Hoyle's Games Modernized Part 55

WHITE. BLACK.

1. P to K 4 1. P to K Kt 3 2. P to K B 4 2. P to K 3 3. P to Q 4 3. B to Kt 2 4. Kt to K B 3 4. P to Kt 3 5. P to B 3 5. B to Kt 2 6. B to Q 3 6. Kt to K 2 7. B to K 3 7. P to Q 4 8. P to K 5 8. Kt to Q 2 9. Q Kt to Q 2, &c.

All kindred Openings should be treated after this manner--viz., the opposing player should aim at the formation of a strong centre, so as to close the diagonal occupied by the Bishop.

THE END GAME.

As before stated, the game of Chess consists of three parts:

The OPENING, _i.e._, the strategical disposition of the forces; the MIDDLE GAME, _i.e._, the campaign, and the END GAME.

The Middle part of the game commences where the Opening ceases, and here the player is thrown upon his own resources.

The End Game commences where the Middle Game ceases, and this latter stage of the game is a study in itself. In the majority of cases the treatment of the End Game is a matter of intuition. The student may, however, be a.s.sisted by the knowledge of general principles, and by familiarity with certain standard positions, which frequently occur in practice. Examples of these positions, and the methods of dealing with them, will be given in the following pages.

KING AND p.a.w.n AGAINST KING.

{411}

Black.

+---------------------------------------+ #R --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- #Q --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ^P #K --------------------------------------- ^R --------------------------------------- ^Q ^K +---------------------------------------+ White.

FIG. 13.

[BLACK TO MOVE AND DRAW.]

In the majority of games, either one or the other player remains at the close with a p.a.w.n, which has to be queened. Fig. 13 ill.u.s.trates an ending in which White is a p.a.w.n ahead, and if he had the move, would win with 1. R to R 2, checkmate. It being, however, Black's turn to move, he is able to exchange both Queen and Rook, and if he can stop White's p.a.w.n from reaching the 8th square and becoming a Queen, he may draw the game. There {412} is a simple method of ascertaining this at a glance without calculation (by means of the imaginary "square" depicted in Fig. 14). Black forces the exchange of pieces thus:

{413}

WHITE. BLACK.

... 1. Q to B 3: ch.

2. Q to Kt 2: ch. 2. Q takes Q: ch.

3. R takes Q 3. R to R 8: ch.

4. R to Kt sq. 4. R takes R: ch.

5. K takes R ...

Black.

+---------------------------------------+ +- ---- ---- ---- ---- -+ ------- ----------------------- ------- ------- ----------------------- ------- ------- ----------------------- ------- ------- ----------------------- ------- ------- ----------------------- ------- ^P- ---- ---- ---- ---- -+ #K --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ^K +---------------------------------------+ White.

FIG. 14.

[BLACK TO MOVE AND DRAW.]

Producing the position shown in Fig. 14; and Black draws; for the Black King can reach the p.a.w.n before the White King can approach to defend it.

Consequently White can only advance the p.a.w.n; but the Black King will be able to stop it from queening, for his next move will bring him _within_ {414} _the square_ (indicated above) in which the p.a.w.n stands, and in such case he can always overtake it. Thus--

WHITE. BLACK.

... 5. K to Kt 6 6. P to Kt 4 6. K to B 5 7. P to Kt 5 7. K to K 4 8. P to Kt 6 8. K to Q 3 9. P to Kt 7 9. K to B 2

And the p.a.w.n is lost. It will be seen that the Black King remains with every move _within the square_ of the p.a.w.n.

Black.

+---------------------------------------+ --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- #K --------------------------------------- ^P --------------------------------------- ^K +---------------------------------------+ White.

FIG. 15.

[WHITE TO MOVE AND WIN.]

Fig. 15 ill.u.s.trates a position in which the p.a.w.n can be supported by the King. Here if White were at once to advance the p.a.w.n, the Black King would move _within the square_ of the p.a.w.n and capture it. Therefore the King must go to protect it.

1. K to Q 2 1. K to B 5 2. K to K 3 2. K to Q 4 3. K to B 4 3. K to K 3 4. K to Kt 5 4. K to B 2 5. K to R 6 5. K to Kt sq.

6. P to Kt 4 6. K to R sq.

7. P to Kt 5 7. K to Kt sq.

8. K to Kt 6 8. K to R sq.

9. K to B 7 ...

If Black had played 8. ... K to B sq., White would have played 9. K to R 7.

... 9. K to R 2 10. P to Kt 6: ch.

And the p.a.w.n cannot be prevented from queening. {415}

KING AND QUEEN AGAINST KING.

Black.

+---------------------------------------+ --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- #K --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ^K ^Q +---------------------------------------+ White.

FIG. 16.

The position being as in Fig. 16, the shortest way to checkmate the Black King is as given below:

{416}

WHITE. BLACK.

1. K to Kt 2 1. K to Q 4 2. K to B 3 2. K to K 4 3. Q to K Kt 6 3. K to B 5 4. K to Q 4 4. K to B 6 5. Q to Kt 5 5. K to B 7 6. Q to Kt 4 6. K to K 8 7. K to K 3 7. K to B 8 8. Q to Kt 7 ...

Not 8. Q to Kt 3, because Black would then be stalemate, a contingency which White must carefully guard against in similar positions.

... 8. K to K 8 9. Q mates at Kt sq. or R sq.

{417}

TWO ROOKS AND KING AGAINST KING.

Black.

+---------------------------------------+ --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- #K --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ^K ^R ^R +---------------------------------------+ White.

FIG. 17.

Fig. 17 shows the most unfavourable position for White's two Rooks. The shortest way to checkmate the Black King is as follows: