[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "Hastings"]
[Date "1895.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Steinitz, William"]
[Black "Von Bardeleben, Curt"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C54"]
[WhiteElo "2590"]
[BlackElo "2510"]
[Annotator ""]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "1895.??.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "21"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
{The Players Wilhelm Steinitz (1836-1900) was the first official World
Champion, a title he received after defeating Zukertort in New Orleans in 1886.
Despite actually being one year older than Paul Morphy, Steinitz really
belonged to the next generation of chess players. By the time Steinitz was
beginning to dedicate himself seriously to the game, in 1862, Morphy’s chess
career was already finished. After a few years living in Vienna, Steinitz came
to England, and it was there that he developed his positional style, which
contrasted with Anderssen’s wholly combinative play. Steinitz’s importance
was not just as a player of the game. He was also a profound thinker and
teacher and became the most prolific chess writer of the nineteenth century.
Unlike Philidor, who also advocated a positional approach to chess, Steinitz
was able to persuade the world of its absolute importance. He was undoubtedly
helped in this respect by his excellent results using his deep concepts of
positional play. Curt von Bardeleben (1861–1924) was born in Berlin. He
studied law but never practised, finding the lure of the chessboard too strong
to resist. He was undoubtedly an extremely talented player, capable of
first-class results, but his temperament was unsuited to the hurly-burly of
tough competitive play, with its inevitable setbacks. His standard of play
would fall substantially after a disappointing loss, and he would sometimes
withdraw from an event altogether. The Game For both players this was a
turning point in the tournament. Steinitz had begun poorly, but starting with
this game rallied to a respectable fifth place, whereas for von Bardeleben,
who had the tremendous score of 7½/9 up to that point, it marked the start of
a collapse. Steinitz plays a rather simple opening, common nowadays only at
club level for its trappiness, but rare at top level because it brings matters
to a premature crisis. However, von Bardeleben avoids the main lines, and
lands in a position where structurally he is doing well, but his king is
stranded in the centre. After a trade of inaccuracies, Steinitz plays an
excellent pawn sacrifice to bring his knight into the attack. The finish is
highly dramatic. It appears that Steinitz has over-reached, as Black finds a
cunning defence based on White’s back rank. However, this illusion is washed
away by a staggering series of rook offers. This opens up a route for the
white queen to come into the attack and bring about a beautiful mating finish.
} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {This move characterizes the Giuoco Piano.
The name means “Quiet Game”, and seems rather inappropriate given the
stormy events to come. However, when it received its name, the standard
opening was the King’s Gambit, and in comparison it is relatively
“quiet”.} 4. c3 {Instead 4. d3, or 5. d3 on the next move, would bring
about the Giuoco Pianissimo. This is actually the modern preference, with
White keeping open many plans, including queenside expansion with b4, play in
the centre, and kingside activity, often involving the manoeuvre Nbd2-f1-g3.
Note that 4. d3 followed by Nc3 is a deadly dull system that tends to be seen
a lot in schools’ chess.} Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 {White has set up an
“ideal” pawn-centre, but he is unable to maintain it. Another logical
attempt to achieve central dominance, 6. e5, is met by the thematic central
thrust 6...d5!, assuring Black his full share of the play. Anyone who defends
symmetrical king’s pawn openings absolutely must know this idea.} Bb4+ 7. Nc3
$5 (7. Bd2 $1 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 d5 $1 {breaks up White’s pawn-centre, and gives
Black a completely acceptable position.}) 7... d5 $2 {Now, however, this move
causes White rather less inconvenience. The key difference from the line in
the previous note is that White retains his dark-squared bishop, and this
greatly enhances his attacking prospects in the open position that now arises.}
(7... Nxe4 $142 $1 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 d5 {Steinitz-Schlechter/Hastings/1895})
8. exd5 Nxd5 9. O-O Be6 (9... Nxc3 10. bxc3 Bxc3 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 12. Qb3 Bxa1 13.
Ba3+ Ne7 14. Re1 $40 {+-}) (9... Bxc3 10. bxc3 Nxc3 11. Qb3 $40 {+/-}) 10. Bg5
Be7 (10... Qd7 11. Bxd5 Bxd5 12. Re1+ Be7 13. Nxd5 {Wins a tempo.}) 11. Bxd5 $1
Bxd5 12. Nxd5 (12. Bxe7 Nxe7 13. Re1 O-O 14. Rxe7 $2 {Zaitsev} Qxe7 $2 (14...
