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 tenth game of the match was commenced on Monday, the 18th inst., at the St. George’s Chess Club.  The opening was the same sort of Scotch Gambit as in the second game of the match, with the alteration of P to K 5 on the sixth move, suggested in our note (a) to that game, which line of play seemed to give Blackburne the best of the development, while his opponent laboured under the disadvantage of a doubled P on the Q side.  Blackburne, however, lost time in placing his R at Q sq on the 11th move; and again on the 15th move he blocked his B uselessly with his Q, instead of retreating to B sq.  His pieces on the Q side became so much hampered, that his opponent might have obtained the superior game on the 18th move by attacking the Q B P at R 4 with the Q as soon as White’s Q Kt was developed; instead of which, Zukertort advanced the K R P for an attack on the K side, and this far-advanced P ultimately proved a source of weakness.  The manœuvring on both sides presented most interesting phases, and virtually lasted up to the 31st move, when Blackburne, by the entrance of his Kt at K Kt 5, obtained two bishops against B and Kt, at the same time preparing a strong attack with his pawns on the K Kt and K B file, which compelled Zukertort to leave his advanced R P undefended.  Blackburne ought not to have hesitated to capture it, though it apparently exposed his K side; for there was in reality no danger, and the adverse Kt would have been imprisoned, unless Black gave up another P.  However, his game was still good enough, and he could afford to place his two rooks in a very awkward position; but, to the surprise of connoisseurs, he relieved Black on the 36th move from his greatest weakness on the Q side, the doubled P on the Q B file, for no other reason than to give a useless check.  This involved besides subsequent loss of time by retreating the B; but he retained still sufficient superiority to be able to sacrifice the exchange for a P on the 42nd move.  At this point the fight became most exciting, and both parties had an extremely difficult game to conduct.  On the 45th move Blackburne offered the exchange of rooks too soon, while he could have gained a most important move by finessing with the K to Kt sq.  Zukertort then released himself from the more immediate danger by exchanging pawns, which left the opponent with two dangerous passed pawns in the centre, and then, by a beautiful attack on the Q with the B, he forced the exchange of Queens.  After one move more made by Zukertort, the game, which had already lasted seven hours, was adjourned till the following Wednesday, Mr Blackburne giving his reply in a sealed envelope.  On the resumption of the game at Simpson’s, Zukertort executed a manœuvre with his R forming part of a combination for stopping the adverse pawns which he may well be proud of from the practical point of view, for it appears that the only other feasible line of play, viz., R to R 5, would have lost, while the move adopted raised a great number of difficult complications, and actually a draw was effected.  But we have devoted great care and attention to the study of this position, and, though we may cause some disappointment, it is our duty as faithful analysts to pronounce, contrary to the opinion of both players, that the process to which Black resorted ought not to have succeeded in averting defeat.  We produce below some analytical proof as far as our space will permit, following chiefly the line of play proposed afterwards by the two opponents.  The rest must be a matter for position judgment, and for our part we believe that the white pawns should have won against the exchange.  As it was, the parties kept bishops of opposite colours.  Blackburne’s superiority of two pawns being divided on the two wings, and, though he tried various dodges, he could not dislodge the adverse K and B from the commanding positions which stopped the progress of both pawns.  The game then declared drawn.  Duration, nine hours.
The Field, London, 1881.07.23
Blackburne,JH — Zukertort,JH
(10)
C45/06
Scotch: Schmidt (Mieses)
1881.07.18 & 20
GBR London (St. George’s Chess Club)
Annotations by Wilhelm Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 
In our first note to the second game of the match we proposed this move in lieu of 6.Bd3 then played.
6...Ne4 7.Qf3 
A very good move, and superior to 7.Bd3, to which Black might have replied 7...Nc5.
7...Ng5 8.Qg3 Ne6 9.Bd3 d5 10.0-0 c5 11.Rd1 
Loss of time. He violates for no purpose the elementary rule of development, holding good with very rare exceptions, escpecially in open games, viz., not to move one and the same piece twice before all the pieces are developed.
11...c6 12.b3 Be7 13.f4 Bh4 14.Qf3 Nd4 15.Qe3 
An inconvenient post for the queen. 15.Qf1 was ever so much superior.
15...Be7 16.c3 Nf5 17.Qf2 [1:00-?:??] 17...h5 18.Nd2 h4 
He could have taken a stronger initiative for attacking purposes by 18...Qa5—e.g.: 18...Qa5 19.Bb2 c4 20.b4 (best) 20...Qc7 and we prefer Black’s game.
19.Nf3 g6 20.Rb1 Rb8 21.Rb2 h3 [?:??-1:00] 22.g3 Nh6 23.c4 Bg4 24.Re1 
24.Be4 looks tempting, but we believe Black could have given up the queen safely in that case—e.g.: 24.Be4 dxe4 25.Rxd8+ Rxd8 26.Ne1 (if 26.Nd2 , then follows 26...Nf5) 26...Rd1 27.Rc2 Bf3, followed by 28...Ng4, and 29...0-0, and we prefer Black’s game.
