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 Gunsberg-Steinitz Match,
World Championship 1890-91
Researched by Nick Pope

ONE MORE DRAWN GAME.
FEATURELESS DAY IN THE CHESS MATCH.
STEINITZ OPENS THE PLAY FOR THE EIGHTH 
TIME WITH THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT.
:
    In the chess match for the championship of the world, now in progress under the auspices of the Manhattan Chess Club in this city, Mr. Steinitz yesterday for the eighth time opened the Queen’s Gambit or what comes practically to the same thing, the Zukertort opening--Kt-K B 3.  This game having already been played seven times in this contest, it was only natural that the first few moves should be made rapidly on both sides.
    Gunsberg adopted again the Fianchetto do Donna style of defence, which is scarcely approved by Steinitz.  However, the Hungarian succeeded in getting a much better development of his pieces in this game than in the thirteenth of the series, in which he adopted a similar defence.  In the latter part of the opening Steinitz essayed threatening tactics on the Q side with his Queen, which were well neutralized by the defence.
    An exchange of Rooks followed, and it finally seemed as if Gunsberg would win a Pawn.  In this he succeeded on his twenty-sixth turn.  A further exchange of Rooks followed, and when, a few moves later, the game was adjourned for the usual two hours’ recess, the position seemed a dead draw because of the likelihood which existed of Bishops on oppositely colored squares being left on the board.
    On the resumption of play at 7 o’clock this anticipation was fulfilled, for Steinitz exchanged one of his Bishops for a Knight.  Although Gunsberg was still a Pawn to the good there was nothing left to fight for, neither player having any prospect of a win.  Accordingly the game was agreed upon as a draw after thirty-nine moves, making the score now : Steinitz 5, Gunsberg 3, drawn 7.
New-York Daily Tribune, 1891.01.13

ANOTHER DRAWN GAME.
The Champions Discussed a Zukertort 
Opening.
:
    In their match for the chess championship yesterday Steinitz and Gunsberg again discussed a Zukertort opening on the initiative of the older player, whose persistency in this direction is becoming somewhat tiresome to many of the frequenters of the Manhattan Chess Club.  Virtually Steinitz has now made the same opening eight times.  Of course, he has varied the opening move by playing at one time P-Q 4, at another Kt-K B 3, but the result after a few moves has been that, practically speaking, the position arrived at has been the same.
    Gunsberg managed on this occasion to get his pieces more readily into play than in the thirteenth game, in which his queen’s side, it will be remembered, was very much hampered.  Eventually Steinitz made an excursion with his queen into her own territories, and commenced a mode of attack which could hardly be reckoned as satisfactory for his own game.  The result was that ultimately he lost a pawn after a fight which was pretty evenly conducted on both sides.
    Gunsberg captured the pawn on his twenty-sixth move, and an exchange of rooks followed.  When the game was adjourned, after 28 moves had been recorded, the position [...] indicated that bishops on differently colored squares would be left on the board, and that the most likely issue then would be a draw.
    This ultimately proved to be the case when Steinitz exchanged his Q B for the opposing Kt, and a draw was announced after white’s thirty-ninth move.
The Sun, New York, 1891.01.13

ANOTHER DRAWN BATTLE.
MAKING SEVEN THAT NEITHER
CHESS-MASTER COULD WIN.
The Game, Which Was Again Opened 
Irregularly by Mr. Steinitz, Was One 
of the Finest of the Series-Gunsberg 
Gets Out of a Hole by a Good 
Combination-Next Game To-morrow.
:
    The Fifteenth game of the match, one of the finest battles over the chess-board, was again opened irregularly by Mr. Steinitz.  Like in previous games Gunsberg changed his defensive tactics by after white’s B P x Q P not retaking with the P but with the Kt.  Mr. Steinitz prepared his usual battle plan, namely, to mass forces on the Q’s side and as pointed out in the notes to the game below, the position assumed a rather dangerous look for black.  White, besides, incidentally threatening to win a piece, was, to all appearance, at liberty, after advancing his centre pawns, to throw his forces on the K side or to continue the pressure against the Q’s wing.  Black seemed to have only a choice of evils.  But black, by a deep and far-reaching combination, not only averted all danger, but emerged with the better position, winning a pawn in the twenty-sixth move.  One move later, after the exchange of rooks, Mr. Steinitz proposed a draw, but Mr. Gunsberg preferred to go on with the game.  White, who was a pawn behind, managed to remain with Q and a B of different color than his opponent’s B.  But notwithstanding Gunsberg could have probably won the game as shown in the appended notes.  The game lasted five hours, of which both consumed an equal amount.  The score now stands: Steinitz, 5; Gunsberg, 3; drawn, 7.
     The next game will be played to-morrow.
The World, New York, 1891.01.13

