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Shelby Lynum on ChessHowsubtle move pays off in victoryThere are certain feats of apparent sleight-of-hand in chess that are mere exercises in technique f9r the expert player. Now you see it. now you don't; but you don't see it until you've grasped the principle. For example there is an old problem by Lasker given in Diagram 1.Diagram 1If white does the obvious, he can only draw. If he is very subtle, he can win.The obvious try for w hite, winch leadsonly to a draw*, is 1 K-Q6. K-Ql; 2) P-B7 check. K-Bl; 3) K-B6, stalemate. Yet the curious fact is that if it were black's move in Diagram 1, w’hite could win. Before you join me in the analysis tryblack's three legal moves (assuming black has to move in Diagram 1 and see how* quickly they lose. If 1) . . . K-Ql orK-Nl, white plays 2) K-Q6 and queensthe pawn afterK-Bl; 3) P-B7 andblade's king must give way as in Diagram 2. OnDiagram 2the other hand 1) . . . K-B2 loses to 2) K-B5; after black’s king retreats, the white king enters at N6, wins the rook pawn and gets the game.In order to win. white must therefore attain the position in Diagram 1 with black to move. The key to success herefor white is that he can “triangulate” but black cannot. What I mean is that white can move in the triangle B4, Q4 and Q5; while black may go to Nl and back to Bl or to Ql and back to Bl, as in Diagram 3.WhiteDiagram 3makes three moves, blackD ogrom ! III. \lt; k*6 n6 36 68X NX XXQR QN QB Q f KB KN KRW limit's white's move, unfortunately.(Dtagrom 3* ItLUk*6 N 868X NX XXQR QN QBKB KN KRVI III IKThe difference thot makes a difference.makes two moves, Diagram 1 is reached with black to move and the game is over as illustrated above. The precise moveswould be as follows: 1) K-B4. K-Ql or pawn play try the position in DiagramWhite to move; block con draw if he'snot materialistic.QNl; 2) K-Q4, K-Bl; 3) K-Q5 and white has effectively lost the move. If black tries . . . K-B2 when the white king iscan do no more than stalemate as inDiagram 1 with white to move.LYMANISMmarches to K5 to pro- The king races around the board onecan draw. See if youyourselfanywhere on the trinagle. white will play tect his pawn and attack white’s pawn, square at a time.K-85. infiltrate at N6 and win as shown black willearlier. and plays to geIf you find Lasker's problem entertain- cisely after whiing as a subtle example of king and pawn, the gamelose. If he abandons his pawnhis king at KB2 i captures theCopyright 1973 by Shelby Lyman Questions: Address Shelby Lyman onblack Chess, P. O. Box 280, Arlington Heights,fhite 111. 60006.Computer against computer in chess matchBobby Fischer may not approve, but it Fischer,” Mittman said. “The machines to solve technical difficulties.will be computer vs. computer Aug. 26-28 have been unable to develop the abilityInternational Chess Master David Levyat a chess tournament in Atlanta, Ga.for long-range strategy that helps make from England will serve as tournamentNorthwestern University and its $2 mil- Fischer the grandmaster he is.91director.lion computer will defend the nationaltitle and an unbeaten record against 11Computer chess programs were firstother computers. The tournament is thedeveloped in the mid 1950s. Experts thenFourth Annual Computer Chess Cham-predicted that, because of their speed atpionship. sponsored by the Associationfor Computing Machinery.evaluating possible moves, computers would immediately take over the chessworld.For the last three years, a computerThat didn’t occur because the pro-program written by three former Northwestern students —grammers had underestimated the prob-— computer experts David Slate. Larry Atkin and Keith Gor-len —lem’s complexiety,” Mittman said.won each championship withoutHE SAID THIS complexity arises fromlosing a game.“Northwestern’s team is the favoritethe number of possible moves in a typical chess match. The first 15 moves, foragain this year” said Prof. Ben Mil- example can be played in over a trUliontman. director of Northwestern's Vogel-trillion different ways. Even the mostHAPPY TWIRLERSback Computing Center. “Half the teamscomplex computer can seriously con-have never participated before, so wesider only the most plausible moves, hesuccess of weekly summerdon’t know their strength. But we expectsaid, finally printing out the best choice.dancing in an airconditionedpast title runnersup Columbia and Car-This time the Northwestern computerbeen demonstrated bv Happy Twirlersnegie-Mellon will probably be our strong-is using a newly designed programtheest competition.iicalled Chess 4.0. “It’s a new concept andLee St.. in Des Plaineswe don’t know yet just how well it willcinludingCOLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S computer do,” Mittman said.thanwill be the only one actually present attended thethe tournament. Major computer com-A four-round Swiss-style tournament ispanies have financed long-distance telebeing planned this year with two gamesdancing, as well as the “easy rounds the month” that are reviewed from 8phone lines connecting the tournamentbeing played on Sunday Aug 26, and onesessionsite w ith the other computers from Dart-game each on the following Monday and presented aboutmouth, Emory, Massachusetts InstituteTuesday nights. The tournament will beThursdayof Technology, Texas A M, GeorgiaTech the University of Southern Califor-played strictly in conformance with international chess standards. Each side isportunity to order copies of the “inaction” pictures taken by a professionalnia. and Bell Telephone Co“No matter where they’re from, corn-required to make 40 moves in the firsttwo hours and 10 in each succeeding half hour. However, the teams are alsophotographer earlier in the summer. Char-Lee are the callers and roundreceiptsputers are poor chess players In com- allowed up to three periods of 20 minutes dances are directedparison with grandmasters like Bobby each during the match if it is necessary FundllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllUllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiliiilliiiniiilil(Diogrom 2)HE V! kWill IEIt's black's move; he's lost.(Diagram 4)Will IE
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Des Plaines Herald
Des Plaines, Illinois, US
Fri, Aug 17, 1973
Page 13
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