The thirteenth game, played on Thursday, the 3rd
inst. The opening was the same as in the seventh game of the match up to
Whites eighth move, when Zukertort adopted the attack by Kt to B 5
which
we had recommended in our not (b) to that game. Rosenthal also
pursued
the defence given in our comments; but his adversary had evidently
examined
this variation beyond the limit of our notes; for, almost without any
hesitation,
he made a succession of moves instituting a perplexing attack whereby he
left a P to be gained by the opponent, which, however, he would have
recovered
at least, with the better game, if Rosenthal accepted the offer. At the
same time it would have been difficult for the French master always to
make the right reply. Rosenthal exhausted a great deal of time and
apparently
useless calculation before he entered on the process of simplification,
which gave him an even game in a few moves. The struggle for development
was then transferred to the Q side, and White had somewhat the best of
it up to the 26th move, when Zukertort left himself open to the loss of
a clear P on the Q side. Rosenthal, who was short of time at that stage,
did not see it, and, on the contrary, adopted a manuvre whereby he
lost
a clear P himself. The French master played better after the 30th move,
when the pressure of time limit had ceased, yet he missed his
opportunity
on the 33rd move of much improving his game. Zukertort was rather lax in
his attention for some moves after he had gained the P, but his play
from
the 35th move was of a very high order. Rosenthal left a piece to be
taken,
evidently in result of a miscalculation, but it looked feasible enough
at the time, and the sacrifice could only be defeated by the exact
calculation
which his opponent had evidently prepared. Every move of Zukertort
combined
attack and defence, and, though his K was apparently driven up to the
dangerous
hostile quarter, it soon became clear that the winner of the Paris
tournament
had in his forecast provided his final escape with an overwhelming
superiority
of forces. When Rosenthal resigned he was bound to lost a clear R, being
at the time already four pawns behind. Duration, six hours and a
half. |
The score at the time of our going to press
stands,
therefore: Rosenthal, 1; Zukertort, 4; drawn, 8. |
The Field, London,
1880.06.05
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Zukertort,JH Rosenthal,S
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(13)
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C65/01 |
Spanish: Berlin (Nyholm)
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Annotations by Wilhelm
Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d4
exd4 5.0-0 Be7 6.e5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 0-0 8.Nf5
** |
It will be remembered that in the
seventh game of the match Zukertort adopted the much inferior move 8.Re1
at this point. |
8...d5 9.Nxe7+ Nxe7 10.f3 c6
11.fxe4
Qb6+ 12.Kh1 Qxb5 13.Nc3 Qc5 [?:??-1:00] 14.Bg5
** |
White rests his attack on the
principle
of rapid development, and his position is apparently worth the pawn he
offers to give up. |
14...Ng6
** |
Best. Had he played to gain the
pawn,
the game might have progressed thus: 14...dxe4 15.Nxe4 Qxe5 16.Nf6+ gxf6
(best; if 16...Kh8, then follows 17.Nxh7, 18.Qh5+ and 19.Rae1 as pointed
out by Zukertort.) 17.Bxf6 Qd5 (best; any attempt to save the piece
would
be disastrous, on account of the reply 18.Qh5, or 18.Qd2, or 18.Qc1,
always
threatening either 19.Qg5+, or 19.Qh6, with a winning game.) 18.Qc1 Qh5
19.Bxe7, with the superior game. We may state that we thought at first
that the capture of the e-pawn would be fraught with much greater
danger,
on account of the reply 16.Re1; but, on examination, we come the
conclusion
that Black might in that case retreat the queen to c7; and if the
hostile
knight sacrificed itself at f6, he might take, followed by 18...Nd5, and
mostly afterwards by ...Qf4. |
15.exd5 Nxe5 16.dxc6 Qxc6
17.Qe1
** |
If 17.Nd5, the only answer was
17...Ng6. |
17...f6 18.Bf4 Ng6 19.Rd1 Re8
20.Qf2
Be6 21.Rd6 Qc4 22.Rd4 Qc6 23.Rfd1 Qb6 24.Na4 Qa5 25.b3 Rac8
26.c4
** |
Apparently an oversight. He
endangers
an important pawn thereby. |
26...b5
** |
Black also overlooks that he could
safely capture the c-pawn with the bishop, for the adverse knight was
bound
to lose ultimate support if White retook; and, in reply to 27.Bd2, the
queen could keep its hold on the knight by 27...Qa6. |
27.Bd2 Qc7
** |
27...Qa6 looks awkward, but we feel
sure that the legitimate result would not have justified the prejudice
which appearances raise against it. It was certain to turn out better
than
to give up a clear pawn on the queenside, where he was already in a
minority. |
28.cxb5 Red8 29.Bc3
[1:00-?:??]
