September 03, 1959 The Guardian Chess, London, Manchester

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Chess 03 Sep 1959, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Chess

Problem No. 540 by P. A. Petkow (Bulgaria)
Black (4)
White (8)
White mates in two moves.
FEN 2BB2NR/6n1/8/K5nr/6Pk/7P/7Q/8 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Ne7 Rxh8 2. Ng6#

The Guardian, Chess, Thursday, September 03, 1959, Greater London, England Problem No. 540 by P. A. Petkow...

Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Monday, May 16, 2022

The British Championship
The younger generation gained most of the honours in this year's British Championship, with five players in the top seven; and the local Yorkshire contingent also had considerable success. Haygarth probably ensured his selection for next years world team event at Leipzig, and Golombek superseded Alexander as the best of the older players.
Penrose and Clarke still rank highest of all on the grounds of consistency: both have now been prize-winners for three years running, and Penrose will be favourite to retain the title in the play-off with Golombek and Haygarth. The following game was his only defeat of the tournament.

Leonard William Barden vs Jonathan Penrose
British Championship (1959), York ENG, rd 3, Aug-12
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Chigorin Defense (C97) 1-0

1. In this well-trodden position, the alternatives include 12. … B-Q2, 12. … BPxP, 12. … B-N2, and 12. … N-B3, and it is still uncertain which is best. Penrose's idea was to continue, after 13. N-B1, by 13. … QR-Q1; 14. N-K3 (if now 14. N-N5 B-B1 and Black's rooks are connected), BPxP; 15. PxP P-Q4; with interesting complications. White instead chooses a quieter continuation which yields no advantage.
2. Well played; the obvious 16. … P-R3; 17. N-B3, followed by N-K3 and N-R4 would enable White to establish a knight outpost on his KB5. After his actual move, Black has in view an eventual transfer of his QB to the long white diagonal.
3. White's rather passive handling of the early middle game has given Black the initiative, but he now begins to slip. Correct is 20. … N-N2, and if N-Q5 NxN; 22. PxN P-B4 with a mobile pawn majority, while if 21. N-N4 NxN; 22. PxN RxRch; 23. QxR R-Q1; 24. Q-K2 N-B4 and the black knight reaches Q6.
4. Here White could and should have replied 22. Q-B3, and Black has nothing better than returning his rook to KB1 for if instead of 22. … P-R3; 23. N-Q5 RxN; 24. PxR PxN; 25. P-Q6, winning one of the black knights.
5. Another error, which is ultimately fatal. 22. … N-N2 is still correct, although no longer so strong as in the third note (23. P-QN4, and if 23. … PxPe.p.; 24. BxP QxP; 25. BxPch K-N2; 26. B-N2 Q-Q7; 27. QxQ RxQ; 28. BxP P-R3; 29. N-B3 and White is a pawn up).
6. The outcome of such a sacrifice is difficult to calculate clearly; White made it on the general principle that two pawns and the attack should be sufficient compensation for the exchange. The alternative 23. PxP is inferior after 23. … N-N6 (not 23. … BxNP is inferior after 23. … N-N6 (not 23. … BxNP; 24. R-R4); 24. BxN PxB; 25. Q-B4 R-Q8ch; 26. K-R2 QxQ; 27. NxQ BxNP; 28. R-R8 RxB; 29. RxBch K-N2; 30. N-N6 (if 30. NxBP KxN; 31. NxPch K-K3), RxR; 31. NxR B-B6; 32. PxB P-N7 and wins.
7. The sacrifice must be accepted, for if 23. … P-N6; 24. R-R4 PxB; 25. QxP (B2) and Black loses both his queen's side pawns.
8. The only defence, for is 24. … B-K3; 25. NxB PxN; 26. QxPch K-B1; 27. B-N3 K-K1; 28. Q-B7ch K-Q2; 29. B-K6ch K-Q3; 30. N-B4ch while if 24. … Q-B4; 25. QxPch K-R1; 26. N-Q5.
9. Once again Black's reply is forced, for if 25. … RxN; 26. B-N3
10. A further vigorous sacrifice, which drives the black king into the open.
11. The immediate attempt to trap the adventurous knight by 29. … K-N2 falls to 30. Q-KB7ch.
12. White's only lapse in an otherwise excellent attack. He should instead rescue the knight by 31. B-N3, for after the actual move Black could have saved the game by 31. … Q-B2; 32. B-N3 Q-K2; 33. QxQ BxQ; 34. N-B7 NPxP; 35. NPxP NxP; 36. NxP NxQBP; when the bishops of opposite colours ensure a draw.
13. The fatal stroke which Black overlooked; if 33. … KxN; 34. QxNch B-N2; 35. Q-Q8ch, and wins.
14. For after 35. … K-R2; 36. Q-B7ch K-R1; 37. QxNch K-R2; 38. B-B7, White forces mate.