Nov. 11, 1881.] 



KNO^VLEDGE 



41 



(JPur €!)rs!s Column. 



WE propose to consider the chess openings in the following 

 general order : — 

 First we eholl examine the best methods of attack and defence 

 following from 



P. to K.4. Kt. to K.B.3. ,„.,„.,, ^ 



2. or the King's Knight's Opemn'j. 



■ P. to K.4. 

 Nest we shall examine those following from 

 P. t o K.4. ^ B. to Q.B.4. 

 Prto K.4. 



or the King's Bishop's Opening. 



Wo shall then take the King's Gambit, examining first the 

 varioae forme of the opening which follow from 



J P. to K.4. 2 P- to K.B .4 3 Kt. to K.B.3 



■ P. to K.4 ■ P. takes P. 



the King's Knight's Gamiit. Then those following when White plays 



3. B. to Q.B.4 



the King's Bishop's Gamhit. 



P. to K.4 

 P. to K.4 



We shall then consider other openings following from 1 . 



Kt O B 3 P O B 3 



,v> 2. — '^' the Vienna »pening j 2. '^' the Q's Bishop's 



P to 4 

 Pawn Opening ; 2- ^' the Centre Gambit, and so forth. 



Next we shall o\amine the chief openings resnlting from 



. P. to Q.4 „ P. to Q.B.4 ^, ^^ . /. V •, 



1- =r ~- i- 2: the QtiecTi s Gambxt. 



P. to Q.4 



.Vnd lastly, we shall examine the various openings called Irregular, 

 which include all openings beginning otherwise than 1. 



P. to Q.4 



°^^'fr~L — ^~7 ^'^ may note in passing that some of these so- 

 r. to Q.4 



Palled irregular openings deserve in reality to be regarded as more 



rpgnlar, becan.ee steadier and surer, than many of the openings 



classed as regular. 



We do not propose to give a deep analysis of any of these open- 

 ings, because our wish is to be of ase to the many, not to cater for 

 those who are already first-class players. We wish, in fact, to give 

 just so much of what is called book-knowledge of chess as may 

 enable amateur chess-players to start each game on sound chess 

 [irinciples. We wish also to show how, when they meet opponents 

 (if superior book-knowledge, they may avoid those openings in 

 Mhich book-knowledge alone can save them from disastrous defeat. 



We shall occasionally deviate from this course to discuss the 

 various points illustrating general principles of play, as such 

 points may bo suggested by communications received from our 

 correspondents. 



King's Knight's OrENi.sG. (Two Knights' Defence.) 



There are only three sound replies to the move 2. *° KJ3.3 ; 



"''■• *"*' ^- Q.Kt.toQ.B.3.; secondly, 2. p_ ^o Q.3 ; and thirdly, 

 -■ Kt. to K B 3 °^ which the third is rather a cotmter-attack than 

 a defence. There is a foorth way of meeting the move, by 

 -• p to K B 4 (oiled Greco's counter-gambit), which, though not 



strictly speaking sound, is often used with great effect by an ox- 

 pericncpd plavpr against one unfamiliar with the opening. Wo 

 shall have therefore to consider it, though briefly, further on. 



We take first the line of play which we should advise the learner 

 nearly always to follow till he has become tolerably familiar with 

 its various sequels, viz.; — 



P. to K.4 , Kt^to K.B.3 

 ' P7t0^74 "■ Kt. toQ.B.3 



The continuation is now either 3. ^ — 1-1- leading to a 



number of the most interesting openings known in chess or 

 3. y *° Q ^' the Scotch Gambit, or 3. B- ^ QKt 5. the strong 



Rny Lopez attack, or 3. ° "' '—! a quiet continuation. If the 



move 3. Q-"-4, ^ j^^^. ^^ ^^^ same move on Black's side 



(Black is for convenience regarded always, in these analyses, as 

 second player), we have an opening which may be resolved into the 

 Giuoco Piano, or Steady Game, by 4. P- to QB.3. ^^ 4 p ^^ q 3^ 



eply to 3. ^- ^° Q-^-^ is, perhaps, 3. 



nto the brilliant Evans Gambit by 4. — '- -Sl — 'L-L 



Against a player well acquainted with the openings, the safest 



— , which consti- 



Kt. to K.B.3 



tutes the Two Knights' Defence ; for this move saves the second 

 player from the Evans Gambit, to meet which requires thorough 

 knowledge of a great number of varied lines of play, while 

 declining the proffered Queen's Knight's pawn subjects the second 

 player to a cramped defensive game. We do not ourselves advise 



3. „ — „ Tj o for general adoption, for the games to which it 



leads are seldom so interesting as those following from 4. -5— — „ -, 



But, properly played, it is a safe defence. And as the variations 

 following from it are not nearly so numerous as those from 



it will be well to dispose of it before entering 



B. to Q,B.4, 

 on the latter. 



We shall begin the inquiry into the Two Knights' Defence next 

 week. 



In the meantime we give for consideration two positions. 



No. 1, which occurred a few nights ago in a game in which we 

 had given the odds of a Queen to a lady. 



Vo. 1. Actaal End-Gunr. 

 Black. (Ladj) . 



By Mr. F. Healey. 

 Buck. 



White. (Chess Editor.) 

 Whit* to play and draw. 



WHiTr. 

 White to play 



Black's last move was R. to K.R. 2, imprisoning the King, while 

 learing the two Black Rooks free to move ad lib. along Black's 

 second row. This move, however, enabled White to draw the 

 game. The young player will readily sec how. 



This, of course, as occurring in ordinary play is not to be regarded 

 as a Chess study. It simply illustrates one of the dangers which 

 a weak player, who, after a game at odds, finds himself with a 

 winning superiority of force, should carefully avoid. Position No. 2, 

 by the celebrated problem-maker, Healey (which appcaroil in the 

 n'estminster Papers, as nearly as we can recollect, in 1871) illus- 

 trates the same danger very prettily. 



[1.] CnE.ss QrERT. — In an old number of the Wustrated London 

 Nevs I find the following problem given by the Chess Editor (then 

 Mr. Staunton. I believe), as a puzzle, by the Anonymous Slodencse. 

 White K. at Q.Kt.sq. ; Q. at K.B. 4 ; R. at K.Kt.5 ; B. nt Q.Kt.2 ; 

 Ps. at K.B.5. Q.Kt.3, and Q.R.2. Black K. at K.R.sq. ; Q. at Q.4 ; 

 R. at Q.sq.; Kt. at Q.R.5 ; Ps. at K.R.2 and K.Kt.2. White to 

 play and Mate in fotir moves. Can any one give me tho correct 

 position ? There seems to me to be no solution with tho position 

 as given. — Qiten's Knight. 



K.vowLEPCE. — Although we offer our readers more in the way 

 of original matter (apart from correspondence, which is not to bo 

 estimated by mere bulk) than any other journal of similar price 

 and character, we wish to do better still. We hope so to extend the 

 circulation of KxowT,rnGE that wc may be justified in enlarging 

 each number, in giving more illustrations, and in extending the 

 number of our original contributors. To attain this end wc nee<I 

 the co-operation of our readers. Tho.9e among them who approve 

 our scope and plan can do more to improve Knowxedge than cither 

 editor or publishers. If every reader were to obtain but one new 

 subscriber, our circulation would be doubled, and our pow< r to 

 improve the matter placed before our readers would be increased in 

 like proportion. If our readers will remember this, they will follow 

 the best course for making Knowledge what we wish and hope 

 that it may before long become. 