** |
We should have preferred 29.Be3,
which
would have kept greater pressure on the root of Blacks
position, his a-pawn, without ultimately necessitating the desertion of
Whites queen from his kingside, which
afterwards
might have caused some trouble. |
29...Rxd4 30.Qxd4 Nf8 [?:??-2:00]
31.h3 Qb7
** |
Whites
last move was weak. Black takes prompt advantage, for he also threatens
now 32...Bxh3. |
32.Kg1 Qxb5
33.Qxa7
** |
Which now exposes him. See note to
Whites 29th move. |
33...Bd7
** |
Dr. Ballard subsequently pointed
out
that Black might have here obtained a very good game by the following
line
of play: 33...Qe2 34.Re1 (This seems best; if 34.Ra1, Black may capture
the bishop, followed by 35...Qb2) 34...Qxa2 35.Rxe6 Rxc3 (not 35...Nxe6,
or else he would lose by the answer 36.Qd7) 36.Re7 Rg3, etc. |
34.Qd4 Qg5
35.Nb6
** |
A beautiful move, which completely
answers the opponents intended
attack. |
35...Bc6
** |
Had he taken the h-pawn, White
would
have checked with the queen at d5, and retaken with the knight,
threatening
38.Ne7+. |
36.Rd2 Re8 37.Qc4+
Kh8
** |
Under a misapprehension. He
exaggerates
the attack he obtained by the sacrifice. Of course, the proper move
would
have been 37...Re6. |
38.Qxc6 Re1+
** |
Which required great courage, but
he had clearly seen through all complications arising therefrom, as the
sequel shows. |
39.Kh2 Qe3
** |
Nothing was to be gained by
39...Qf4+,
followed afterwards either by 40...Qf1 or 40...Qe3, for the ultimate
respective
answers of 41.Rg2 or 41.Qg2 made Whites game
secure. |
40.Nd5
** |
Better than 40.Rd3, which would
have
made his defense troublesome, e.g.: 40.Rd3 Qg1+ 41.Kg3 Re3+
42.Rxe3
Qxe3+ 43.Kh2 Qf4+, and if the pawn interposes, the queen checks again at
f2, winning the knight if queen interposes, otherwise White will be much
harassed before he can escape all hostile checks. |
40...Qg1+ 41.Kg3 [2:00-?:??]
41...h5
42.Qb6
** |
All this is very fine play. He
apparently
gives up a piece, but he would recover the same speedily with
advantage. |
42...h4+
** |
Had he exchanged queens, the game
would have proceeded thus: 42...Qxb6 43.Nxb6 Re3+ 44.Kh2 Rxc3 45.Rd8,
followed
by 46.Nd7, if the king defends the knight, winning. |
43.Kxh4 Qh2 44.Bxf6 Re4+ 45.Kh5
Qg3
** |
The last chance. He still threatens
mate by 46...Rh4+, and 47...g6+, etc. |
46.Bxg7+
** |
Whites
play furnishes a fine example of modern style. He has worked his king up
fearlessly, and now finishes off with a few energetic strokes. We give
a diagram of the position. |
46...Kxg7 47.Qf6+ Kh7 48.Qf7+
1-0.
** |
The Field, London,
1880.06.05
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