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 MATCH BETWEEN ROSENTHAL AND ZUKERTORT.
   THE eighth game was played on Friday, the 21st inst.  The Ruy Lopez is falling flat, and the two masters seem to excercise in vain their ingenuities for the purpose of improving the attack of the Spaniard, who according to Heydebrandt Von der Lasa, was in general deficient of inventive power, and inaccurate in his demonstrations.  As regards M. Rosenthal’s variation, our remarks on the sixth game in our last week’s number received a practical verification.  We gave it as our opinion that Black’s majority of pawns on the Q side, though somwhat marred by a doubled pawn, should, in combination with the two bishops, prove an equal match at least for White’s numerical superiority on the K side; and so it did, but of course Herr Zukertort greatly modified his defence this time.  On general principles we would describe M. Rosenthal’s attack as a double-edged weapon, to use a chess critical metaphor of Herr Falkbeer, and, as regards the details of the combat, we cannot refrain from stating our view that the Frenchman’s mode of handling this attack does not seem efficient even from his own point of view.  He manifestly lost several moves on this occasion as well as in the sixth game.  The Q B is certainly not well placed at K B 4 if it is part of his ultimate plan to support the K P with the K B P.  P to Q Kt 3 also appears to give the defence the desired opportunity of dissolving his doubled pawn.  Zukertort, by a series of skilful and cautious manoeuvres, exchanged, in consequence, both Q B pawns and liberated his Q R P for a march on, which confined the opponent’s R, but, as he had to watch his own P with a piece of equal value, he was, for practical purposes, almost a P behind in the employment of his forces, when, by an ill-considered placement of his K, Rosenthal left himself open on the 32nd move to one of his opponent’s deep coups, which broke up White’s game on the K side.  Five moves later on, Rosenthal committed a still graver error of judgment with a useless move of the K, of which Zukertort availed himself most cleverly.  On the 45th move he missed his last chance of making the issue doubtful.  He had already lost a P, but if he had first stopped the Q Kt P from advancing by B to Q Kt 2 matters were not hopeless.  After that Zukertort finishedd with his accustomed skill by conducting alternately one of the two separated passed pawns to Q, and Rosenthal had finally to resign after a tenacious but hopeless defence.  Duration, six hours.
The Field, London, 1880.05.29
Rosenthal,S — Zukertort,JH
(8)
C67/02
Spanish: Open Berlin
1880.05.21
GBR London
Annotations by Wilhelm Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Be7 6.Re1 Nd6 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.dxe5 Nf5 9.Qxd8+ Bxd8 10.Nc3 c5 11.Bf4 O-O 12.Rad1 b6 13.h3 h6 14.Nd5 Be6 15.b3 c6 16.Nc3
** See our remarks above respecting the conduct of the opening on Whites part.
16...c4 17.g4 Nh4 18.Nxh4 Bxh4 19.Kg2 cxb3 20.axb3 Be7 21.Ne4 Rfd8
** This appears to us an unnecessary delay in the advance of the a-pawn.  The opponent could make no use with his rook on the open d-file.
22.f3 [1:00-?:??] 22...c5 23.Nd6 a5 24.Ne4 c4 25.bxc4 Bxc4 26.Rxd8+ Bxd8 27.Nd6 Be6 [?:??-1:00] 28.Be3 a4 29.c4 a3 30.f4
** If anything can be made of this present opening, it is surely not the way to waste so many moves.  There ought to be some means of advancing this pawn to his present post, where he seems to be necessary, in a quicker manner.
30...a2 31.Ra1 Ra3 32.Kf3
** This gets him into trouble.  32.Kf2 was the proper move, and would most probably have led to an even position in a few moves; e.g.: 32.Kf2 Kf8 (If 32...Ra5, White pushes at once the pawn to c5, and, after gaining the a-pawn for the c-pawn, he gets the best of the game, either by Ra8 or Ra7.) 33.f5 Bd7 34.Ke2 Bc7 (If 34...Ba4, White goes nearer with his king to d2, and may afterwards even run into discovered check by Kc3, without sustaining loss.) 35.Bd4, and he will soon gain the a-pawn, either by Ne4-c3, or else by Bb2, and eventually bringing the king up.  Should Black now take the h-pawn White may obviously take the a-pawn, for he may cover with the bishop in answer to Rh2+.
32...h5
** An excellent move, which effectually prevents White from dislodging the bishop by 33.f5, and gives him otherwise good chances of obtaining the superiority.
33.gxh5 [2:00-?:??]
** Had he advanced the pawn to f5, the game might have proceeded thus: 33.f5 Bg5 34.fxe6 Bxe3 35.exf7+ Kf8 36.Ke4 (If 36.Nb5, then the bishop withdraws nevertheless to d4, checking, and after taking the rook and moving the bishop, must win the knight at least) 36...Bc1, and ought to win.  Had White tried, in lieu of the text move, 33.Ke4, he would have also come out with the worst of the position, e.g.: 33.Ke4 hxg4 34.f5 Bd7 (It would not be sound to sacrifice the bishop by taking the h-pawn with the pawn; for White, after the capture, would ultimately obtain a strong defensive move in Bd4.) 35.hxg4 Ba4 36.Nb5 Bc2+ 37.Kf3 (Best) 37...Ra4 38.Nc3 Rxc4 39.Rxa2 (Best; 39.Nxa2 would lose sooner on account of the reply 39...Ra4.) 39...Rxc3 40.Ra8 Rd3 41.Ke2 Kh7 42.Rc8 Bb1, and, if White now play 43.Rc1, the winning answer is 43...Rxe3+.
33...Bxh3 34.Nb5 Ra4 35.Nc3 Rxc4 36.Nxa2 b5 37.Kg3
** This very weak move strongly compromises his position.  He ought to have opposed the rook at once, and he had then a good chance of drawing, e.g.: 37.Rc1 Rxc1 (Or, if 37...Be6, then White exchanges rooks, followed accordingly by Nb4 or Nc3) 38.Bxc1 Ba5 39.Ba3 Be6 40.Bb4, etc.
37...Be6 38.Rc1 Ba5
** A beautiful move.  White remains now confined with his pieces, while Blacks b-pawn is well supported for the advance.
39.Kf2 b4 40.Rxc4 Bxc4 41.Nc1 b3 42.Bd4 Bd2
** All this is in good style.
43.Ne2 Bxe2 44.Kxe2 Bxf4
45.Kd3
** This throws away all chances of drawing. (See diagram). There was a great deal of fight left if he had now retreated the bishop to b2.  The game might have then proceeded thus: 45.Bb2 Kh7 46.Kd3 Kh6 47.Kc4 Bg5 (If 47...Kxh5, or 47...Kg5, White draws by 48.e6.) 48.Kxb3 Be7 49.Kc4 Bf8 50.Kd5 Kxh5 51.e6, and ought to draw.
45...Bc1 46.Kc3 b2 47.Kc2 [3:00-?:??] 47...Kh7 48.Bc5 Kh6 49.Bf8 Bf4 50.e6
** It avails him little, but he had no other chance of prolonging the fight, and, therefore, justly endeavors to separate the pawns.
50...fxe6 51.Kxb2 Be5+ 52.Kc2 Kxh5 53.Kd3 g5 54.Ke4 Bf6 [?:??-2:00] 55.Kf3 Kh4 56.Bc5 Kh3 57.Bb6 g4+ 58.Kf4 Bc3 59.Bf2 e5+ 60.Kf5 g3 0-1.
**
For, unless the bishop is sacrificed at once for the pawn, he is caught next move by 61...Bd4, and there is no further hope.
The Field, London, 1880.05.29

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