THE NINETEENTH
AND
LAST GAME OF
THE
MATCH.
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THE contest was decided yesterday
in favour of the winner of the Paris tournament. Herr Zukertort again
adopted
the English opening; Rosenthal castled early, and obtained some attack
with his two knights against the adverse centre. Zukertort had great
difficulty
in The defence, but at last found time to get his K secure, by castling
on the K side. On the seventeenth move he had equalised the game, and
then
instituted a very fin manuvre, which comprised a deep trap,
without the
least risk for his own position. Rosenthal did not see through the
scheme,
and lost a clear piece. He then fought out the hopeless game with the
tenacity
of despair; he sacrificed another piece to get the adverse K into some
trouble, but he failed to make any lasting impression on the
opponents
game, and Zukertort compelled his resignation with a few vigorous
strokes
at the end. Duration, three hours. |
The Field, London,
1880.06.29
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THE LATE MATCH BETWEEN MESSRS ROSENTHAL AND
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ZUKERTORT.
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THE final score of seven decided
games against one, which Herr Zukertort accomplished in the match just
concluded, makes the fair mark of eleven draws on the part of his
opponent
all the more conspicuous. The final score of the victor seemed to be out
of reach of probability, when it is remembered that after the eleventh
game of the match he counted only two games to one and eight draws. Yet
M. Rosenthals deficiency in one important quality, which by no
means belongs
to the higher attributes of a chess master, will in the eyes of
connoisseurs
sufficiently account for his ultimate breakdown. It soon became evident
that the Frenchman had no staying power either for a long game of for a
long match. His complete downfall dates, in our opinion, from the
twelfth
game, where he left a piece almost en prise at the end. He then
lost heart and consequently was outplayed in three successive game,
whence
he only recovered sufficient moral force to delay the opponents
final
victory for four sittings. One of M. Rosenthals minor defects is,
that
he does no know how to economise his time. Thus we saw him waste nearly
an hour over a move in the early part of the thirteenth game. He
naturally
became fidgety and restless at the most important turning point, and not
alone missed his best chances of gaining the superiority, but committed
mistakes of reckoning under the pressure of time limit, while his
opponent,
who had moved in the opening with great rapidity, could remain cool and
fresh, just in the most difficult part of the struggle. But, on the
other
hand, it stands to the credit of the French master that he did actually
get out with the best of the opening and the early part of the middle in
the majority of games played. |
It is generally difficult to draw the line of
demarcation
between the losers faults and the winners merits; but apart
from Herr
Zukertorts greater powers of endurance, there is a marked
superiority
in the conduct of the ending game on the part of the winner of the Paris
tournament. Notably does the beautiful end play of the fifteenth game
stand
out as a masterpiece of Herr Zukertorts genius for exact and
clever calculation,
not alone at the deciding point, but even more so in leading up to it
from
the complicatious [sic] of the middle part. Of his fertility of
resources in difficult and sometimes inferior positions, the course of
the match furnished several instance, and the finish of the third game
is an example of brilliant tactics such as rarely occurs in hard match
play. |
The contest was watched with the keenest interest
by members and visitors of the St. Georges Chess Club, and amongst
the
regular attendants on play days were the Earl of Dartrey, Lord Randolph
Churchill, M. P., Lord Lindsay, Prince Teano, Messrs Catley, Francis,
Lindsay
Minchin, Wayte, and others. |
The Field, London,
1880.07.03
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Zukertort,JH Rosenthal,S
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(19)
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A28/11 |
English: Four Knights
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Annotations by Wilhelm
Steinitz
1.c4 e5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Nc3
Nc6
** |
An alteration from the course taken
in the seventeenth game, where Black played 3...Bb4 at this point.
