Checkmate by committee

We present a game played recently by correspondence between the chess clubs of Providence (R.I.) and Washington, D.C.  The contest is of particular interest owing to its sudden conclusion.  Heavy-piece endgames, as is well known, are often fraught with danger, as at any moment one side or the other might contrive to unleash its substantial firepower upon the foe.  Such is the case here.  The Washington team candidly admitted after the game to having completely overlooked White's stunning 34th move, with which the Providence club announced a forced checkmate.  That a group of accomplished players in consultation, with days available for reflection, should miss such a blow is, we feel, no real discredit to the members of the losing side.  Rather, we view it as yet another striking example of the depth, and difficulty, of our remarkable game of chess.