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 Blackburne-Zukertort Match,
London 1881
Researched by Nick Pope

    The ninth game of the match, which was due to be played on Thursday last, was postponed till to-day, when the meeting will take place at Simpson’s.  The adjournment was this time made at the instance [sic] of Mr Zukertort, and Mr Blackburne in his turn agreed that it should not count as one of the exception days to which each combatant is entitled.  We are glad to note the good feeling which exists between the two players, as shown by such mutual consideration.
    The score stands now—Zuffertort [sic] 4, Blackburne 1, drawn 3.
The Field, London, 1881.07.16

    THE ninth game played at Simpson’s on Saturday, the 1th inst., was opened by Zukertort with his favourite irregular Kt to K B 3.  We have already commented on this move, when it occurred in some of the games of last year’s match between Zukertort and Rosenthal.  It is an ordinary introduction to the Q P opening, unless Black should be induced to answer Kt to Q B 3, in which case White would gain the advantage by replying P to Q 4.  As was to be expected, the game resolved itself into a close one, Blackburne adopting K P 1, followed by the Q fianchetto for the defence, without advancing the Q P until he had castled.  We believe that this might have been turned to his disadvantage if Zukertort, on the seventh move, had pushed the P to Q 5.  But White adopted the usual developments, and proceeded also with the Q fianchetto after castling.  The preliminary manœuvring left no perceptible difference of the respective positions in favour of either side, excepting that White’s K R was better posted than Black’s.  The first attack of a real character was instituted by Blackburne, who brought Q and B to bear on the adverse only once defended Q R P.  But, instead of preserving his K B, he injudiciously allowed its exchange for a Kt on the fourteenth move, and his game seemed then to become badly cramped by the entrance of the adverse Kt at K 5.  However, only two moves later on, he was not alone released, owing to a feeble exchange of knights adopted by Zukertort, but he would have even obtained the better game if he had retaken in the more advantageous way with the Q, instead of with the Kt.  Zukertort then pressed for an exchange of queens, though we believe he might have made more of his game by bringing his R up for the attack on the K side, viá K R 3.  The exchange of queens having been effected, Blackburne simplified the game still more by a manœuvre with his Q Kt P, whereby he god [sic] rid of both adverse centre pawns, and forced the exchange of rooks, his opponent, however, retaining, in conjunction with two bishops, a passed Q R P, which threatened to become formidable after the exchange of all the pieces.  Blackburne directed his efforts to freeing his K P for attacking purposes, and he certainly misjudged his position strongly if he tried to reserve for himself the option of playing to win, as appears to have been the case, for he seemed to be reluctant to allow his Kt to be exchanged and to remain with bishops of opposite colours, with a clear draw.  Especially his retreat of the Kt on the 36th move lost him most valuable time, and he had afterwards a narrow escape from a forced lost game, which Zukertort could have obtained on the 47th move by attacking the Kt at Kt 6 with the B, making room for the entrance of his K at B 5, which would have soon enabled him to oppose his White B at Q B 6, with an easy won game.  Zukertort, having instead retreated his K to Q 4, gave Blackburne breathing time, and again he could have made his defence good on the 50th move by opposing the K at K 4, so as to threaten to drive the adverse K right back with the ch at Q 4.  Again, a little later on, he had an excellent prospect of relieving himself by advancing his R P when attacked, instead of the Kt P.  His having fixed the pawns on the K side on white squares, gave Zukertort an opportunity of executing one of his fine manœuvres with the B, whereby he ultimately forced the gain of the K R P.  But, even after this, Black’s game was still defensible, if he had pursued the plan of endeavouring to sacrifice his Kt and a P on the K side for the two adverse pawns on the same wing.  But at this critical stage Blackburne, apparently under pressure of time limit, committed a gross error of judgment which proved fatal.  Instead of allowing the P to be taken by the B, and trying to effect an entrance with his Kt at B 6, viá Kt 4, he advanced the R P, thus allowing his opponent an additional passed P on the other wing.  The sally of his Kt at B 5, which he had prepared at the cost of a valuable P, proved utterly useless for defensive purposes, and, with a few powerful and well-directed manœuvres of his two bishops, Zukertort secured the advance and ultimate queening of the K R P, whereupon Blackburne resigned.  Duration, seven hours.