24...Be6 25.Rd2 Qc8 26.Qf1 Bd8 27.Rc2 Nf5 28.Bd2 Bb6 29.Kh1 Qd8 30.Ng5 [2:00-?:??] 30...Qe7 31.Bc3 Rh6 32.Nxe6 fxe6 33.g4 Nh4 [?:??-2:00] 34.Ree2 
An ugly arrangement of rooks, more suitable for the defense, while he had evidently the attack in hand. He could take the h-pawn safely, and the knight had no move; for if 34...Nf5 the queen would play to f3, and afterwards to g3, should the knight return to h4. If 35...Nd4, White would exchange, followed by 37.g5, winning another pawn.
34...Kd7 35.Be1 Qf7 36.cxd5 
Very feeble. He only obtains a uselelss check thereby, and has again to retreat with the bishop.
36...cxd5 37.Bb5+ Ke7 38.Bg3 Kf8 39.Bd3 Ng2 40.Qc1 d4 41.f5 Ne3 42.Rxe3 
Excellent play. He retains sufficient to win.
42...dxe3 43.Qxe3 g5 
This pawn cannot be taken, on pain of mate after 44...Qb7+.
44.Bc4 Rd8 45.Rd2 
Too early. The finessing move 45.Kg1 would have compelled Black to protect the g-pawn, and White could then oppose the rook with greater advantage. Black could not reply 45...Qb7—e.g.: 45.Kg1 Qb7 46.Qxg5 Rd1+ 47.Kf2 Qg2+ 48.Ke3, and wins, for if 48...Qxc2 White mates in a few moves after 49.Qxh6+, following it up, accordingly to where the king moves, either by 50.Qg7+ or 50.Qh8+.
45...Qb7+ 46.Kg1 Rxd2 47.Qxd2 [3:00-?:??] 47...exf5 48.gxf5 Ba5 [?:??-3:00] 
A splendid move. The exchange of queens is forced now; for if the queen does not oppose at d5, 49...Bc3 follows, threatening the fatal 50...Bd4+.
49.Qd5 Qxd5 50.Bxd5 Bc3 51.Kf2 
At this point the game was adourned till Wednesday.
51...Ra6 
Zukertort deserves the highest credit for this very fine resource as regards actual play; but it is our duty to give our opinion that it would not succeed in saving the game against analysis. He had, however, nothing better. For instance, 51...Rh4 would have lost—e.g.: 51...Rh4 52.Bxh4 gxh4 53.e6 Ke7 (best) 54.Kf3 Be5 55.Kg4 Bxh2 56.Kxh4 and after getting rid of the other h-pawn he maneuvers the king over to b5, leaving his own a-pawn untouched (which is most important). He will then win either one of the pawns on the queenside, and afterwards proceed by playing a3 and b4, or else he will effect an entrance with the king at c6, and ultimately win by playing f6+.
52.a4 c4 53.Bxc4 
We give a diagram of this fine position before White’s last move:
53.bxc4 was the right play. It is impossible to exhaust all variations, and we can only give a few moves of a modification of the main line of play as tried afterwards by the two players, feeling sure, however, that the pawns ought to have the best of the struggle against the exchange in any case. Supposing: 53.bxc4 Rxa4 54.Kf3 Ra1 55.e6 (threatening to win at once by 56.Bd6+, followed accordingly by the advance of the e-pawn, or by 57.Bc6+) 55...Ke7 (or 55...Bf6; or 55...Bb4 56.f6 Rf1+ 57.Bf2 a5 [This seems best; if 57...Bc5, White checks at once with the pawn at e7, and Black has only lost a move] 58.Bc6 Rc1 59.c5 Rxc5 60.Bxc5+ Bxc5 61.Kg4, and wins both pawns, afterwards advances the h-pawn, winning easily) 56.c5 and the consistent advance of this pawn ought to win.
53...Ra5 
After this beautiful move the game is forced drawn, and White’s subsequent attempts to win could make no impression by proper play on the other side.
54.Kf3 Bxe5 55.Be1 Rc5 56.Bb4 Bd6 57.Bxc5 Bxc5 58.Kg4 Bd6 59.Kxh3 Kg7 60.Kg4 [4:00-?:??] 60...Kf6 61.Ba6 Bxh2 62.b4 Bd6 63.b5 Bc7 64.Bc8 Ba5 65.Kf3 Bc7 66.Kg4 Bd8 67.Bb7 Ke5 68.Bg2 Kf6 69.Bh3 Ke5 70.Kh5 Kf6 71.Kg4 Ke5 72.Bf1 Kf6 73.Bg2 Ke5 74.Bh3 Kf6 75.Kf3 Ke5 76.Ke3 Kd5 77.Bg4 Ke5 ½-½. 
The Field, London, 1881.07.23

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