James White was a chess-playing Gloucestershire-born schoolteacher whose job took him to rural Northumberland, first the village of Lowick, then the village of Beal (on the road to the coastal point from which one can at low tide walk across to Lindisfarne – been there, done it), and finally Leeds, where he wrote a chess column in the Leeds Mercury Weekly Supplement appearing from Saturday 27th September 1879 to at least Saturday 1st January 1906 and possibly a little later. Besides being a strong chess-player, he was also a keen problemist, mainly as a solver of chess problems, which were so much more popular in those days, but also as a composer, and in that latter role he liked off-beat stipulations like “White to move and force Black to mate” in so many moves. The following position is the initial position for one of White’s off-beat problems.

In real play, the average club player, as White, would charge down the board with his king and mate with king and rook in 5 moves. If you cannot mate with K + R in 5 moves, then you need to brush up on your “elementary mates”.

Actually, in the above position White can force mate in 4 moves. Can you see it? Not too difficult.

James White’s stipulation, however, was

White mates with Bishop in six moves.

He did not actually say “with the Bishop already on the board,” so the solution might conceivably involve under-promotion of the pawn, but it does not. Can you see the solution? (Click here for the solutions to all the above.)

Game: Henry Edward Bird (White) v James White (Black)

On 08/06/1885, Henry Edward Bird gave a simultaneous display at Leeds Chess Club, and James White was one of his opponents. It was past midnight when White offered a draw and White agreed. So, who offered the draw and who agreed??

On the evidence it could be either way! Actually, as James White was contemplating his 36th move, Bird realised things might be getting awkward for him and Bird offered a draw and Black agreed. This was the final position, with White (Black) to move:

Black to move. Play through the game to see what Black planned before accepting the draw.

Click here to play through the game on screen.

Click here for more biographical data on James White.