positions of attack. It is better for the second player to refuse the pawn offered. King's Knight's Opening.-This is a sound opening, and has been largely treated upon by many writers. Some fine situations spring from it. At the second move, white directly attacks K. P. with K. Kt. We will give the opening, and a few brief remarks thereon, together with a game arising from it: For black, in reply to this, to move P. to K. B. 3, would only show weak play, and would enable white to win in a few moves, or at any rate to obtain a rook and a pawn in exchange for a knight. Black's best answer is the following: 2. Q. Kt. to B. 3. Black thus defends his pawn, and has the advantage of a counter-attack. King's Knight's Gambit.—This is a variation of the king's gambit, brought about by white at his fourth move advancing the K. R. P. before bringing out his K. B. This variation brings out some fine play, but is not so strong for the first player as the king's gambit proper. The Allgaier gambit springs from this opening. White. I. P. to K. 4. 2. P. to K. B. 4. 3. K. Kt. to B. 3. 4. P. to K. R. 4. 5. K. Kt. to K. 5. Black. I. P. to K. 4. 2. P. takes P. 3. P. to K. Kt. 4. 4. P to K. Kt. 5 (best). By white's last move the game merges into the Allgaier. Black's best move now is This move of black's is considered better than K. Kt. to R. 3. 7. P. to Q. 4. 8. Kt. to Q. 3. 7. P to Q. 3. If white now plays K. Kt. P., black has the best of the game by keeping the gambit pawn. If white attacks queen with bishop, black will give check with pawn, and have the stronger game. Most authorities consider this opening weak for the first player. The Allgaier Gambit. This opening, the invention of a noted German from whom it takes its name, arises out of the king's knight's gambit, as detailed in the preceding paragraph. It is not a safe opening, although, if successful, it will prove a strong one. When properly met, the siege is soon raised, and the second player will stand in the better position. It is, however, a fine opening, and requires cautious play on both sides. It is as follows: White. I. P. to K. 4. 2. P. to K. B. 4. 3. K. Kt. to B. 3. 4. P. to K. R. 4. Black. White's fifth move constitutes the Allgaier gambit, white intending to sacrifice the knight if attacked by the pawns. Black may reply in several ways, but in our opinion his best move is the following: Black by this move wins the knight. 6. Kt. takes K. B. P. 7. Q. takes P. 8. Q. takes B. P. 5. P. to K. R. 3. 6. K. takes Kt. The last move is much better than giving check with the bishop, which would only have the effect of involving white's game. Walker says, “No better move can be played at this crisis." It will be good practice for the student to continue the above opening, and exercise his ingenuity by finishing the game. The Muzio Gambit.-This is another variation of the king's gambit, and is produced by white offering to sacrifice knight in order to gain a strong attacking position. It is the invention of Signor Muzio, an Italian player of some eminence. Walker says this may be classed as the most brilliant and critical opening known, and recommends the student to play it at every opportunity; he also throws out the warning that an incorrect move may irrecover ably lose the game. The defence is most difficult to discover in actual play. White. I. P. to K. 4. 2. P. to K. B. 4. 3. K. Kt. to B. 3. 4. K. B. to Q. B. 4. Black. I. P. to K. 4. 2. P. takes P. 3. P. to K. Kt. 4. This move constitutes the gambit; for, instead of white withdrawing his Kt., or moving it to Q. 4, he allows it to remain and be taken. It now rests with black whether he will accept the gambit. Walker says he cannot do better. 6. Q. takes P. 5. P. takes Kt. This last move is Sarratt's defence, which is clearly shown to be the best. 7. K. P. advances. 7. Q. takes K. P. This is black's best move, for if he did not take P., white at once obtains the advantage by playing P. to Q. 2, defending K. P. If black play Q. to Kt. 3 (ch.), white moves K. to R. sq., and ought to win. The Scotch Gambit, or Queen's Pawn Two Opening.-This gambit has a fine, dashing attack, and one of its advantages is, that in case it should miscarry, the disaster is comparatively slight. "It is," as Walker says, “one of the most attacking yet safe methods of commencing the game which can possibly be adopted." "Again, "It is alike fertile in resource and safe in results." The third move of white gives it the name of the Queen's Pawn Two Opening. White plays the pawn for the purpose of opening the game, espc cially for his bishops. Black may now take the pawn either with his P. or Kt. We will suppose him to do the former, which we consider best: 4. K. B. to Q. B. 4. 3. P. takes P. Some players now give black's fourth move as B to Q. Kt. 5 (ch.); but this is a decidedly bad move, and with an indifferent player would lose the game. Black's best move is that introduced by Macdonnell, and described by Walker as a sound defence. We give it below: 4. Q. to K. B. 3. White may now castle, or play P. to Q. B. 3; either of which is better than Kt. or B. to K. Kt. 5. HOW TO FINISH THE GAME. Having now considered the "Hints for Commencing the Game," and studied most of the principal openings, we must say a few words with regard to finishing the game. It is often very difficult to checkmate when you have a king, bishop, and knight against a king. Although possessing the requisite mating power, good players have often failed to accomplish the mate within the stipulated fifty moves. The only way in which it can be done is by driving the adverse king to a corner commanded by your bishop. The better to convey our meaning, we give an illustration. Suppose the men to be placed thus: Then, in eighteen moves, white may effect checkmate: White. 1. Kt. to K. B. 7 (ch.). 2. B. to K. 4. 3. B. to K. R. 7. 4. Kt. to K. 5. 5. Kt. to Q. 2. 6. K. to K. sq. 8. B. to K. Kt. 6 (ch.). 11. Kt. to Q. Kt. 7 (ch.). 12. K. to Q. B. 6. 15. Kt. to Q. B. 5. 16. B. to Q. 7. 17. Kt. to Q. R. 6 (ch.). 18. B. to Q. B. 6, checkm. Black. As will be observed from the above example, one of the important objects is never to let the king escape into the middle of the board. In our chapter on checkmate we should not omit to give the " Fool's Mate" and the "Scholar's Mate." The former shows that it is possible to effect mate in as few as two moves. It is easy to understand why it should be named the "fool's mate;" but why a checkmate which may be effected in four moves should be termed “scholar's mate" is probably less capable of explanation. Fool's Mate.— White. 1. K. Kt. P. 2 sq. 2. K. B. P. I sq. Scholar's Mate. White. 1. K. P. 2. 2. K. B. to Q. B. 4. 3. Q. to K. R. 5. Black. 1. K. P. 2. 2. Queen mates Black. 1. K. P. 2. 2. K. B. to Q. B. 4. 4. Q. takes K. B. P., giving "scholar's mate." King and Queen against King.-Several examples of this checkmate might be given, but the one below will probably be sufficient. The principal point upon which the learner need be warned is against allowing his adversary to effect stalemate. Suppose the pieces to be placed thus: King and Queen against King and Rook.—Suppose the men to be placed thus: supposing white to have the first move, the game may be completed in three moves: White. 1. Q. to K. 5 (ch.). 2. Q. to Q. R. (ch.). 3. Q. to K. sq., and wins. PROBLEMS. Black. The following problems are selected from various sources, and are given because they are just sufficiently difficult to exercise the ingenuity of the learner. At the same time, we would caution him against too close a study of problems until he is well up in the game, for, if followed up, it will only tend to weary and tire him, and the result may be that he will throw up the game with dislike. |