THE MATCH BETWEEN MESSRS ROSENTHAL AND
ZUKERTORT.
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THE 15th game was played on
Saturday, the 12th inst. The finest game of the match, and really one of
the finest actual ending games on record, ensued this time from a close
opening adopted by Zukertort. As in the 11th game, Kt to K B 3 was his
first move, and the struggle developed itself on both sides on the
principles
on which the 9th and 11th games were conducted. Some alterations
occurred
in the order of moves, which were treated in the routine style by the
first
player, who pursued the usual course, while we believe White could have
obtained a strong array of pawns on the Q side as early as the 5th move,
by P to B 5, after Black had brought out the B to Q 3 untimely, thus
allowing
the advance of the hostile P, with the gain of a move for the opponent.
Whites attack on the Q side soon assumed the threatening aspect
usually
obtained in this opening, and Black ought to have sought compensation by
breaking through on the other wing, but missed this opportunity on the
14th move, when we believe he could have advanced the K P with
advantage.
Again, on the 19th move, Rosenthal, much to his own disadvantage,
altered
the course he had adopted in the 9th game, and captured the advancing
hostile
Q Kt P, thus opening the Q R file, of which the opponent could retain
full
possession. Black had then already the inferior game ; but his best
chance
of fighting for a draw consisted in capturing the Kt P too, instead of
which Rosenthal allowed the latter to advance, and to block up the black
K B completely. Zukertort had thus planted a forest of pawns from K 3 up
to Kt 6, indestructible for the enemy, and covering the movements of his
own pieces, for which he had retained freedom of action, and sufficient
access on the Q side for a final break through. Rosenthal apparently did
not suspect his insecurity in that quarter, and his movements were of a
waiting nature, while his opponent executed a series of masterly
manuvres
with the object of being enabled to exercise a pressure alternately on
either wing. Rosenthals 25th move was faulty, and certainly
assisted the
adverse design. Later on, Black might have blocked the K side in order
to concentrate his attention on the defence of the other wing. But we
allowed
the advance of the hostile K R P to R 5, which Zukertort accomplished by
a well-calculated system of moves of hs R for gaining time. Rosenthal
was
then reduced to a mere spectator of what the opponent was going to do,
and made several moves with his R and Q of an insignificant character,
altering the squares on which he posted the two pieces evidently only
for
the purpose of avoiding flagrant repetition moves. A curious question
might
have here arisen if Rosenthals choice of squares had been more
limited.
He would have been deprived of the benefit of the repetition moves for
the time limit after the third occasion, and the opponent, besides being
able to claim a draw, could slowly prepare the attack in hand, altering
the course at his own convenience, and might ultimately speculate on the
enormous advantage of time pressure in framing the final assault. This
would have been a great hardship in the present case, and appears quite
unjust on principles. We think that the rule in future should be altered
to the effect that competent umpires should decide whether the
repetition
moves are compulsory or not. The plot thickened from Whites 26th
move
up to his 36th move, and it became evident in the meanwhile that
Zukertort
aimed at the exchange of queens, and to manuvre his K to the other
side
in support of an ultimate attack on the root of Blacks position,
the Q
Kt P. When the plan was fully divulged on the 45th move, at which point
Zukertort offered a beautiful sacrifice of the K B, the scheme had been
prepared with the utmost exactitude in the position of Whites
pieces,
and Black could find no means of escape on either wing. His movements
with
the B to gain the K Kt P came too late, and Zukertort increased the
advantage
obtained on the Q side with a beautiful sacrifice of the exchange, which
gave him a well-supported passed P. A few elegant and vigorously
executed
manuvres with his K and the two bishops ended in the gain of a
clear piece,
and ultimately White had also a passed B P which could go straight to
queen,
whereupon Rosenthal resigned. Duration, six hours. |
The Field, London,
1880.06.19
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Zukertort,JH Rosenthal,S
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(15)
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D06/01 |
Queens Gambit: Grau
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Annotations by Wilhelm
Steinitz
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Bf5 3.e3 e6 4.c4
Nf6
5.a3
** |
The position is only slightly
altered
from the eleventh game of the match; and we cannot therefore alter our
opinion that this is loss of time. |
5...Bd6
** |
Wrong, we have no doubt. Even in
close
game he cannot afford to lose moves so early. |
6.Nc3
** |
It was quite good enough to advance
6.c5 at once, followed by 7.b4. However much Black might have struggled
to break the pawns by ...b6 and ...a5, he could never get rid of the
phalanx,
if White only brought out the bishop to b2, and Blacks
game was badly blocked at once. |
6...c6 7.b4 a6 8.Bb2 Nbd7 9.Be2
Ne4 10.Nxe4 Bxe4 11.c5 Bc7 12.0-0 0-0
** |
He could have equalized the game
now
by 12...Bxf3, followed by 13...e5. White could then hardly allow the
e-pawn
to advance further, as the opponent, who had not yet castled on the same
side, would obtain afterwards the usual sort of attack, viz., ...Qh4,
and
the subsequent pushing of the pawns on the kingside. |
13.Nd2 Bg6 14.a4
Nf6
** |
At any risk, we should have
preferred
attempting a diversion in the center by 14...e5 at this point. The game
might then have proceeded thus: 14...e5 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.f4 Nd3 17.Bc3
d4,
and whether pawn or bishop takes, the answer would be 18...Nxf4, with a
good game. |
15.f3 Qb8
** |
A good move, which forces White to
submit to a weak pint at e3. |
16.f4 Ne4
** |
But now he could have better
utilized
his previous maneuver. He should have advanced 16...b5, and either he
would
soon create a block on the most vulnerable queens
wing, or else obtain a good attack for himself, e.g.: 16...b5
17.cxb6
Qxb6 18.a5 (if 18.Qb3, Black would again attack by 18...Rab8, followed
by 19...a5) 18...Qxb4 19.Ba3 Qc3 20.Bxf8 Qxe3+ 21.Kh1 Kxf8, winning
another
pawn for the exchange, with an excellent game. |
17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.Qd2 Qd8 19.b5
axb5
** |
Bad. As in the ninth game, he ought
never to have taken, but should have moved 19...Qd7 at
once. |
20.axb5 Qd7
** |
Worse. Once he had captured, he was
bound to exchange both pawns, and not to allow himself to be blocked in
altogether. Under any circumstances, if he intended to allow the hostile
advance, he should have moved 20...Qe7 at once, which saved him the
trouble
of gaining that post on the 23rd move. |
21.b6 Rxa1 22.Rxa1 Bb8 23.Bc3 Qe7
24.Qb2
** |
This maneuver prevents the hostile
plan of breaking through in the center with ...f6; for, even should
Black
support this attack once more by 24...Re8, White may keep him engaged by
the answer 25.Ra8. |
24...h6
** |
Some bolder course was now
imperative.