The Field, London, 1881.07.23
Zukertort,JH — Blackburne,JH
(9)
A46/04
Indian: Knights (Rubinstein)
1881.07.16
GBR London (Simpson’s Divan)
Annotations by Wilhelm Steinitz
1.Nf3 e6 2.e3 Nf6 3.d4 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.c4 Be7 6.Nc3 0-0 
Too soon. We believe ...d5 to be necessary as soon as the adverse b-knight was brought out.
7.Bd3 
We prefer 7.d5, thus blocking the adverse light-square bishop, and also making it extremely difficult for the opponent to find a convenient development for his b-knight.
7...d5 8.0-0 Nbd7 
This knight is generally better posted in this opening at c6 after advancing ...c5.
9.b3 c5 10.Bb2 cxd4 11.exd4 Rc8 12.Rc1 Bd6 13.Re1 Qe7 14.Nb5 a6 
He could not well retreat 14...Bb8, on account of the reply 15.a4 threatening 16.Ba3; but there was really no reason against 14...Bf4, followed by 15...a6.
15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.Ne5 dxc4 [?:??-1:00] 17.Nxd7 
An injudicious exchange, which not alone throws away a fine position, but might have given the superiority to the opponent. 17.bxc4 at once was the right play. Apparently he was afraid of the reply, 17...Nxe5, under the assumption that he was bound to retake with the pawn, whereupon the queen would first threaten mate at c6, and then remove the knight to d7, having weakened White’s center; but as White could in that case retake 18.Rxe5, thus keeping the position of his pawns on the queenside intact, there was no real objection to recapturing the pawn at once.
17...Nxd7 
17...Qxd7 was superior, for it would have enabled him afterwards to break the adverse center by ...b5. White was then bound to keep on the defensive, for any attempt on his part to press the attack by 18.d5, must have failed, and might have led to the following continuation: 17...Qxd7 18.bxc4 b5 19.d5 (We suggest this line of play, as it appears tempting for attacking purposes, and looks dangerous for Black, who, however, will obtain the advantage by best play. 19.c5 would give White decidedly the worst of the game; 19.cxb5 is best, but even then we slightly prefer Black’s game) 19...bxc4 20.Bxf6 cxd3 (The only move. Should he take the other bishop, then follows 21.Bxh7+, and if 21...Kxh7 the queen checks twice, followed by Re3, winning) 21.Qg4 g6 22.Qg5 Qxd5, threatening mate should White’s queen enter at h6, with two pawns ahead.
18.bxc4 Qf4 19.Qe2 
With the view of offering the exchange of queens, in reliance on the strength of his two bishops for the ending. But we believe he would have made more of his superior position by keeping his full forces and entering on an attack against the adverse kingside with his rook via e3.
19...Nf6 20.Qe3 Qxe3 21.Rxe3 
Better than retaking with the pawn, in which case Black might have fixed his knight in at e4, protecting it afterwards by ...f5, producing a drawn position, as the knight could not be got rid of without leaving bishops of opposite colors.
21...Rfd8 22.f4 
With the intention of advancing this pawn to the 5th, which could not be stopped by 22...g6, on account of the immediate reply 23.d5.
22...b5 
This was best now. He was bound to get rid of the adverse center, in view of the dangerous advance pointed out in our last note.
23.cxb5 Rxc1+ 24.Bxc1 axb5 25.Bxb5 Rxd4 26.Rd3 Rxd3 27.Bxd3 [1:00-?:??] 27...Bc6 28.g3 Nd5 29.Kf2 f6 30.Ke2 Kf7 31.Kd2 
He could not take the h-pawn, for obviously his bishop would have been shut out by 31...g6. But we see no object in this move, which blocks out the dark-square bishop. 31.Bc2 at once, in order to enter at d3 with his king, seems preferable.
31...h6 [?:??-2:00] 32.Bc2 e5 33.Kd3 
Waste of time. He ought to have exchanged pawns at once.
