May 1, 1888.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



167 



ledge already obtained about the cards) would have given the 

 following result : — 



AY B A \ A r B Z 



1.— S 4 S 5 S Q S Kn 8.— D 3 D K D 10 Do 



—1 - — 5— 



2.— S2 SK SA C2 9.— D 4 D6 C6 D9 



-!- — 1 — 



3.— H Q H K H A 11 Kn 10.— S 3 D 8 S G C 10 



4— H r H3 H2 HS 11.— S 7 CS C Kn D Kn 



5.— C 3 H 4 H G U 10 12.-S 8 C 4 S 9 C Q 

 ~3- —7-. 



6.— D 7 D2 DQ DA 13.--S 9 C9 CK CA 



5 g ^ 



7.-C3 C7 H5 H9 , 



— 4- 



T Z make only two by cnrds. As it chanced, the treble made by 

 Y Z completed a rubber, so that the extra point which A B's bad play 

 gave Y Z nade a considerable difference in the score for the evening 



©y\x Cfeessf Column, 



By " Mephisto." 



3ME time back, at the Divan, Jlr. Blackburne was 

 made the victim of the severe criticisms and 

 strictures of one of those professors of " the art 

 of problem construction," who make problems, 

 solve problems, and judge problems according to 

 strict rules and canons. Herr Spitzleris not satis- 

 fied with a mere effort of the imagination con- 

 ceiving a pretty idea and shaping it into problem 

 form ; he has ajsthetic notions about " beauty of 

 construction," " economj- of force," "difficulty," "originality," 

 " purity," "harmony," &c , and unless a composition can stand all 

 these tests, the Professor does not think much of it, Accordinglj', 

 when Jlr. Blackburne, speaking of his own powers of blindfold play, 

 showed some end-games which he brought to a happy termination 

 sins voir, though playing eight games at the same time, one or two 

 simple individuals expressed their surprise at tnch brilliant per- 

 formances. Not so, however, the Professor, for, said he, " Speaking 

 .of end-games generally as played by great players, I do not think 

 there Is any cause for great admiration. In most instances a mate 

 is accomplished by brute force, and though a piece or two may be 

 sacrificed, yet the object is the same — to force mate in a few moves 

 by a most direct method, check, check, check, and mate Com- 

 pared with a fine problem," be said, " the best end-game played is 

 but a clumsy and raw production. I have never yet seen a mate 

 forced in an end-game by a quiet and non-threatening move, which 

 makes problems so beautiful." 



" Well," said a well-known chess editor, " I think I can show that 

 Professor Spitzler is wrong in his basis of comparison between end- 

 games and problems, and his consequent strictures. For the sake of 

 comparison, let me ask you whom would you think the greater 

 general, the commander who wins an actual batlle in the field bj' 

 rough lliough clever and bold manoeuvres ; or the staff officer who, 

 in imitation of this event, works out a scheme which he puts into 

 execution on the parade ground, when, as a result of a sham fight, 

 both armies being like clay in his hands, he wins a battle with 

 greater ' brilliance,' ' economy of force,' ' difficulty,' ' harmony,' and 

 * purity of manteuvring ' .' ' And as for the assertion that the quiet 

 move is never found in practical end-play, I can contradict that by 

 a game just received by the American mail, which was played only 

 last month by Steinitz at Havanna. Here it is : — 



1. Pto K4 ]. P to K3 



2. P to Q4 2. P to Q4 



3. QKt to B3 3. KKt to B3 



4. P to Eo 4. KKt to Q2 



5. P to B4 h. P to QB4 

 PxP G. BxP 

 Kt to B3 7. Caslles 



G. 

 7. 

 8. 

 9. 



10. 



B to Q.^ 8. QKt to B3 



r to KR4 9. P to B3 

 Kt to KKt.5 : 



To bring about an end-game by such means in actual play is a 

 dilcreut thing from making a problem. 



10. 10. PxKt 



11. BxP(ch)! 11. KxB 



12. PxP (disc ch) 12. K to Ktsq 



13. Qto Bo 13. Kt(Q2)xP 



14. PxKt 14. RtoB4 

 1.5. P to KKt4 1.5. R X- KP(ch) 

 1«. K to Qsq 16. B to KG 

 17. BxB 17. KxB 



YOLMiYJ. 



Bl.^CE. 



uu mm, A y4'ZA 



11 i ■ m 







WarrB. 

 STEINITZ. 



Now the Professor was challenged to find the decisive move, bat 

 in spite of numerous and prolonged attempts, he failed t) do so, 

 which only proves, siid the editor, that you were wrong in saying 

 that winning moves in actual end-games are more or less obvious, 

 because forcible, and never quiet. Steinitz now played the very 

 quiet move of 18. Kt to Kt3, which is decisive, and equal to any 

 .'imilar move in a pro'olem, but infinitelj' more meritorious. The 

 object of this move is to cut off the retreat of the King. White 

 threatens P to KtG. Black cannot play his Kt to K4, for he loses 

 the Queen bv Q to R8 (ch), nor can he play K to B.sq on account of 

 R to Bsq (cli). Or if P to K4. 9. Q to R7 (ch) K to B2. 20 R to 

 Bsq (ch), K to Ksq. 21. Q to KtG (ch), K to Q2. 22. Q to QS (ch), 

 K t) Ksq. 23. E mates. Black actually plaved 



18. 18. K to BG 



19. P to KtG, and Black resigned. 



The Professor, although edmiring the move of IS. Kt to Kto, did 

 not appear convinced on the whole, and promised to write an 

 elaborate treatise on the comparative merits of problems and actual 

 end-games. 



Game played in the Handicap Tournament, played last month at 

 Simpson's Divan. 



WurrE 

 J. (Jnii^ber^. 



1. P to K4 



2. QKt to B3 



3. Kt to B3 



4. P to QR3 

 .5. B to Ki .) 

 G. Kt to Kt2 



If KtxP, then probably 7. P to O'l. 

 P X B ; 9. Kt X KP. 



7. P to Q3 



8. Kt to Kt3 

 11. B to QB4 



10. Castles 

 White threatened to break up Black's position by Kt x KP. 



11. PtoB3: 11. PxP 



12. Pto Q4 1-2. Kt to Kt3 



13. KtPxP 13. Castles 



14. Kt to Bo! 14. KtxP 



If K to Ii2. 1.5. BxKtP, PxB. IG. KtxP(ch). followed by 

 Kt X P, with a winning advantage. Of course 14. B x Kt. 15. PxB 

 followed by IG. PxP. 



The following instructive ending occurred in a game played in 

 the Divan Tournament between Messrs. Zukertort and MuUer ; the 

 former player in this position moved his K to KtG, R to E7, and the 



