Chess is a scientific game and its literature ought to be placed on the basis of the strictest truthfulness, which is the foundation of all scientific research. W._Steinitz

The Rosenthal-Zukertort Match,
London 1880
Researched by Nick Pope

    THE twelfth game was played on Monday, the 31st ult.  This game will be memorable in the records of match play, owing to a breakdown at the finish, such as has very rarely been witnessed in a serious contest.  The opening was the same as in the tenth game up to the 7th move, when Rosenthal, instead of continuing with the attack by P to Q 4, cautiously advanced the K R P to R 3, evidently in pursuance of a plan of slow development.  Zukertort defended on the previously adopted system, but prematurely tried to open the game on the 9th move by P to Q 4.  The consequence was that a hostile B planted itself most inconveniently for him at Q B 5, preventing his castling, while Rosenthal obtained the usual strong attack on the Q side by the advance of the Q R P.  On the 14th move White missed a fine opportunity of much improving his game by taking the hostile K B before removing his own, thus creating an ugly double pawn for the opponent in the centre, and also weakening the other hostile pawns on the K side.  Zukertort instituted a masterly defence, and we especially commend his 17th move to the attention of students.  He castled, apparently leaving an important P en prise, which was, however, secured by a fine conception.  Rosenthal avoided the bait, and still kept the initiative; but he missed again his chance of fortifying his game on the 23rd move.  His manœuvres with his queen and the Q R were, to use a mild term, very indifferent, and had only the effect of enabling Black to consolidate and strengthen his pawns on the Q side, to drive the hostile rooks back, and to exchange queens, with free possession for his own rooks of the only open file.  Rosenthal at last succeeded in getting rid of one of the hostile rooks, after bringing his K round in support of the challenge for the exchange; and the game had all the appearance of an easy draw, when, on the 42nd move, he committed as terrible a blunder as we have ever seen in a match game.  He overlooked the loss of a clear piece by a simple combination only two moves deep, and, his game being hopelessly ruined, he had to resign a few moves later on.  Duration, five hours and a half.
The Field, London, 1880.06.05
Rosenthal,S — Zukertort,JH
(12)
C77/08
Spanish: Morphy (Anderssen)
1880.05.31
GBR London
Annotations by Wilhelm Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 g6 7.h3 Bg7 8.Be3 b5 9.Bb3 d5
** Too early, certainly.  It exposes the point at c5 to the commanding occupation of the hostile bishop.
10.Nbd2 h6
** He wants to post his c8-bishop to e6 without being subject to the strong rejoinder Ng5.  10...d4 would have been useless; for White, after taking once, would have obtained a good post for his bishop at f4, and afterwards an attack with his rook or queen on the open c-file.
11.Bc5 Be6 12.a4 dxe4 13.dxe4 Nd7 14.Be3
** It was unquestionably much stronger to take the e6-bishop first, Black could not avoid retaking, and consequently forming a weak doubled pawn in the center; for if he took 14...Nxc5, the winning answer was 15.Bd5, followed by 16.axb4 in case the queen protected the knight.
14...Bxb3 15.Qxb3 bxa4 16.Qc4 Qf6 17.Rxa4 0-0
** Finely played.  We give a diagram of this position.  White dare not take the a-pawn, for Black would win then the exchange at least by 18...Na5, attacking the rook twice.
18.0-0 a5 19.Rfa1 [1:00-?:??] 19...Nb6 20.Bxb6 cxb6 21.Qb5 Na7 22.Qe2 Rfc8 [?:??-1:00] 23.Rc4
** A move thrown away entirely.  23.Nc4, attacking the e-pawn once more, was the correct play, and he could then gain the strong post at d5 with his knight in two moves, viá e3.  It is obvious that Black could not reply 23...b5, on account of the rejoinder 24.Rxa5, doubly attacking the black knight.
23...Nc6 24.Rca4
** Sooner or later he must have beaten the retreat with his rook, for Black threatened to cut it off first by ...Bf8, with the intention of advancing the b-pawn on it.
24...Rab8 25.Qb5 Na7 26.Qd7
** All these maneuvers of the queen are useless, and lead to no favorable result.  He ought again to have tried to fix his d2-knight at d5, viá f1 and e3.
26...Nc6 27.Qd3
** Notwithstanding the loss of time which he had incurred, he had still a fair game, and he evidently did not wish to give the opponent the option of drawing at once by constantly attacking the queen with the rook at d8 and c8.
27...b5 28.R4a2 Rd8 29.Qe2 Bf8 30.Nf1 Bc5 31.Ne3
** He comes too late now.  His opponent has, with due care, provided against the sally of the knight by preparing its exchange on the last move.
31...Bxe3 32.Qxe3 Kg7 33.Qc5 [2:00-?:??] 33...Qd6 34.Qxd6 Rxd6 35.Kf1 f5 36.Re1 Kf6 37.Raa1 Rbd8 38.Re2 a4 [?:??-2:00] 39.Ke1 f4
** He closes the game upon the kingside, in order to be able to utilize his knight, which he could nor move before, as White would win a pawn by exchanging the f-pawn, and opening a double attack on the e-pawn.
40.Rd2 Rxd2 41.Nxd2 Na5 42.Ke2
** An extraordingary oversight.  He must have been worn out and tired to overlook the opponentThe Field, London, 1880.06.05s plain reply.  42.Rd1 would have made his game quite safe, and Black could expect no more than a draw at the utmost; for White could offer the exchange of rooks by withdrawing the knight, and Black would then have to take care of his loosely advanced b-pawn.
42...Rxd2+ 43.Kxd2 Nb3+ 44.Kd3 Nxa1 45.c4 bxc4+ 46.Kxc4 Nc2 47.Kc3 a3 0-1.
**
The Field, London, 1880.06.05

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