. ommittee have met and fixed cn Mondays and Thursdays as the regular Club nights, and have also decided that the odds handicap, unfinished at the c'ose of last season, shall now be completed. Members should make a point of turning up for practice, especially on Club nights. Some of the principal citizens in Danedin are assisting the promoters of the forthcoming New Zealand Chess Congress by subscribing funds and enrolling as vicepresidents. We notice that Dr de Lautour's name appears in the list as one of the first to respond to the Otago Ch ss Club's appeal for support. Steinitz, in the course of a speech given some little time ago, remarked :—" 1 ife has often been compared with a game of chess, and no doubt the comparison fits in many respects notably in this—that life is now universally recognised amongst thinking men as a deep scientific study similar to our game, which unquestionably is a Bplendid training of our mental powers that govern our thoughts and actions. The question of the influence of chess on morals has often been discussed, and I may therefore state that our noble game points in the first place feo the following moral Good nature is the first element of a really strong intellect, and there is no really sound human brain without a sound sympathetic heart. Furthermore, that purity of mind is essential to the preservation of intellectual health, not alone among women, who recognise the, truth'by instinct, as it may be called, but also' aihoDg men."