Zukertort informs us that he intended to reply with the move adopted by
Anderssen in the Paris Congress, viz., 4.Nd5, had Black now pursued the
same line of defense as on the last occasion and that he considers
Whites
game superior in that case, albeit Black being enabled to double the
pawns. |
4.Nf3 Bb4
** |
4...e4 would have lost a pawn,
thus:
4...e4 5.Ng5 Qe7 6.Qc2 Nb4 7.Qb1 d6 8.Ngxe4, and it would be of no use
to pin the knight with the bishop at f5, either before or after
exchanging
one of the knights, for White might safely reply Nxd6+. |
5.d4
** |
5.Nd5, which, as stated above,
Zukertort
considers sound in a similar position on the fourth move, would not be
favorable now that the c6-knight is already developed, for Black might
exchange knights, followed by 6...Ne7. |
5...exd4 6.exd4
d5
** |
The superior plan was to take off
the knight, followed by 7...d6. Whites doubled
pawn was then a great hindrance to his game. The move in the text
enables
White to gain an important move by attacking the bishop, or to force an
exchange which strengthens his center. |
7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 0-0
9.h3
** |
This appears to us entirely
superfluous,
and we do not see how it assists the development in any way, or how it
could be necessary for defensive objects. 9.Be3 at once would have
kept White a move ahead. |
9...Re8+
** |
9...Ne4 10.Qc2 Bf5 (threatening
11...Ng3,
etc.) 11.Qb2 Na5 12.cxd5 (if 12.c5, Black would reply 12...b6) 12...Qxd5
13.Qb4 Nd6 14.Ne5 b6 15.c4 Qe4+, threatening 16...c5, with the superior
game; for White cannot develop his f1-bishop without losing his
g-pawn. |
10.Be3 Ne7 11.Bd3 Nf5 12.Ne5
dxc4
** |
12...Ne4 13.0-0 (This seems best;
for, if 13.Bxe4, 13...dxe4 , threatening to win a piece by 14...f6,
followed
by 15...h5; and Black also threatens to capture the bishop, followed by
15...Qh4+) 13...f6 14.Nf3 Nxc3 15.Qc2 Ne4 16.cxd5 Ned6, with the better
game; for, should White now attack by 17.g4, Black would gain time by
taking
17...Rxe3. |
13.Bxc4 Nd6 14.Bb3 Be6 15.0-0 Nd5
16.Bd2 Ne4 17.c4
** |
See diagram. In our general
notice of this game published last week, we were wrong in stating that
the deep trap laid here was attended with no risk. On further
examination
we find that, beautiful as the combination is worked out in one
direction,
the initiatory move was not as correct as the straightforward line of
defense
by 17...Rf8. |
17...Ndc3
** |
17...Nb6 18.Ba5 (if 18.c5 , Black
may capture the d-pawn with the queen) 18...f6 19.d5 (We see nothing
better;
for, whatever else he does, the answer 19...fxe5 will also gain a pawn,
with a still better position) 19...Bxd5 followed by 20...Rxe5, with a
pawn
ahead, and a good position. It may also be observed that Black, in
lieu of the disastrous move in the text, could also equalize the game by
17...Nxd2, for White had no better answer than 18.Qxd2, as 18...fxe5
would
lose, e.g.: 17...Nxd2 18.cxd5 Bxd5 19.Bxd5 Qxd5 20.Qxd2 Rxe5, with a
pawn
ahead, and a fine game. |
18.Bxc3 Nxc3
19.Qc2
** |
This beautiful move decides the
game
absolutely in Whites favor. No
doubt
Black has speculated on the adverse queen defending the d-pawn now,
either
at d2 or d3, whereupon he would capture the d-pawn nevertheless,
afterwards
recovering the queen by 20...Ne2+. |
19...Qxd4 [?:??-1:00] 20.Nf3 Qf6
21.Rfc1
** |
All this is played with great
foresight
and precision. Attacking with the other rook was
inferior. |
21...Ne2+ 22.Qxe2 Bxh3 23.Qd2 h6
24.Qc3 Qf4
** |
It was no more
Blacks
good play, but the remote chance of White playing badly, that could
possibly
save the game; and it is entirely a question of style how to go on with
such a hopeless case. Nevertheless, we cannot see the least
prospect
for him in throwing away another piece, since White, with proper
precaution,
had made room for the retreat of the king at f1 on the twenty-first
move.
If anything was better than resigning, it was to exchange queens, and to
face the ending game with two pawns ahead. Such a defense was more
feasible, though quite unlikely to succeed in drawing, for
Blacks
majority was separated on the two wings. |
25.gxh3 Re6 26.Re1 Rg6+ 27.Kf1
Rf6
28.Re3 [1:00-?:??] 28...Qf5 29.Ke2 Qxh3 30.Rg1 Kh8 31.Bc2 Rd8 32.Qe5 Qd7
33.Rd1 Rd6 34.Rxd6 cxd6 35.Qe7
** |
Straightforward and correct.
It is no use wasting calculations on such a position. |
35...g6 36.Qf6+ Kg8 37.Re7
1-0.
** |
The Field,
London, 1880.07.03
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