Nov. 18, 1881.] 



KNOWLEDGE • 



63 



O V O 







O O o 



7. y lias the Knave of Ueaits. 

 The only chance of saving the game 

 lies in the probahility (.1 having 

 four Hearts, and Z a long suit of 

 Hearts) that I? may bo able to ruff 

 Hearts next round. 



8. If ¥ has played properly, all 

 his remaining cards should be 

 trumps, and the game is lost. 



XOTE TO TRICK fi.—U Y I 



he Hliould play his highest 



at all 



small 



He should know that the 



best ileart is with Z. 



9. Z has the Ace of trumps 

 (Kn S being a thirteenth card). 



Note to trick 9.— Z'* play hero is had. 

 He knoHS his partner has an honour, with 

 a strong hand in trumps, and two tricks 

 only are wan(ed lo win the name, besides 

 the two certain tricks Z holds in bis hands. 



10. If B has not Queen and 10 

 or 9 of trumps, the game is lost, 

 for the remaining cards in Y's 

 hand must be trumps (one honour 

 at least). 



11. Z sliould have led the Queen 

 of Clubs. The Knave of Hearts is 

 equally a winning card of its suit ; 

 but the play should have shown Z 



that B has a small Club, and that therefore Y can win trick 1 1 with 

 his smaUcst trump. As it is, 1' has to play highest third hand. 

 JB does rightly in not over-trumping. If he did, the remaining two 

 tricks would be Y's, bnt by letting trick 11 pass, B remaining with 

 the tenace in trumps (and knowing Z to be without trumps), has 

 the two last tricks sure. 



d^ur Cftrgg Column. 



Sir, — In your issue of the 11th inst. you gave an admirably- 

 arranged perspective summary of the openings. In reference to 

 the Evans Gambit declined, you say : — Declining the proffered 

 Queen's Knight's pawn subjects the second player to a cramped 

 defensive game. I beg to draw your attention to the fact that 

 recent analytical researches have proved that by declining the 

 Evans Gambit with B to Kt.3, Dlack is in no way at a disadvantage. 

 The game may be declared even ; and should White attempt to 

 advance his Queen's pawns too vigorously Black would obtain the 

 better game. — MEPnisio. 



Two Knights' Defence. 



THE game having opened 

 Defence, or thus — 



the lino of the Two Knights 



1. 



P. to Kt,4. 



Kt. to K.B.3. 



B. toQ.B.4. 



P. to K.4. Kt. to Q.P..3. Kt. to K.B.y. 



White has two ways of continuing the attack, and one line of play 

 which we recommend to the learner as based on the sound priucijile 

 of developing and strengthening his own position, rather than rush- 

 ing at his opponents. Tliis last-named line of play is simjdy 

 4. P. to Q.3., followed presently by Custles, B. to "K. 3. (or to 

 K. Kt.5. if Black Castles early on King's aido)rKt. to Q.B.3., and 

 8o forth ; bringing all the pieces well into play before unduly 

 pressing an attack. If Black plays a similar game, a steady but 

 interesting and instructive game may be exjiected. 



It seems, however, to be the generally-accepted view that first 

 player has to attack and second player to defend ; though theo- 

 retically, scarcely the slightest attacking power results from the first 

 move, and what there is may be most readily lost. Accordingly, 

 the usual way of continuing the Two Knights' game is cither by 



4. Kt. to K.Kt.5, or by 1. P. to Q.4. The latter is probably the 

 sounder move. The former belongs to the class of premature 

 attacks ; though White wins a Pawn for the nonce if Black reply 

 correctly. Black's best move in reply is 4. P. to Q.4, on which 



5. P. takosj'. 



Black cannot now safely play 5. Kt. takes P., but we will follow 

 out the interesting attack ensuing if he shoiild play thus. There 

 follows 6. Kt. takes K. B.P. /jjja^ n,„gt (aj-e the Knieht, as it 

 K. takes Kt. 



Q. to K.B.3 , , 



K. to K. -s. (""^ ""'>• i''"y ^y 



. „ . , ,, s Kt. to Q.B.3. „ P. to Q. 4. 



'"^'^'"S'")'^Q.Kt.toK.2 ''^ P.to Q.B.3 

 (Black cannot take the Q.P. without losing tho Knight bv 

 10. Q. to K.4 (ch), 10. B. to K.Kt.5. The position is then :— 

 Black. 



attacks both Quceji and Rook), 7. 

 which Black can save tin 





WniTB. 



Position after White's tenth move. 



It is obvious that White has now a very strong attack. If Black 



pushes his K. Hook's Pawn to attack the Bishop, White simply takes 



Knight with Bishop, and on Black's retaking (with Bishop, of course) , 



White Castles on Queen's side with an overwhelming attack. If 



Black plays, instead, 10. P. takes Q.P., White Castles on Queen's 



side, with a crushing attack, whe ther Black take tho Queen's 



Knight or not. If Black play 10. Q. to Q.E.4 White Castles on 



„. , ., .T e^ -,-, .« B. takes Kt. 



Kmg s side, and after 11. 



would probably follow- 

 Q.R. t o Q.sq. 

 K. to K.B.sq. 



13. 



and we have the position- 



P. to K.R.3 



Q.Jo K^ 

 k. to Q.2 



12. 



— there 



B. takes B. 

 , P. takes K.P. 



Poiition aflcr White's lolh move. 



Here White threatens to take the Knight either with Knight or 

 Bishop, and if Pawn should retake to play R. takes P., winning 

 Queen for Rook. If Q ueen move to Q.bT2, Q.Kt.¥, or Q.Kt.5, or 

 if King move to Q.B.2, White would take Knight with Bishop, and 

 if Black then took Bishop with Pawn, White would win by 

 Kt. takes P. (Note, that if Black King remains on Queen's file, 

 or moves there from Q.B.2, he is exposed to a disclosed check by 

 which his Queen's Rook would fall.) If Black jilays away his King 

 to K.'s square. White takes Knight with Knight, then, if Black 

 retakes. White checks with Q. at K.Kt.'s 6th, winning the Rook 

 (by B. takes P.), if Black interposes it, and the Queen (for Rook) if 

 IJlack moves his K. on to Queen's file. 



Retur ning to the [lo sition shown in the first figtire. Black may 

 play 10. P. to Q.Kt.4, on which Wliite retreats his Bishop to 

 Q.kt.3, and if Black pushes his Q.Kt.'s P., White takes Kt. with 

 Kt., and Castling on Queen's side obtains an overwhelming attack. 



At his nint h move. Black might have played 9. P. to K.R.3^ 

 instead of 9. P. to Q.B.3 ; but 10. Castles, followed by 

 10. R. to K. sq ., gives White an exceedingly strong attack. 



In fact, on tliis line, Black's game seems hopelessly compromised; 

 though we believe Zukertort is of opinion that this still remains to 

 be proved, and that precisely as the Muzio attack, formerly thought 

 irresistible, is now shown to be unsound*, so the sacrifice of the 



* Even this, in turn, may be questioned ; at any rate, Winawer 

 played the Muzio against Zukertort in the Berlin Chess Tourna- 

 ment, and made a drawn game of it. 



