The Pawn Pusher
by O. A. HOLT
WILLMAR, MINN.
It is difficult to realize that with this issue your correspondent celebrates a tenth anniversary as captain of the good ship, “Pawn Pusher.” I could reminisce at great length on the events, incidents, games, problems and personalities of this period. They are now chess and checker history, compiled in sequence through the weekly pages of this column.
It has been a joy to serve members of the chess and checker fraternities in this capacity, and I am grateful to the local national and international correspondents who have made possible the desired high standards of technical material. May this good support continue!
CHECKERS
A game from the South Dakota 1943 championship tourney.
Game 2. Wade B. Morrison
W. 10-14, '24-20, 14-18. 23-14, 9-18, 22-15. 11-18.21-17. 8-11, lf-13. 6-10, 26-23, 10-14 25-21, 11-15. 29-25, 4, 30-26, 8-11, 28-24, 2-6, 26-22 3-8, 32-28. 5-9, 24-19. 15-24, 22-15, 11-18. 28-19, 7-10. 20-16, 10-15, 18-10, 6-15, 13-6, 12-26 31-22, 1-10, 27-24, 1S-23, 24-20, 8-12, 22-17. 15-18, 17-13 23-26. 13-9, 18-22. 25-18, li-23, 9-6. 10-14, 6-2, B. W.
Below is a position Mary Loken, Clarfield, had in a state tourney game with J. B. Stiles several years ago:
Stiles, black: 5. 9. 10, 13. 15, and 21. Loken, White, 16-22. 26, 28. 30. King 8. White to move. Of course Black is hoping for 8-11, then he would plav 21-25 and draw easily. Loken played 28-24, 10-14, 8-11 14-18, 24-19, 18x25. 11x18. 9-14, and the game was drawn. Actually Loken had two different ways to win the position as stated above, can you find them?
GAME NO. 582
Another from Chernev's page in Chess Review
Dresden, 1892
Queen's Pawn Opening
Black is threatened with the loss of a piece—and the only way to save it is to bring the king to its rescue. The piece is saved, but the king is trapped!
Siegbert Tarrasch (white) vs Semyon Zinovievich Alapin (black)
7th DSB Congress, Dresden (1892), Dresden, Germany
Slav Defense: Quiet Variation
29. … Preventing the knight from escaping.
31. R-K2 K-B4
The knight is protected, but now Tarrasch forces a beautiful win!
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
No. 779 by O. Aarhus
Key: Ra4! (R-QR4) 1. Ng5 2. R(d5)d4!
Key: Ra4! (R-QR4) 1. Nf6 2. RxPe5!
Key: Ra4! (R-QR4) 1. Nf8 2. Nc7!
This “Zugzivang” theme proved as tuff to me as the name implies. I had a heck of time getting his black majesty to cry, “I give up.”—F. G. Gardner.
The lone knight all but prevented the mate in three. Not too easy.—E. C. Johnson.
Brilliant execution of a tricky theme. The black knight's defense is a lesson in itself. A grand 3er. Aarhus surely has the knack of getting depth in his works.—R. C. Beito.
A typical Aarhus! That comment is a compliment any day.—J. M.
The second moves are excellent, teasing, and hard to see. How Aarhus can make them so tuff with such few pieces mystifies me.—J. B. Wilson.
Solved by Ra4.—H. R. Tonning.
If Aarhus wants to make his probs less difficulty, I'll have to go along way.—N. Guttman.
Newman Guttman gives us a pretty thematic 2er below. I saw this one on state tourney day but not in finished form. The 2 black queen defenses are beautiful, the kind I like to see, and there is also a pretty unpinning variation that stops the threat. Would like to hear from Joe Youngs again too, as I remember he had a couple of pretty 2ers that should see print.
PROBLEM NO. 782
Original for the Minneapolis Star Journal by Newman Guttman, Minneapolis North high.
Black 8 Piece
White Pieces
FEN R4N2/4kp1b/5pP1/8/3p2Nb/4qQ1K/B3R2B/4r3 w - - 0 1
White to play and mate in two moves.
May 12 1943
The Minneapolis Star, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Wednesday, May 12, 1943
C. M. Hardinge will give a simultaneous gambit chess exhibition at the Chess and Checker club tomorrow night.