Indian entry wins British Award

``BENT LINE white knight corrections are numerous, but have never been shown with such clarity, economy and beauty,'' comments Michael Lipton on the winner of the Brian Harley Award for 1997- 98 published recently in `The Problemist'. A panel of five judges consisting of Geoffrey Hicks, David Shire, John Rice, Colin Sydenham and Michael Lipton picked the winner presented below which won the 5th prize from the Tourney held to celebrate the 60th birthday of Barry Barnes, John Rice and Michael Lipton.

Brian Harley Award winner 1997-98 C.G.S. Narayanan 5th Prize, BJM-60 Tourney 1997

Lipton further elaborates on the nuances of the award- winner:

``A random try by Sd6 such as 1.Sc8? threatens 2.Qxe7, but fails to 1...Rc5! A perfect quaternary correction sequence follows.1.Sf5!? 1.Se4!!? and 1.Sc4!!! provide distinct new mates for 1...Rc5!, but share the secondary error of shutting the WQ's `bent line' b4-g4-e6; hence after 1.Sf5!? (despite 1..Rc5!? 2.Sg7) 1...Rd6! (2.Qg4?). So 1.Se4!!? is a tertiary correction (Rc5/Rd6? 2.Sec5) but it stops 2.Qe4, the mate previously available for 1...Rxd7! Which now foils white. Hence the quaternary key 1.Sc4!!!, maintaining the primary, secondary and tertiary errors, but supplying new errors for 1...Rc5/Rd6 (2.Sdc5) and, by cutting off the BB, for 1...Rxd7 (2.Re2). The extra mate after 1...Rg5 (2.Qb6) is another nice touch. Note 1.Sb5? Rc5! (not 1...Rg5? 2.Qb6? but 2.Sc7) and the further correction try 1.Se8!? (not 1...Rc5? 2.Sg7 but 1...Kxd7! 2.Qxe7? Kc8!). The complexity of line play, construction and elegance are exemplary.'' (I am indeed delighted to win this prestigious Award of the British Chess Problem Society a third time and that too for a meredith on my favourite theme-CGSN).

8358 O. Stocchi Scach Magazin 1950 C.G.S. NARAYANAN

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