264 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[No%-EMBER 1, 1894. 



PROBLEM. 

 By Mrs. W. J. Baird. 



Black (5). 



White (6). 



White mates in three moves. 



PROBLEM. 



By C. D. LococK. 



(A modification of one by Mrs. Baird.) 



Black (3). 



9 9 ^^ ^P 



m. ^P mM, ^P 



White (7). 



White mates in two moves. 



PAWNS AND THEIR WEAKNESSES. 

 As it is probable that the majority of match games won 

 by one first-class player from another depend for their 

 result on the weakness of one or more Pawns, it may be 

 worth while to consider briefly the particular weaknesses 

 to which all Pawns are more or less liable. Such 

 weaknesses may be either temporary or permanent. To 

 the latter category belong Pawns by their positioti liable to 

 capture, and especially — 



I. Isolated Pau-ns. — The weakness here is obvious. A 

 Pawn which cannot be supported by another Pawn is 

 evidently subject to the concentrated attack of hostile 

 pieces. The disease is aggi-avated if the opponent has no 

 Pawn on the same file ; for he can use the open file to 

 double his Rooks on the Pawn in front, preventing its 

 advance meanwhile either by blocking it with a piece, or 

 by means of Pawns on the adjacent files. Doubled and 

 isolated Pawns are usually indefensible, the owner being 

 unable to defend them from behind with his Rooks. Of 

 course, an isolated Pawn may be strong through the 

 accidental pecuharities of the position. This is often the 

 case with a well-supported Pawn at K5 or Q6, when the 

 opponent's QP is unmoved ; but cateris paribus, and 

 especially in an end-game, isolation in Pawns is a 

 dangerous and usually incurable disease. 



II. Pauns too far odvanced. — Another generally per- 

 manent weakness, for the Pawns cannot retrace their steps, 

 though in some cases it may be possible for adjacent 



Pawns to advance to their support. The weakness of 

 advanced Pawns lies in their inability to advance further 

 if attacked. Even if they cannot be captured they can be 

 broken up and exchanged by the adverse Pawns, the 

 opponent having the power of choosing his own time for 

 the operation. If the advanced Pawn be a passed Pawn 

 and well supported, of course the case is different ; or if all 

 the Pawns on that wing are completely blocked. In that 

 case the advanced Pawns have usually the best position 

 owing to the cramping effect which they exercise. More- 

 over, in an end-game a piece may be sacrificed for one of 

 the opposing Pawns, in order to queen the advanced Pawn. 

 In a certain sense it may be stated that eeeri/ moved 

 Pawn is weaker than if it stood on its original square, for 

 it loses the powerful option of moving either one or two 

 squares, according to circumstances ; but this axiom 

 cannot, of course, be pushed to extremes. 

 {To lie concluded .) 



CHESS I NTEL LIGENCE. 



Mr. Lasker is now in England, and has been giving 

 simultaneous performances at various clubs. He has 

 written to Mr. Steinitz announcing that his engagements 

 do not permit him to play the much discussed return 

 match till next October. The year's interval will, of 

 course, be all in favour of the younger player. While 

 Mr. Lasker was in Leipsic, attempts were made to arrange 

 a match between him and Dr. Tarrasch ; but Mr. Lasker 

 very naturally replied that he could not engage in any 

 match of importance untO after his return match with 

 Mr. Steinitz. 



It is stated, on the authority of the Liverpool players 

 themselves, that they are more than likely to lose their 

 correspondence match with Mr. Steinitz. One game they 

 have apparently given up as lost, and would not be sorry 

 to draw the other, in which they seemed at one time to 

 have some attack. 



A match at Glasgow between the Liverpool and Glasgow 

 Chess Clubs resulted in a win for Liverpool by G^ to 4|, 

 one game being lef t undecided. 



Contents of No. 108. 



PAGB 



CeUulose and some of its more 



Recent Applications. ByClias. 



A. SillMirad, B.A., B.Sc 330 



Sympathetic Explosions. By C. A. 



Mitchell, B.A.Oxon 331 



Globular Star Clusters. By J. E. 



Gore, F.R.A.S 233 



On the Inhabitants of some 



Common Galls. By tlie Kev. 



Alex. S. Wilson. M.A., B.Sc. ... 235 

 The Face of the Skv for October. 



By Herbert Sadler, F.R.A.S. ... 237 

 Chess Column. By C. D. Locock, 



B.A.Oxon 239 



PAGE 



Exi>erinients on the Eadiation of 

 certain Heated Gases an-i 

 Vapours. By J. Evershed, 

 F.K.A.S 



The Ancient Mammals of 

 Britain.— III. By fi. Lydekker, 

 B.A.Cautab., F.B.S 



Insect Secretions.— VI. By E. A. 

 Butler, B.A., B.Sc 



Phot«sraphs of the Milky Way 

 and Nebulae. By A. C. Ranyard 



Notices of Books. 226 



Letters:— S.W.Burnham; T.W. 

 Backhouse ; J, Logan Lobley ; 

 W.T. Lynn 228 



217 



221 

 223 



226 



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