Ajedrez

700 CHESS PROBLEMS
SELECTED FROM THE COMPOSITIONS OF

Mrs. W. J. BAIRD
[1902]

An Electronic Edition Anders Thulin, Malmö · 2002-11-18

PREFACE
The Chess Problems contained in this volume are the product of the labour and recreation of some fourteen years. I say “labour,” because I am not such a Chess enthusiast as to believe that a collection such as this can be produced withoutpersistent application partaking of the nature of work; and “recreation,” because the work has been a pleasure—how great a pleasure only a composer can fully realize. Although a large number of the problems have been republished in numerous papers at home and abroad, only the name of the publication in which each originally appeared is given. Exclusive of the prize list, in about a dozen cases with aview to an improvement, they have been more or less reset since their first appearance. The six added to this collection in letterpress at the end of the Solutions are the last composed. To the best of my belief there is not a single instance of a dual continuation, and not being an admirer of dual mates, they are very few and far between. A list of prize problems will be found, but it must notbe taken for granted that it contains the essence of the volume. Solutions are given in full for the benefit of those who are not far advanced in the Problem Art. As will be seen, red represents the White, and blue the Black pieces. Brighton 1st May, 1902

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CONTENTS

List of Prize Problems Direct-Mate Problems: Two Moves Three Moves Four Moves Five Moves Self-Mate Problems: Two Moves ThreeMoves Four Moves Five Moves Six Moves Solutions Notes to Problems

p. 9 problem 1–286 287–601 602–625 626–630 631–669 670–687 688–694 695–698 699–700 p. 211 p. 277

PREFACE TO THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

The original edition was published by Henry Sotheran & Co, London, 1902. As the original preface indicates, it was printed in red and blue. In this edition, solutions have been converted fromdescriptive notation to algebraic, using the letter ‘S’ to indicate knights. The distinction between plain, double and discovered mates present in the original has not been retained, except as far as lines that were considered separate because of this distinction have also been kept separate in this edition. One example of this is the first and third line in the solution to problem . Variationsomitted from the original solutions, indicated by ‘&c.’, have been added, in brackets. An extra section, containing publishing information (with occasional corrections of problem source), and notes about the problems taken from Mrs. Baird’s notebooks has been added after the solutions. The dates given in the original proved to be the date of the award given. The present edition tries to make thisclearer by printing them together with the award, rather than with the source, as in the original. In the original several unnumbered problems were given in letterpress: these problems have been set in diagrams, and, if associated with another numbered problem, given the same number followed by A, B, C, etc. in brackets. The six diagrams appearing
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baird: 700 chess problems

last inthe two-mover section were originally printed at the end of the solutions section. All problems have been computer tested, using Matthieu Leschemelle’s Problemiste . ., except for the last two problems which were checked with Popeye. Only four unsound problems were found: 307, 627, 643 and 697. In those very few cases where computer testing showed the presence of moves or variations notcompletely covered in the original, these have been added to the solution in brackets, and set in italics. Occasional errors in mating moves have been silently corrected.

Acknowledgements
I am very grateful to C. P. Ravilious, who generously made his notes on the original publishing dates as well as the history of some of the problems, taken from Mrs. Baird’s own notebooks, available for this...