Chess

Blackburne’s Mate: White moves and mates in three.

With some luck, Cliff Canfield won the Hot Summer Action Championship. Canfield, rated 1832, was in trouble in his last round and his position was lost. Then Lady Luck came to the rescue when his opponent overlooked the way to win and allowed a draw, giving Canfield first place at 3 1/2- 1/2.

Canfield outplayed Craig Deschaines in Round 1, won over a tough player, Bill Gallagher, in Round 2, and over Ghezai Menelik in Round 3. At the end of Round 3, he led by a full point and, relaxing with victory in sight, allowed Corey Butler a winning endgame position in Round 4.

Menelik took second, 3-1, edging Shawn Cole in Round 1, Butler in Round 2, and Gallagher in Round 4, but losing to Canfield in Round 3.

Butler and Cole tied for third with 2 1/2-1 1/2 scores and Butler won top player in the 1500-1600 category. Cole took top player in the Class D-E-Unrated category.

Cole was an Etna-Dixmont scholastic player in the 1980s and rediscovered the fun of chess at the UM Wednesday Night Chess Club at the UMaine Memorial Union.

Jim LaPierre scored 1-3 for the consolation award. He improves weekly against high-rated players and eventually will find the moves to upset opponents.

Solution: Our Mating Pattern Series will show the essentials of various mating positions where other pawns and pieces may obscure the mating idea. In Blackburne’s Mate, the solution is: 1Qh1!! h7-h5, 2.Qxh5 g6xh5, 3.Bh8 checkmate.

This pattern was first used by Joseph Henry Blackburne (1841-1924), England’s all-time strongest chess player. He was born in Manchester and played in 53 major tournaments, winning against the world’s strongest players. He beat world chess champion Lasker in 1899 in London but in match play lost three to world champion Steinitz and one to Lasker. He played in many simultaneous exhibitions where his informal banter and humor contrasted with the formal style of earlier master exhibitions. His play was so strong, opponents called him The Black Death.