Makch 2, 1891.] 



KNOWLEDGE, 



59 



second-best hearts, the game cannot be won, and may be 

 lost, if Z has the lead after becoming exhausted in spades. 

 It should also be noticed that, while B and Z know per- 

 fectly well how the hearts are divided, A and Y are in the 

 dark on this point. It is this uncertainty which deters A 

 from leading a heart at trick 10, although he would 

 thereby not only save but win the game, if B should be 

 found with the best and second-best hearts. The maxim 

 " Simplify the game as much as possible for your partner," 

 has a scarcely less important correlative, " Place your 

 opponent, whenever possible, in a difficulty." Y achieves 

 both purposes in this instance by foregoing a single trick. 



Ctjcss (JToIumn. 



By C. D. Locock, B.A.CJxon. 



Pboblkm bt T. Tavern ek. 



Black i7 picrcs). 



White (10 pieces). 

 White to play, and mate in two moves. 



The above beautiful problem is taken from the Liverpool Wei Lly 

 Mercury. 



For the benefit of any who may find it too diiBoult, the following 

 puzzle is given as an easier task. 



Intending solvers need not be dismayed by its length : it is only 

 necessary to go straight ahead. There are no v.ariations, all Black's 

 moves being forced. 



Dedivitled to Wordsicort/i Douis/horpe, C/uimjjivn Stale-mater 

 of the World. 



»..sj 



^ 



^ 



White (10 pieces). 

 White to play, and .itale-mate /i/.s- own King in fifteen moves. 



CllKSS FALL.XCIKS. 

 I. (Legal) That it is unlawful for a player to Castle on the (,^>ueen's 

 side when his tilt square andQKt siiuare are commanded by opposing 

 pieces. This is a delusion under which many fairly experiouood 



players are known to labour. The law merely says that the King in 

 castling must not do so from, over, or ioto check. 



II. That a Rook and Knight are stronger than two Bishops. Many 

 games have been lost through this fallacy. If the position is an 

 open one with Queens on the board, the two Bishops if favourably 

 posted will often win. 



III. That the Queen is worth two Rooks and a Pawn. On the 

 contrary, it can be proved that, when there are no other pieces on the 

 board, two Rooks are nearly worth a Queen and Pawn. For, pro- 

 vided the K be secure from perpetual check, the two Rooks can 

 double to attack the weakest Pawn, which can only be defended by 

 the King and Queen. The two Rooks can then be exchanged for the 

 Queen and Pawn. 



IV. That P to R3 is a harmless " waiting " move. As a matter of 

 fact, there is no such thing as a harmless waiting move in the earlier 

 part of the game. The move P to KR3 is doubly disadvantageous. 

 In the first place, the Pawn becomes a mark for the opponent's 

 Queen's Bishop. And secondly, it makes it inadvisable afterwards to 

 move the KBP, on account of the " hole " created at KKt3 



V. The disadvantage of P to QR3 is a somewhat subtle one. Sup- 

 pose, for example, the moves 1. P to K4, P to K4 : 2. Kt to KB3, 

 Kt to QB3 : 3. B to B I, B to B4 ; 4. P to B3, Kt to B3 ; 5. P to Q3. 

 Black now makes the "waiting" move PtoQR3? White replies 

 G. B to K3. In positions of this sort, if the QRP were unmoved, 

 Black would now retire the Bishop to Kt3. For if White exchanges. 

 Black gets .in open Rook's file. But in the present case, if he play 

 B to Kt3, White exchanges with advantage. Or if he retire to K2, 

 White gains two moves by taking it. leaving either the Kt or the R 

 out of play. Black, therefore, is compelled either to exchange, and 

 present White with an open KB file for his KR, or to play P to Q3, 

 leaving White to exchange when it suits him.. 



CHESS INTELLIGENCE. 

 The Steinitz-Gunsberg match ended in a victory for Steinitz by C 

 games to i. with no less than 9 draws. The large proportion of 

 drawn games seems to indicate a harder fight than the Steinitz- 

 Tschigorin match of 1889, which the former won by 10 games to 

 6, with only 2 draws. On the whole, however the result of the 

 match is a confirmation of previous form, as shown in the recent 

 drawn match between Tschigorin and Gansbcrg. It is pos- 

 sible that Mr. i^teinitz might have won both matches, had he 

 chosen, by a somewhat larger majority. His invariable habit of 

 adopting unsound defences undoubtedly caused the loss of several 

 games in both matches. At the same time, it should be remembered 

 that the intrinsic badness of his novelties is to a certain e.'iteut 

 balanced by his greater familiarity with them. For these novelties 

 are not played on the spur of the moment. On the contrary, they 

 have generally been in Mr. Steinitz's note-book for many months 

 before the match begins. 



The Steinitz-Tschigorin Correspondence games have now been 

 resumed. 



The following moves have been made since the publication of the 

 Diagram in the January number : — 



White (Tschigorin), 



18. B to R3 



19. QR to Qsq 



20. B to B4 



21. Kt to Q5 



Evans Gambit." 



Black (Steinitz). 

 P to QB4 

 Kt to B3 

 B toB3 



Present Position. 



Ul-ACK. 