Steinitz,W — Gunsberg,IA
(15)
D35/01
Queen’s Indian: Spassky
1891.01.12
USA New York, NY (Manhattan Chess Club)
Annotations by Gunsberg & Steinitz
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.e3 b6
** Steinitz: It does not make much difference at which point the fianchetto is adopted early in the opening by the second player, but usually this is deferred.
4.c4 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 [0:05-0:06] 6.cxd5 Nxd5
** Gunsberg: In a somewhat similar position in the thirteenth game, Black retook here with the pawn.  The text move is better.
7.Bb5+
** Steinitz: It is generally a good plan to compel the adversary to close the diagonal of his bishop in the manner done in the text.
7...c6 8.Bd3 Be7 9.e4 Nxc3
** Steinitz: This strengthens the adverse center, and 9...Nf6 was preferable.
10.bxc3 O-O [0:12-0:12] 11.O-O
** Steinitz: 11.Be3 was probably superior.
11...c5 12.Be3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 14.Rc1
** Steinitz: With a view of playing Bb1, followed by Qd3 with a strong attack.
14...Ba3
** Gunsberg: With a view of preventing White from carrying out his plan of campaign, namely, to retire his bishop to b1 and to play his queen to c2 or d3, either before or after pushing the pawn to e5, according to circumstances.
15.Rc3 Bb4 [0:26-0:21]
** Gunsberg: If 15...Bb2 instead White wins a piece by 16.Rxc6 and 17.Qc2.
Steinitz: 15...Bb2 was probably Blacks original intention, but he finds now that he would lose two minor pieces for the rook by the reply 16.Rxc6, followed by Qc2, winning one of the bishops.
16.Rc4
** Gunsberg: A very strong move which threatens to win a piece by pawn to d5 and also to bring the rook over to the kingside.
16...Be7
** Gunsberg: If 16...b5 instead, White would obtain a good attack against Blacks loosened queens wing after retiring the rook.
17.Qa4
** Gunsberg: Had he now played 17.d5, Black would have obtained a good game by 17...exd5 18.exd5 Nb4.
17...Na5
** Gunsberg: A good move which, however, required the minutest forecalculation. Blacks game was menaced in the extreme, and it was very difficult to steer clear of all cliffs. Had he, for instance, played 17...Rc8 instead of the text move, White would have obtained an overwhelming position by doubling rooks, followed by pawn to d5.  Besides, Black had to guard against pawn to e5 and Be4, or Bb5, after retiring the rook.  The move actually made was the fruit of a deep combination which enabled Black to prevent his opponent from playing subsequently Bd2, which would otherwise lose a pawn.
18.Rc2 Rc8 19.Rfc1
** Gunsberg: If 19.Rxc8, then Black retakes with the bishop threatening ...Bd7.
19...Rxc2 20.Rxc2
** Gunsberg: Steinitz remarked that 20.Qxc2 would have been superior.
Steinitz: 20.Qxc2 was much superior.
20...Qa8 [0:44-0:59]
** Gunsberg: This is the move upon which Black had relied in forming his defense. It not only releases his queens wing from the pressure of Whites attack, but also gives him the initiative.
Steinitz: A very fine move, which wins a pawn by force, at least temporarily.
21.Nd2 Bc6 22.Bb5 Bxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 24.Rc7 Bf6
** Gunsberg: Better, perhaps, were 24...Bd6, with the following combination: 25.Rxa7 Qb1+ 26.Bf1 Bxh2+ 27.Kxh2 Qxf1.
Steinitz: Black could have maintained the pawn by 24...Bd6 25.Rxa7 Qb1+ 26.Bf1 Bxh2+ 27.Kxh2 Qxf1, but his b-pawn would have remained weak.
25.Rxa7 Nc6 [1:15-1:19] 26.Ra8
** Gunsberg: If 26.Rd7, Black continues with 26...Ne7 and ...Nd5.  It is obvious that White cannot play 26.Bxc6.
Steinitz: If 26.Rd7, Black would answer 26...Ne7, followed by ...Nd5.
26...Nxd4 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.Qa3+ Kg8
** Gunsberg: If 28...Be7, White would have likewise remained with bishops of different colors.
29.Qa6 (Sealed) 29...g5 30.Bxd4[2:11-2:10]
** Gunsberg: Of course not 30.Qxb6 because of 30...Qb1+, winning the queen.
30...Bxd4 [2:11-2:18] 31.Bf1 Bc5 32.Qe2 Qd4 33.g4 Kg7 34.Qf3 Qa4 35.Qc3+ f6 [2:20-2:20] 36.Qc4 Qc6 37.Qe2 Qd6 38.Qf3 Qd4 39.Bd3 ½-½.
** Gunsberg: Here Black ought to have checked at a1 and captured the pawn, with good chances to win.  But he seemed to have overlooked the force of that move, for he accepted here the renewed proposal of a draw.
Steinitz: Steinitz afterward pointed out that Black could have here proceeded with 39...Qa1+ 40.Kg2 Qxa2 41.Qb7+ Kf8 42.Qb8+ Kf7 43.Qc7+ Be7, and White dare not take the b-pawn on account of the rejoinder ...Qd5+, winning the bishop.  However, if White then took the h-pawn he had fair prospects of making his defense good, and though the adverse b-pawn would have been troublesome for some time the game was hardly strong enough to win, especially if White did not exchange queens.
The Sun, New York, 1891.01.13
The World, New York, 1891.01.13
New-York Daily Tribune, 1891.01.13

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