He ought to have advanced 24...g5; for White could not take without
losing
an important pawn. Black would, therefore, open the g-file, followed by
...Kh8 and ...Rg8 with some attack on the kingside as a set-off for his
cramped position on the other wing. |
25.Be1 Kh7 26.Bg3 f5
[?:??-1:00]
** |
Very feeble. He not alone blocks up
his other bishop, but deprives himself of all chance of liberating
himself
in the center. 26...f6 was the right move, and would have kept
most
of Whites pieces engaged to prevent
the advance
of ...e5. |
27.Bf1 Rg8 28.Qf2 [1:00-?:??]
28...Rf8
29.Be2 Rg8 30.Ra8 Rf8 31.Ra3
** |
The last two moves of the rook were
superfluous. He might have advanced the h-pawn at once. |
31...Rg8 32.h4 Qf7
33.Ra1
** |
But this time there is a great
finesse
in the movement of the rook. He wishes either the hostile rook or queen
from their present respective positions, in order to advance the h-pawn,
and then to be enabled to take with the f-pawn in case Black replied
...g5.
At present he would be in danger if he pursued that
plane.g.: 33.h5
g5 34.fxg5 Bxg3 35.g6+ Rxg6 36.hxg6+ Qxg6, threatening ...Qg5 and
...Qh4,
with a winning attack. |
33...Qe7
** |
See our opening remarks. We should
have advanced 33...h5, blocking the kingside afterwards by ...g6, and he
had then a fair prospect of drawing. |
34.h5 Qf7 35.Bh4 Re8
36.Qg3
** |
An excellent move. After this
Blacks
game may be regarded as lost. |
36...Rg8 [?:??-2:00] 37.Ra8
Re8
** |
He is hampered in every direction.
It would have been useless to attempt 37...g5, for White could
take
38.hxg6+; and if 38...Rxg6, he would give up the queen by 39.Rxb8.
The b-pawn was bound to fall ultimately by Rc8 and Rc7, even if the
queen
kept defending it, and then the passed pawn would win. It is also plain
that if 36...Bxf4, White would win a piece by the answer
37.Qg6+. |
38.Kf2 Kg8
** |
White makes it somewhat easier for
the opponent, who intended to exchange queens, having prepared a
brilliant
winning maneuver on the other wing. |
39.Qg6 Qxg6 40.hxg6 Kf8 41.g3 Rc8
42.Ke1 Ke8 43.Kd2 Bg2
** |
Had he played 43...Kd7 the game
might
have proceeded thus: 43...Kd7 44.Bh5 Rf8 45.Bf6 gxf6 (if 45...Bd6 White
may reply 46.Ra7) 46.g7 Rg8 47.Bf7 Rxg7 48.Rxb8, and wins, for Black
dare
not take the bishop, or else White takes 49.Rxb7+, and exchanges rooks,
going afterwards to queen without hindrance. |
44.Kc3 Bh3
45.Ba6
** |
A master coup, which decides the
game.
We give a diagram of the position: |
45...Kd7
** |
He could not hope for the least
relief
by sacrificing the exchangee.g.: 45...bxa6 46.b7 Kd7
47.bxc8Q+
Kxc8 48.Bf6 Kb7 49.Rxb8+ Kxb8 50.Bxg7, followed by 51...Be5+, and
wins. |
46.Bxb7 Re8 47.Kb4 [2:00-?:??]
47...Bg4
48.Ka5 Bh5 49.Ba6 Bxg6 [?:??-3:00] 50.Ra7+
** |
All this is in splendid
style. |
50...Bxa7 51.bxa7 Kc7
52.Be7
** |
Finis. After this fine stroke
winning
becomes a matter of course. |
52...Ra8 53.Bd6+ Kd8 54.Kb6 Be8
55.Bb7 Rxa7 56.Kxa7 g5 57.Kb6 g4 58.Bxc6 Bf7 59.Bb5
1-0.
** |
The Field, London,
1880.06.19
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