Bxf3 $1 $17 {Fritz2}) 15. Nxd5) 12... Qxd5 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 (13... Kxe7 14. Rc1
Rhe8 (14... Kd7 15. Qa4 $40) 15. Rc5 Qd6 16. Qc1 (16. Qc2 $5)) 14. Re1 f6 15.
Qe2 (15. Qa4+ $1 $16) 15... Qd7 (15... Qd6 $2 16. Qb5+ Qc6 17. Qb4 Qd6 18. Qxb7
) 16. Rac1 $6 (16. Rad1 $1 {Zaitsev} Kf7 17. Qc4+ Nd5 18. Ne5+ fxe5 19. dxe5
$18) 16... c6 $2 {Black underestimates the forthcoming square-vacating pawn
sacrifice.} (16... Kf7 $1 {Black can save the game.} 17. Qxe7+ $2 (17. Qc4+ Nd5
) 17... Qxe7 18. Rxe7+ Kxe7 19. Rxc7+ Kd6 20. Rxb7 Rhb8 21. Rxg7 (21. Rxb8 Rxb8
22. b3 Kd5 $15) 21... Rxb2 22. h3 Rxa2 $44) (16... Kf8) (16... Kd8) 17. d5 $3 {
This excellent pawn sacrifice suddenly enlivens the struggle.} cxd5 (17... Kf7
18. dxc6 Nxc6 19. Rcd1 $40) 18. Nd4 Kf7 19. Ne6 {ChessBase: '/\ 20.Rc7'} Rhc8 (
19... Rac8 20. Qg4) (19... Nc6 20. Nc5 Qc8 21. Qb5 Rb8 (21... Nd8 22. Nd7 Nc6
23. Qxd5+ Kg6 24. g4 $40) 22. Na6 Ra8 (22... bxa6 23. Qxd5+) 23. Qxd5+ Kg6 24.
Nc5 Rd8 25. Qe4+ f5 26. Qh4 $40) 20. Qg4 $1 g6 21. Ng5+ Ke8 (21... fxg5 $4 22.
Qxd7 $18) 22. Rxe7+ $1 {Starting one of the most famous sacrificial sequences
in chess history. The rook cannot be taken, but Black has a cunning defensive
idea.} Kf8 (22... Qxe7 23. Rxc8+ Rxc8 24. Qxc8+ $18) (22... Kxe7 23. Re1+ Kd6
24. Qb4+ Rc5 (24... Kc6 25. Rc1#) (24... Kc7 25. Ne6+ Kb8 26. Qf4+ $18) 25.
Ne4+ $18) 23. Rf7+ $1 (23. Qxd7 $4 Rxc1+ $19) 23... Kg8 $1 (23... Qxf7 24.
Rxc8+ Rxc8 25. Qxc8+ Qe8 26. Nxh7+ $18) 24. Rg7+ $1 Kh8 $1 (24... Kf8 25. Nxh7+
Kxg7 26. Qxd7+ $18) 25. Rxh7+ {Von Bardeleben now saw the spectacular finish
that awaited him, and elected to “resign” by simply leaving the tournament
hall and not coming back. Obviously, this is rather poor sportsmanship. After
this devastating loss he even wanted to withdraw from the tournament.
Ironically, this game is now virtually the only thing he is remembered for –
perhaps the idea of gaining immortality as the loser of a game is what upset
him so much.} Kg8 26. Rg7+ Kh8 27. Qh4+ Kxg7 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Qh8+ Ke7 30. Qg7+
Ke8 31. Qg8+ Ke7 32. Qf7+ Kd8 33. Qf8+ Qe8 34. Nf7+ Kd7 35. Qd6# {. Lessons
from this game: 1) If the opponent allows you to win a centre pawn, take it
unless there is a very good reason not to. 2) It can be well worth sacrificing
a pawn to gain a superb square for a piece, particularly if it is near the
enemy king. 3) Try not to be too upset by a loss. Setbacks are inevitable, and
it is most useful (though not necessarily very easy) to view each as a
learning experience.} 1-0
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