33...Bb5+ 34.Kd2 Bc6 
As a draw was the only possible result by best play on both sides, and he could only compromise himself by playing to win, it was his best plan to capture the pawn, whereupon the game might have continued thus: 34...exf4 35.Bb3 (Best; for if 35.a4, Black would take 35...fxg3, threatening 36...g2) 35...Bc6 36.gxf4 g5 37.fxg5 (If 37.f5, Black’s king would retreat, and then attack the pawn by ...Ne7, unless the knight be exchanged, which leads to a clear draw) 37...fxg5, with an even game.
35.fxe5 fxe5 36.Kd3 Nb6 
A bad move. 36...Ke6 at once would have actually given him the same position as he obtains for his side on the 40th move, with the enormous difference that the adverse a-pawn could not advance on account of 37...Nb4+, and White’s dark-square bishop was not in such good play.
37.Be3 Bb5+ 38.Kc3 Nd5+ 
He could not allow the king to enter at b4.
39.Kd2 Ke6 40.a4 Bc6 
Compare note to Black’s 36th move.
41.Bc5 Nf6 42.Kc3 g5 43.a5 Nd5+ 
43...Ne4+, was, we believe, preferable on the whole, though he would lose it if he afterwards exchanged for the bishop, e.g.: 43...Ne4+ 44.Kb4 Nxc5 45.Kxc5 Kd7 46.Bb3 (Threatening 47.Bd5) 46...e4 47.Kd4, followed by 48.Bc2, and wins; for White’s king will be earlier in crossing over to the kingside and gaining the pawns.
44.Kc4 h5 45.a6 Nc7 46.a7 e4 [?:??-3:00] 47.Kd4 
Zukertort rightly considers that he could have forced the game here by 47.Bb6. Wherever the knight went to, the white king could come up to c5; and then the other bishop could soon be brought to oppose at c6, via a4, which settled matters.
47...Nb5+ 48.Ke3 Kf5 49.Bd4 Nc7 50.Bc5 [2:00-?:??] 50...Nb5 
It was obviously much stronger to oppose the king at e5, with the view of driving the king still further back by ...Nd5+. We believe he had then a sure drawn game.
51.Bd1 g4 
Also provoking useless trouble. The h-pawn becomes now weak, and it was obviously better to advance the other pawn.
52.Bb3 Nc7 53.Bf7 Nd5+ 54.Kd4 Nc7 55.Bb6 
Which leaves the opponent some more chance, while 55.Bxh5 would have won immediately; for the resource of 55...Nb5, which he had at subsequent stage, would have been unavailable, on account of the rejoinder 56.Be8, followed by 57.Bd7+. On the other hand, if 55...Ne6+, followed by 56...Nxc5, the king would retake, attacking the bishop; and White would then either queen first, with a clear piece ahead, or return with the king to d4, stopping the pawn.
55...Ne6+ 56.Ke3 h4 
A gross blunder. It was easy to foresee that the extra passed pawn on the other wing would win. On the other hand, if he allowed the pawn to be taken by the bishop, he had still some prospect of a draw, for he could gain the adverse h-pawn, e.g.: 56...Ng5 57.Bxh5 Nf3 58.Be8 Ba8 59.Bd7+ Ke5 60.Bxg4 Nxh2 and though, by proper play, White should win, Black retained still a chance of sacrificing his knight for the only adverse pawn on the kingside, and then to draw by bringing his king over to the queenside; for if he only succeeded in exchanging the hostile light-square bishop for his own, and to reach b7 with his king, White could not win with the passed pawn at a7 in conjunction with the dark-square bishop. This is a well-known book position. Black’s king moves alternately to a8 and b7, and White’s king can only come near enough to effect stalemate.
57.gxh4 Nf4 58.Be8 Nd5+ 59.Kf2 Bb7 60.Be3 Nf6 [?:??-4:00] 61.Bf7 Nd7 62.h5 Ne5 63.Bg8 
After this it is all over. Zukertort has played the greatest part of this game in masterly style.
63...Nf3 64.h6 Kg6 65.h7 Kg7 66.Bc1 1-0. 
The Field, London, 1881.07.23

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