February 1, 1887.] 



♦ KNOVSTLKDGE ♦ 



95 



#ur CI)f6ei Column. 



By " Mephisto." 



USEFUL END-GAMES. 

 Black. 



White. 

 White to move and draw. 



The above end-game position contains several points of interest 

 which should receive the attention of chess students, and which we 

 will endeavour to explain fully. 



Firstly, in order to draw. White plays 



1. Kt to B2 (ch) 1. K to B6 



2^ Kt to Esq 



The opportunity often occurs to play Kt to Rsq in a similar 

 position, and then, if the adversary's King attempts to capture the 

 Knight, to play K to Esq and B2 perpetually; we have shown before 

 that, in such a position, a King alone can draw against a King, 

 Pawn, and Knight, provided that the King occupies a square of the 

 same colour as that on which the Knight stands, as per example 

 Black K to QR8. P to QR7. Kt to Kl. K on Qsq, White to move. 

 White plays Kto Esq and draws, but K to I'.2 loses. 



2 2. K to Kt7 



3. K to Q2 3. K X Kt 



3. P to B4 would make no difference in the position, as White would 

 play his K or Kt backwards and forwards. 



4. K to Esq or (a) 4. P to E3 1 



Here we have a good illustration of the importance of losing a 

 move. 4. P to E4 instead would have lost, as the following will 

 show:— 4. P to B4. .">. K to B2, P to E5. 6. K to Bsq, P to E6. 

 (tf P to Kt4 instead White mates in 5 moves by P to Ro, &c.) 

 7. K to B2, P to Kt4. 8. P to R.3 and mates in i moves. Black 

 can only draw if he advances P to Kt4 when the White K is on 

 Bsq, and his own P on his E6, to prevent White checking when the 

 EP goes to Queen. 



5. K to B2 5. P to B4 



6. K to Bsq 6. P to B5 



7. K to B2 7. P to E6 



8. K to Bsq 8. P to Kt4 ! 



Here, again, we see that calculation and caution are necessary, 

 _for it Black had played 8. P to E7 instead. White would have won 

 by 9. K X P, P to Kt4, and White mates in four moves. 



IE now 9. P X P, P to B7, and the game will be drawn. It is 

 curious to note, however, that if White on his last move had 

 attempted to play the move, which won in former positions, namely, 

 9. P to R.5, it would have lost, although White Queens (irst, because 

 Black will Queen with a check, as the White King stands on 3sq, 

 and the Black P on B6 prevents White Queening with a check first. 

 Black played 4. P to B3 instead of 4. P to B4, in order to bring this 

 position about. If, instead of 9. P x P, 

 9. P to R5 

 10 P to R6 



11. PtoR7 



12. P to R8 (Q) 



13. K to B2 



14. KxP 

 and Black wins. 



(a) Reverting again to Move 4, we find that if White plays instead 

 of 4. K to E sq— 



4. K to E2 4. P to B4 I 



Black must play 4. P to B4 for the same reason which compels him 

 to play P to B3 in answer to White's former move of 4K to Bsq, as 

 otherwise he would lose, i.e. 4. P to B3 ; 5. K to Esq, P to B4 ; 



K to B2, P to Kt4 ; 

 Pto E5 



6. K to B2, P to Bo ; 7. K to Bsq, P to B6 ; 

 9. P to R5 ; and mates in four moves. 



5. K to Bsq 



6. K to B2 6. P to B6 



7. K to Bsq 



and we have the same position as before in which Black pl.ays P to 

 Kt4, &c. 



»• ^'m m m"^ 



WurrK. 

 White to play and win. 

 This end-game likewise shows the importance of gaining time in 

 order to maintain an opposition. 



The White King deserves the vulgar epithet of "the sneak," for 

 he literally sneaks into a winning position, as the following will 

 show : — 



1. K to R3 I 1. Kto Kt3 



2. K to Kt2 I 2. K to R4 



3. K to Kt3 I 3. K to R3 



4. K to B3 4. K to R4 



White has already gained a most important move ; for if he had 

 simply played 1. K to Kt3, K toE4. 2. K to B3, K to R5 Black 

 would draw, as his King is too far advanced, and does not give 

 White time to leave his BP. 



5. K to Q2 ! 5. K to E5 



6. K to K3 1 6. K to Kt6 



7. K to Q3 And wins. 



If Black plays K to R6, White captures the P. and Queens his 

 own. Equally so if 7. K to R4 ; 8. K to K4, K to R3 ; 9. K to Q5, 

 K to Kt3 ; 10. P to R3 and wins. 



Attempts should be made to deviate from the above line of play, 

 and it will be found that White cannot win otherwise than by gain- 

 ing time by manoeuvring his King, as shown. 



PROBLEM BY RICHARD A. 

 Black. 



PROCTOR. 



'^^ "'^9, X WM^! '9 



WurrE. 

 White to play and mate in three moves. 

 The author of the above problem, in contributing it to this 

 department, says : — " I send a problem which I planned in the cars — 

 my only opportunity for chess in any way. It is, I believe, sound, 

 though for want of leisure I could not elaborate any difficulty worth 

 mentioning. So if you see fit to use it, you should present it, I 

 think, as an easy one. 



" St. Joseph, Mo., November 7, 1886." 



